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Commercial Legal Counsel
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Role Purpose
To provide practical, commercially focused legal advice across the business, with a primary focus on commercial contracts, customer and supplier agreements and contractual risk.
Working closely with stakeholders across the business, the role will provide clear and pragmatic legal guidance, support effective contract management, and help the business manage legal and commercial risk while achieving its objectives.
What We're Looking For
We are looking for a commercially minded lawyer who can provide clear, pragmatic advice and act as a trusted legal partner to the business. You will be comfortable working independently, balancing legal risk with commercial objectives, and engaging directly with stakeholders across the organisation. The role has a strong focus on commercial contracting and providing practical legal support across the business’s day to day activities.
This role can be performed either remotely or from our Exeter office. The part time working pattern is flexible, with hours and days to be agreed by mutual discussion.
Key Responsibilities
Commercial Contracting & Deal Support
- Act as the primary legal partner to the sales and account management teams, supporting new customer deals, upsells and expansions, and renewals through to signature.
- Draft, review, negotiate, and advise on a broad range of commercial agreements, including customer and supplier agreements, non-disclosure agreements, trading terms and terms and conditions, and partnership and reseller/channel agreements.
- Advise on key contractual provisions, including liability (and appropriate caps and carve-outs), warranties, indemnities, service levels, termination, confidentiality, assignment, and compliance.
- Identify risks and gaps in customer contracts against agreed standard terms, playbooks, and standard operating procedures, and provide clear, pragmatic guidance on where to hold and where to concede.
- Support negotiations directly with customers and their legal teams where required, balancing legal protection with commercial relationships.
- Own and improve standard customer templates, fallback positions, and the customer contracting process to enable faster, more consistent deals as the business scales
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Technology & SaaS Contracts
- Draft, review, negotiate, and advise on technology-specific agreements, including software and SaaS subscription agreements, order forms, Master Services Agreements and Statements of Work, licensing agreements, and support, maintenance, and professional services terms.
- Advise on data protection and security terms, including data processing agreements, and on acceptable use, service levels, and audit rights.
- Advise on intellectual property provisions, software ownership and licensing, and third-party, open-source, and OEM flow-through terms.
- Advise on high-volume and standard-form / click-through contracting and support the scaling of customer contracting as the business grows.
Supplier & Procurement Support
- Provide legal support to teams in relation to supplier agreements and commercial arrangements.
- Review and negotiate supplier terms and conditions.
- Support the business in managing supplier relationships and contractual risk.
- Advise on procurement-related legal and contractual matters.
Risk, Compliance & Data Protection
- Support the identification and management of legal, contractual, and commercial risks.
- Provide practical guidance on relevant legal and regulatory requirements affecting commercial activities.
- Provide commercial advice on data protection requirements relevant to customer, supplier, and technology agreements, including Data Processing Agreements and Risk Assessments including AI-related terms, such as the use of customer data to train AI models.
- Support the development and improvement of legal policies, procedures, and contracting processes.
- Keep up to date with relevant legal and regulatory developments, including emerging AI tools, technologies, and their legal and regulatory implications.
Intellectual Property, Disputes & Claims
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- Advise on intellectual property matters, including software ownership and licensing, IP provisions in commercial contracts, brand protection, and trademarks.
- Support the business in resolving contractual disputes and claims involving customers, suppliers, and other third parties.
- Advise on contractual breaches, remedies, and potential claims.
- Support debt recovery and other commercial claims where required.
General Commercial Support
- Provide legal input on wider commercial initiatives and business projects as required.
- Support the business in developing efficient and effective contracting processes.
- Work proactively with stakeholders to identify legal issues early and provide commercially practical solutions.
Essential Skills & Experience
- At least 5 years post qualification experience.
- Strong experience in commercial contracts, commercial law, procurement, or an in-house legal environment.
- Proven experience drafting, reviewing, negotiating, and advising on a broad range of commercial agreements.
- Strong understanding of contractual and commercial law principles.
- Experience advising on customer and supplier relationships and managing contractual risk.
- Ability to provide pragmatic, commercially focused advice to non-legal stakeholders.
- Excellent drafting, negotiation, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
- Strong attention to detail with the ability to understand and communicate complex legal issues clearly.
- Ability to manage competing priorities, work independently, and exercise sound commercial judgement.
Desirable Experience
- Previous in-house legal experience.
- Experience working within or advising a software, technology, SaaS, or other technology-focused business.
- Experience with software development, technology services, licensing, or intellectual property agreements.
- Experience supporting procurement or supplier management teams.
- Experience with contract lifecycle management systems and improving contracting processes
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