LHH
Sole Legal Counsel
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Sole Legal Counsel
Location: Cambridge
Salary: £90,000 – £120,000 per annum + benefits
Role Type: Permanent, Full-Time
Exclusive opportunity | First In-House Legal Hire | High-Growth Technology Business
LHH are exclusively working with a rapidly growing, technology led business for its first in-house Sole Legal Counsel hire!
Based in Cambridge, the business operates within a specialist, highly innovative sector and uses advanced technology and AI to develop solutions for customers across a range of complex and highly regulated environments. The business is entering an exciting next phase of growth with legal historically been managed through external counsel, and this newly created position represents an opportunity to take ownership of the legal function and help shape how legal supports the business going forward. This is a genuinely broad, hands-on role for a commercially minded Solicitor who enjoys working closely with senior stakeholders and wants to build something rather than inherit an established legal infrastructure.
The Role
As Sole Legal Counsel, you will become the principal legal point of contact for the business, working closely with the founders, senior leadership team and wider business.
You will provide pragmatic, commercially focused advice across a broad range of matters, while establishing the foundations of the company's in-house legal capability.
Your responsibilities will include:
- Providing day-to-day commercial legal advice across the business.
- Drafting, reviewing and negotiating a broad range of commercial agreements, including customer, supplier, partnership, licensing, SaaS and confidentiality agreements.
- Advising on technology, software, intellectual property, data protection, privacy and emerging AI-related legal and regulatory issues.
- Supporting the business with corporate governance, company secretarial and general corporate matters.
- Providing legal support around ongoing growth, investment and future corporate activity.
- Working with external law firms and specialist advisers where appropriate, while retaining ownership of matters internally.
- Monitoring developments in UK and international legislation relevant to the technology and AI sectors.
- Helping establish appropriate legal policies, processes and procedures as the business continues to scale.
- Supporting the implementation and development of legal operations, contract management and compliance processes.
- Acting as a trusted and pragmatic legal adviser to senior leadership and the wider business.
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About You
We are looking for a qualified Solicitor (England & Wales) with significant experience gained either in-house, within a strong commercial law firm, or a combination of both.
The key requirement is strong commercial technology experience, ideally gained within a software, SaaS, AI or other high-growth technology environment.
You are likely to have:
- Strong experience drafting and negotiating general commercial agreements.
- Significant experience working with technology/SaaS contracts.
- Good knowledge of intellectual property, software licensing and data protection.
- A genuine interest in AI, emerging technology and the associated regulatory landscape.
- Experience operating in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong commercial judgement and the ability to provide clear, pragmatic advice rather than simply identify legal risk.
- Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to work directly with c-suite and senior leadership.
- The ability to work autonomously and take ownership of the legal agenda.
- Some exposure to company secretarial/corporate governance matters.
Experience of working with or advising on VC/PE investment, fundraising, M&A or international expansion would be advantageous.
Experience of developing legal policies, procedures, contract management systems or other legal operations infrastructure would also be highly relevant, particularly given this is the company's first dedicated in-house legal appointment.
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Why This Role?
This is an opportunity to join a business at a particularly interesting stage of its development and play a key role in building its legal capability from the ground up.
You will not be joining an established legal team with a defined remit. Instead, you will have the opportunity to:
- Become the first in-house legal hire.
- Take ownership of the legal function and shape its future direction.
- Work closely with founders, C-suite and senior stakeholders.
- Build practical legal processes, policies and infrastructure.
- Continue to utilise leading external law firms where specialist expertise is required.
- Gain exposure across commercial, corporate, technology, IP, regulatory and investment matters.
- Join a high-growth, technology-led business operating at the forefront of an evolving sector.
Location & Package
Location: Central Cambridge
Salary: £90,000 – £120,000 per annum, depending on experience
Working pattern: Ideally five days per week office-based, particularly during the initial period, although there may be some slight flexibility around this for the right individual.
Driving: Full UK driving licence required.
Right to work: Applicants must have unrestricted eligibility to work in the UK without a time limit.
Interested?
If you are a commercially focused technology solicitor looking for the opportunity to become the first legal hire within an ambitious, growing Cambridge business, we'd be keen to hear from you.
Please apply with your CV and a short covering note, including your salary expectations and availability.
LHH is managing this appointment exclusively on behalf of the business.
Chris Ewles | chris.ewles@LHH.com | 07902 701 818
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