Legal Counsel - Pacific

RELX INC; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 290,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Remote option

Job summary

LexisNexis (RELX) is seeking an experienced Legal Counsel - Pacific to partner with Australia and New Zealand businesses. You will draft and negotiate a wide range of commercial agreements, provide pragmatic legal advice, and help drive AI-enabled initiatives across a fast-paced technology environment.

You will work with stakeholders across Australia and New Zealand, supporting product transformations and distribution channels while managing disputes with external counsel as needed.

Qualifications

• 5+ years PQE and admission to practice in Australia or New Zealand, with a current practising certificate or eligibility to obtain one.
• Strong commercial contracting experience, particularly drafting, reviewing and negotiating agreements.
• Experience in top-tier, national or international law firm and/or large corporate in-house team.
• Ability to manage matters independently with sound judgement on escalation.
• Strong stakeholder management, drafting and negotiation skills.
• Practical use of generative AI tools in legal work to improve workflows.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review and negotiate a broad range of commercial agreements (B2B, content licenses, supplier and technology).
• Negotiate directly with customers, suppliers and counterparties.
• Provide practical, commercially focused legal advice balancing risk with business objectives.
• Build relationships with senior stakeholders across Australia and New Zealand.
• Support key business projects and AI-enabled product initiatives.
• Use AI and legal technology to improve efficiency and quality of legal delivery.
• Develop templates, playbooks and practical guidance for the wider business.
• Deliver legal training and participate in clinics.
• Support disputes and liaise with external counsel when required.
• Collaborate with Pacific and international legal teams.

Skills

Contract drafting

Negotiation

Commercial awareness

AI in legal

Stakeholder mgmt

Job description

Sydney

Melbourne

Home based - New Zealand

New Zealand - Auckland

New Zealand - Wellington

Australia

Brisbane

Full time

R120610

Australia or New Zealand | Permanent, Full-time | Flexible Working or Fully Remote

About the role

This is an opportunity for an experienced commercial lawyer to join LexisNexis and work at the intersection of law, technology and AI.

As Legal Counsel - Pacific, you'll provide practical, commercially focused legal advice across the Australian and New Zealand businesses, managing a broad range of matters from end to end with a high degree of autonomy.

You'll work closely with business stakeholders and be trusted to negotiate contracts, assess commercial risk and help the business move forward with confidence.

It's a varied, fast-paced role where no two days will necessarily look the same. You'll have exposure to everything from customer and supplier agreements to content licensing, technology and new product initiatives, including AI-enabled products.

What you'll be doing

• Draft, review and negotiate a broad range of commercial agreements, including B2B customer agreements, content licences, supplier and technology agreements.

• Negotiate directly with customers, suppliers and other counterparties.

• Provide clear, practical and commercially focused legal advice while balancing legal risk with business objectives.

• Build strong relationships with senior business stakeholders across Australia and New Zealand.

• Support key business projects, new products and technology initiatives, including AI-enabled solutions.

• Use generative AI and legal technology to improve the efficiency and quality of legal service delivery.

• Develop templates, playbooks and practical guidance to support the wider business.

• Deliver legal training and participate in legal clinics.

• Support disputes and pre-litigation matters and manage external counsel where required.

• Collaborate with legal colleagues across the Pacific and internationally.

About you

You're a commercially minded lawyer who enjoys being close to the business and is comfortable taking ownership of matters rather than simply identifying legal issues.

Ideally, you'll bring:

• 5+ years' PQE and admission to practice in Australia or New Zealand, with a current practicing certificate or eligibility to obtain one.

• Strong commercial contracting experience, particularly drafting, reviewing and negotiating agreements.

• Experience gained within a top-tier, national or international law firm and/or a large corporate or multinational in-house legal team.

• The confidence to manage matters independently and sound judgement around when to elevate.

• Strong stakeholder management, drafting and negotiation skills.

• Practical experience using generative AI tools in legal work, whether for research, drafting, review or improving workflows.

• A commercially pragmatic mindset and the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-moving environment.

• Curiosity, adaptability and an appetite to work with a business experiencing ongoing technology and product transformation.

Experience in technology, intellectual property, competition and consumer law, content licensing, SaaS, AI or legal technology would be advantageous, but you don't need to tick every box.

Why join us?

This role offers a chance to move beyond traditional legal advisory work and become a genuine commercial partner to the business.

You'll have the opportunity to:

• Work with an international legal technology and AI business where technology is changing both the products we build and the way legal work is delivered.

• Build broad commercial experience across a diverse Australian and New Zealand business.

• Take genuine ownership of matters and develop the stakeholder management skills needed for your next career step.

• Work alongside specialist legal colleagues across areas including employment, privacy and IP, as well as regional and global teams.

• Use and develop your skills with AI and legal technology in your day-to-day legal practice.

• Connect with the broader APAC legal team, including an annual team get-together involving international travel.

The role offers flexible working and can be based across Australia or New Zealand, excluding Perth due to the time-zone requirements of the team.

About LexisNexis

LexisNexis is a global leader in legal technology and AI, helping legal professionals make better decisions, work more efficiently and deliver better outcomes for their clients and organisations.

We combine trusted legal content and expertise with innovative technologies, including generative AI, to transform how legal work gets done. Our products and solutions support customers across law firms, corporations, government and other organisations around the world.

As part of a global business, you'll join an environment that brings together law, technology, data and AI, with opportunities to collaborate with colleagues across Australia, New Zealand and internationally.

We know your well-being and happiness are key to a long and successful career. We are delighted to offer country specific benefits.

We are committed to providing a fair and accessible hiring process. If you have a disability or other need that requires accommodation or adjustment, please let us know by completing our Applicant Request Support Form or please contact 1-855-833-5120.

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We are an equal opportunity employer: qualified applicants are considered for and treated during employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, citizenship status, disability status, protected veteran status, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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RELX is a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers, enabling them to make better decisions, get better results and be more productive.

Our purpose is to benefit society by developing products that help researchers advance scientific knowledge; doctors and nurses improve the lives of patients; lawyers promote the rule of law and achieve justice and fair results for their clients; businesses and governments prevent fraud; consumers access financial services and get fair prices on insurance; and customers learn about markets and complete transactions.

Our purpose guides our actions beyond the products that we develop. It defines us as a company. Every day across RELX our employees are inspired to undertake initiatives that make unique contributions to society and the communities in which we operate.