Senior Lawyer, Litigation

BBC Group and Public Services; London; Hybrid; GBP 85,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

The BBC is seeking an experienced Senior Lawyer for its Litigation and Information Rights Department. This role involves providing comprehensive legal advice on media disputes, contractual issues, and regulatory matters. The successful candidate will work closely with various stakeholders and will contribute to shaping the BBC's legal strategy in a dynamic environment.

Benefits

Excellent career progression

Unrivalled training and development opportunities

Flexible 35-hour working week

25 days annual leave with the option to buy an extra 5 days

Defined pension scheme

Discounted dental and healthcare

Qualifications

• Substantial experience in contentious media law.
• Experience in internal and external investigations.
• Strong academic background in law.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal advice on contentious matters across BBC.
• Assist with disputes in High Court and other tribunal proceedings.
• Work with team members to deliver first-class legal services.

Skills

Media Law

Contract Law

Public Law

Communication Skills

Education

Solicitor or Barrister qualification

Job description

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We are looking for an experienced litigator to join the BBC’s Litigation and Information Rights Department as a senior lawyer. You will work closely with programme-makers, journalists, senior management and others within the BBC Group to provide comprehensive advice relating to media disputes (including defamation, privacy, reporting restrictions, contempt and PACE applications), commercial and contractual disputes, judicial review, internal and external inquiries and investigations, other regulatory disputes and contentious requests under the Freedom of Information Act.

The BBC Legal Division is responsible for providing legal advice and assistance across the BBC and for developing and implementing the BBC’s legal strategy. The Legal Division is led by the BBC’s General Counsel. It is made up of the following departments: General Counsel's Office, Litigation and Information Rights, Intellectual Property, Employment, Programme Legal Advice, Commercial and Engineering and Competition and Regulatory Law.

Our overall structure is similar to that found in private practice firms and we provide advice and support on a wide range of diverse matters. Whilst this means the work can be challenging and fast-paced at times, we are open to discussing agile ways of working to support our staff, where appropriate and in line with our flexible working policies.

Main Responsibilities

As a Senior Lawyer, you will be required to provide advice on contentious matters at all levels across the BBC Group, assist in dealing with disputes in the High Court, County Court and other tribunal proceedings, and work effectively with other team members within the Litigation and Information Rights Department and the wider legal team to provide a first class legal service.

Are you the right candidate?

To be successful in this role, you will need substantial experience and knowledge of contentious media law, contract and/or public law and/or experience in internal and externally-led investigations. Excellent written and oral communication skills and experience of advising clients directly and in sometimes urgent circumstances are key; you will have qualified as a solicitor or barrister in a leading law firm or chambers with substantial litigation experience and possess a strong academic background. You will also have an ability to understand the varied needs of clients across the BBC and to advise and communicate with them on legal and other matters.

Why the BBC?

There is no other organisation like the BBC.

As the world’s largest and longest-standing public service broadcaster, we have a unique role that informs culture and democracy in the UK and overseas.

Attracting and retaining the very best talent is at the heart of delivering for our audiences. We are looking for people who are excited to help us build a culture that is creative, inclusive and full of opportunity, regardless of gender, disability, gender reassignment, race, sexual orientation, pregnancy or maternity, marital or civil partnership, age, religion or belief.

We believe in providing equal opportunity and treatment for everyone and are proud to be a Disability Confident employer. Please do contact us if you need to talk through any support or reasonable adjustments, such as subtitles over zoom, extra time, or whatever will meet your needs at [e-mail].

Package Description

Band: E
Contract type Permanent
Location: London based with some hybrid-working
Salary: £85,000 - £100,000pa dependent upon experience

We’re happy to discuss flexible working. Please indicate your choice under the flexible working question in the application. There is no obligation to raise this at the application stage but if you wish to do so, you are welcome to. Flexible working will be part of the discussion at offer stage.

• Excellent career progression – the BBC offers great opportunities for employees to seek new challenges and work in different areas of the organisation.
• Unrivalled training and development opportunities – our in-house Academy hosts a wide range of internal and external courses and certification.
• Benefits - We offer a negotiable salary package, a flexible 35-hour working week for work-life balance and 25 days annual leave with the option to buy an extra 5 days, a defined pension scheme and discounted dental, health care, gym and much more.

This job description is a written statement of the essential characteristics of the job, with its principal accountabilities, incorporating a note of the skills, knowledge and experience required for a satisfactory level of performance. This is not intended to be a complete, detailed account of all aspects of the duties involved.

Please note: If you were to be offered this role, the BBC will conduct Employment screening checks which include Reference checks; Eligibility to work checks; and if applicable to the role, Safeguarding and Adverse media/Social media checks. Any offer made is conditional on these checks being satisfactory.

The BBC is committed to redeploying employees seeking suitable alternative employment within the BBC and they will be given priority consideration ahead of other applicants. Priority consideration means for those employees seeking redeployment their application will be considered alongside anyone else at risk of redundancy, prior to any individuals being considered who are not at risk.

Information at a Glance

This is your BBC

At the BBC you can create and innovate in an inclusive environment while contributing to some of the world’s best loved content, and the BBC’s mission to inform, educate and entertain.

Find out more about the BBC

Life at BBC

Here you will benefit from:

• Fair pay and flexible benefits including a competitive salary package, a flexible 35-hour working week, 25 days annual leave with the option to buy an extra 5 days, a defined pensionscheme and discounted dental, health care and gym.
• Excellent career and professional development.
• Support in your working life, including flexible working which you can discuss with us at any point during the application, selection or offer.
• A values-based organisation where the way we do things is important as what we do.

Benefits may vary if you are joining on an FTC basis.

Learn more about life at the BBC and our values in our candidate pack.

Candidate pack

You belong

We have a working environment where we value and respect every individual's unique contribution, so all our employees feel that they can belong, thrive and achieve their full potential.

We want to attract the broadest range of talented people to join us. The more diverse our workforce, the better able we are to respond to and reflect our audiences in all their diversity.

We welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief.

Find out more about diversity, inclusion and belonging in our strategy below.

Diversity, inclusion & belonging strategy

Disability confident

We are a disability confident employer. If you need to discuss adjustments or access requirements for the interview process, or to carry out this role, please contact us via email and we’d be happy to discuss: [e-mail]

BBC Group and Public Services, Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London, United Kingdom, W1A 1AA. BBC Studios Distribution Limited, company no: 01420028, registered address: 1 Television Centre, 101 Wood Lane, London, United Kingdom W12 7FA.