Legal Counsel - Taylor & Francis

Informa Global Support; Milton; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading international publishing company is looking for a Legal Counsel to support its business on various legal matters, including commercial agreements and intellectual property. The ideal candidate should have around 3 years of post-qualification experience and a strong understanding of contract law. This role offers a flexible working culture and is based in Milton Park, with an expectation of in-office collaboration three days a week.

Benefits

Work-life balance

25 days annual leave

Private medical insurance

Volunteering days

Pension scheme

Life assurance

Qualifications

• Around 3 years post-qualification experience (PQE).
• Experience with commercial/contract law issues and IP/copyright issues.
• Experience with technology contracts is desirable.
• Prior in-house experience or publishing industry experience is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Advising on copyright, defamation, and privacy issues.
• Drafting and advising on commercial contracts.
• Supporting resolution of third-party disputes.
• Building relationships with senior leadership.
• Assisting in training on legal topics.

Skills

Excellent written and verbal communication

Problem solving

Organizational skills

Interpersonal skills

Ability to work independently

Education

Legal qualification

Job description

Job Description

We are currently recruiting for a talented Legal Counsel to join the Taylor & Francis legal team.

This role is based in our Milton Park office.

In this role, you will be responsible for supporting Taylor & Francis on all legal matters relating to the business, including advising on commercial agreements and intellectual property, reputation management and defamation issues, supporting on the resolution of disputes, tracking key legislative and policy developments, updating and drafting commercial contract templates, and providing legal training and guidance to the business.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Taylor & Francis legal team, a highly respected and valued business partner to the Taylor & Francis business, with lawyers based in the UK (London and Oxfordshire), the US (Philadelphia) and Singapore.

You will also sit within the wider Informa Legal and Governance community, which consists of about 90 colleagues globally, including around 50 lawyers, with specialists in fields such as M&A, employment law, compliance and privacy/data protection.

Responsibilities and keys to success

• Advising on content-related issues, both pre- and post-publication, including issues related to copyright, defamation and privacy
• Drafting, negotiating and advising on a wide range of commercial contracts including customer contracts, publishing agreements, author / editor contracts, distribution and agency agreements, supplier agreements and IT / technology contracts
• Supporting the business on the resolution of third party disputes and working in close collaboration with internal Taylor & Francis stakeholders, including the Editorial, Commercial, Communications and Ethics teams, as appropriate
• Maintaining, updating and creating (where necessary) Taylor & Francis’ commercial contract templates, including author, editor and Society publishing agreements, service agreements, IT / technology contracts, licensing agreements and confidentiality agreements
• Building effective working relationships with the Taylor & Francis senior leadership team and wider business functions to build engagement and understanding of legal risk and promote the legal function
• Collaborating effectively with the other lawyers in the Taylor & Francis legal team to ensure a consistent and effective approach to managing legal risk across the business globally
• Assisting with developing and delivering training and guidance notes on legal topics to business colleagues
• Liaising with and instructing external counsel where necessary
• Representing Taylor & Francis at external industry events, trade bodies and initiatives as appropriate

Qualifications

• A qualified lawyer with around 3 years post‑qualification experience (PQE is given as a guide only. This will not be a determining factor of suitability and applicants of other levels of PQE are encouraged to apply.)
• Experience of advising clients on commercial / contract law issues, IP / copyright issues, data protection and disputes
• Experience of advising on technology / IT contracts is desirable but not essential
• Experience of building effective working relationships with clients or stakeholders in a business
• Prior in‑house experience and / or experience of the publishing industry is desirable but not essential; more important is a genuine interest in working in the publishing sector and keeping up to date on developments in laws, regulations and industry trends impacting publishing

Skills and behaviours

• A professional, organised, enthusiastic and proactive approach to work, with an ability to prioritise effectively
• Practical, commercial thinker able to find pragmatic and workable solutions
• Ability to exercise commercial judgment and balance business needs with legal risk in a commercial, constructive and business‑sympathetic way
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills including an ability to explain complex legal issues in a clear and simple manner to a non‑legally trained audience
• Good team player who has a growth mindset and a desire to assist with a variety of tasks
• Ability to take ownership and work independently where required
• Excellent interpersonal skills and an ability to work cooperatively with others and to build strong relationships with internal stakeholders

Location & Closing Date

Location: We believe that great things happen when people connect face‑to‑face. That's why we work in‑person with each other, or with customers and partners, three days a week or more. When you’re not spending time together in one of our offices or other workplaces – like at conference – you get the flexibility and support to work from home or remotely. The successful candidate will be able to utilise our balanced working model. We ask that candidates live within a commutable distance of our offices (5 Howick Place, London or Milton Park, Oxford) to ensure that as a balanced worker they can make it to our office locations to collaborate as required. There is an expectation for a minimum of 3 days per week in‑person time.

Closing Date: Applications will close on 10th November.

Benefits

• An excellent work / life balance with a fantastic, flexible working culture
• 25 days annual leave per year plus a day off for your birthday
• 3 additional discretionary days off during the holiday season at the end of the year
• 4 paid volunteering days each year
• Company funded single cover private medical insurance
• Employee assistance programme – offering 24 / 7 well‑being support
• Share Match – Plan that matches every share purchased with two free shares.
• Pension scheme
• Life assurance, plus optical and medical care

Culture & Inclusion

If you’re excited about working with Taylor & Francis to foster human progress through knowledge, we invite you to apply even if your existing skills and experience don’t fit every item listed above. At Taylor & Francis, we are at our best and most successful when colleagues can be themselves and make a contribution regardless of their identity or background. As a colleague, you will have the opportunity to further innovate and develop in areas that you are passionate about. Our goal is to empower you with the resources, incentives, and flexibility you need to enjoy success at work and to live a healthy, balanced life.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Taylor & Francis is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe in and value diversity of people and thought, fostering a supportive and inclusive environment where all colleagues can learn and succeed as their true selves. Taylor & Francis recruits, develops, and retains colleagues without regard to any protected personal characteristics or other non‑merit based factor.