Senior Commercial Counsel, Packaging EMEA

DS Smith; Camden Town; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading packaging company in Camden Town is seeking a legal advisor to deliver commercial legal advice and negotiate contracts. Responsibilities include reviewing complex agreements and providing training. Candidates should have strong commercial legal experience, excellent contract law knowledge, and the ability to work autonomously. This role offers the opportunity to work in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Experience in-house and from a top tier law firm.
• Strong analytical and emotional intelligence.
• Ability to work autonomously and escalate when needed.

Responsibilities

• Deliver legal advice to the Commercial division.
• Negotiate contracts with customers and third parties.
• Provide training on legal topics.

Skills

Commercial legal experience

Contract law knowledge

In-depth commercial legal experience

Job description

Packaging

• Delivering commercially focused legal advice to the Commercial division across EMEA within the DS Smith business, working directly with MDs/FDs and other relevant business contacts on a multi-jurisdictional basis.
• Advising on and negotiating contracts with material customers.
• Advising on major customer-related projects, third party disputes, litigation and other corporate / commercial matters as required.
• Providing face to face training on legal topics (including contract law to facilitate stakeholder self-service).
• Reviewing and negotiation of complex customer agreements, applying the relevant playbook (and use of precedents) to manage risk profile.
• Negotiating contracts with opposing counsel and/or customer sales/procurement teams with confidence, often via video-call or (where required) in person.
• Reviewing tender contracts.
• Redirecting queries to other relevant business functions (and collating responses) where applicable.
• Assisting with review and implementation of AI tools to streamline legal processes and function.
• Understanding and exhibiting company values.

The Wider Business

• Supporting continued integration and alignment with International Paper, working closely with other Group functions and external counsel.
• Reviewing and drafting new Group legal policies when appropriate to reflect legal and regulatory developments or changes to DS Smith's operations.
• Providing legal advice and support to group functions including procurement, R&D, sustainability, compliance, IT, treasury, finance, integration and corporate affairs.
• Working with in-house legal counsels in other jurisdictions to update and roll-out legal templates.

Requirements

• Commercial legal experience gained preferably from in-house positions and from a magic circle / top tier law firm.
• Excellent contract law knowledge.
• In-depth commercial legal experience.

Attributes

• Emotional intelligence.
• Good commercial judgement and the willingness to use it.
• Intellectually sound with a strong, analytical mind.
• Curious, hard-working, proactive, task and action-oriented.
• Team player, but able to work with a high degree of autonomy with ability to recognise when escalation to the legal director input is required.
• Responsive.
• Grounded, collaborative and comfortable engaging at every level of an organisation.
• High degree of energy and commitment, an ability and willingness to travel and to deliver to tight deadlines.
• Ability to work in a lean and fast paced operational environment.
• Ability to work through change and ambiguity.
• Ability to prioritise, with agility to re-prioritise as required.
• Ability to be creative and with a solution-focused approach.
• Ability to build rapport and manage stakeholder relationships.
• Ability to adapt communication style to best communicate with relevant stakeholders.
• High level of initiative.
• Understanding of legal vs commercial items.
• Experience of using legal/contract review AI tools beneficial.
• Experience with advising multi-jurisdictional stakeholders preferred.
• Experience of instructing external legal counsel (in other jurisdictions) preferred.
• Discreet.
• Ability to use persuasion and influence over stakeholders to help achieve legal compliance.