Temporary Paris Associate General Counsel

Sotheby's; Paris; On-site; EUR 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Sotheby’s is seeking a Temporary Associate General Counsel ( maternity cover ) in Paris. The role leads the legal department in France, Belgium and Monaco, handling commercial contracts, compliance, and regulatory matters for a global luxury-art organization.

The ideal candidate is a French-qualified lawyer with 8–10 years post-qualification experience, strong drafting and negotiation skills, and the ability to operate across multiple time zones and jurisdictions. In-house experience is a plus.

Qualifications

• French qualified lawyer with 8–10 years post-qualification experience.
• In-house or cross-border experience is valued.
• Strong drafting, negotiation and risk assessment abilities.
• Excellent command of English and French; able to advise across jurisdictions.

Responsibilities

• Provide commercial and regulatory legal support for France, Belgium and Monaco.
• Draft and negotiate contracts for auctions, private sales and related services.
• Advise on corporate matters, licensing, digital activities and new initiatives.
• Manage external counsel and legal budget; supervise external matters.
• Develop compliance playbooks and training for local teams.
• Keep abreast of regulatory changes affecting the business.

Skills

Legal drafting

Contract negotiation

Cross-border compliance

English & French proficiency

Team collaboration

Education

French law qualification

8–10 years PQE

Tools

Contract management software

MS Office / Google Docs

Job description

Sotheby’s is seeking a Temporary Associate General Counsel ( maternity cover ) in Paris. The role leads the legal department in France, Belgium and Monaco, handling commercial contracts, compliance, and regulatory matters for a global luxury-art organization.

The ideal candidate is a French-qualified lawyer with 8–10 years post-qualification experience, strong drafting and negotiation skills, and the ability to operate across multiple time zones and jurisdictions. In-house experience is a plus.