Senior Legal Counsel

Taylor & Francis Group; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90.000 - 130.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

Taylor & Francis, part of Informa, seeks a Senior Legal Counsel to partner with the Corporate division and provide commercial and IP guidance. You will work with senior management and cross-functional teams across Editorial, Production, Marketing, and Product/Technology, shaping policy and licensing strategies.

The role covers IP, copyright, contracts, disputes, and AI-related licensing, coordinating with in-house teams in the US, UK and Singapore, and representing the business in external

Qualifikationen

• Demonstrable IP/copyright expertise with ability to provide pragmatic solutions in a content-focused business.
• Experience advising on licensing, publishing contracts, and IT/technology agreements.
• Strong track record in managing disputes and coordinating with external counsel.

Aufgaben

• Provide legal support to Taylor & Francis Corporate division and senior leadership.
• Draft, negotiate and advise on a wide range of commercial contracts and licensing matters.
• Lead on content-related disputes and manage external costs as needed.
• Collaborate across US, UK and Singapore legal teams to ensure consistent risk management.

Kenntnisse

Commercial mindset

IP/Copyright expertise

AI licensing knowledge

Dispute resolution experience

In-house experience

Ausbildung

Law degree

Bar admission

Jobbeschreibung

Informa is a leading academic publishing, business intelligence, knowledge, and events business, creating unique content and connectivity for customers all over the world. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a member of the FTSE 100.

Taylor & Francis is one of the world’s largest publishers of high-quality, peer reviewed scholarly journals, books, e-books and reference works. We empower learners, thinkers and doers with trusted knowledge that advances research and enriches lives. We bring together diverse people, ideas and opinions to validate and publish the experts, theories and truths that matter. And we’ve been doing this in an unbroken arc since 1798.

Our purpose is to foster human progress through knowledge. We strongly believe that this requires us to encourage and examine different ideas and voices, so that any work that meets our exacting levels of quality deserves to be included in our publications. This requires open minds, the opportunity for robust debate, and the courage to defend perspectives that stand up to scrutiny, even if they conflict with our personal beliefs or values. Because that’s the only way to find the best obtainable version of the truth and, ultimately, foster human progress. If you agree, then we’d love to hear from you.

Informa is a leading academic publishing, business intelligence, knowledge, and events business, creating unique content and connectivity for customers all over the world. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a member of the FTSE 100.

Taylor & Francis is one of the world’s largest publishers of high-quality, peer reviewed scholarly journals, books, e-books and reference works. We empower learners, thinkers and doers with trusted knowledge that advances research and enriches lives. We bring together diverse people, ideas and opinions to validate and publish the experts, theories and truths that matter. And we’ve been doing this in an unbroken arc since 1798.

Our purpose is to foster human progress through knowledge. We strongly believe that this requires us to encourage and examine different ideas and voices, so that any work that meets our exacting levels of quality deserves to be included in our publications. This requires open minds, the opportunity for robust debate, and the courage to defend perspectives that stand up to scrutiny, even if they conflict with our personal beliefs or values. Because that’s the only way to find the best obtainable version of the truth and, ultimately, foster human progress. If you agree, then we’d love to hear from you.

Job Description

We are currently recruiting for a talented Senior Legal Counsel to join the Taylor & Francis legal team. This is an exciting opportunity to become a valued business partner to a global content business, and to be part of a collegiate and supportive legal team.

Reporting into the Deputy General Counsel for Taylor & Francis, you will be responsible for supporting Taylor & Francis on all legal matters, with particular focus on supporting the Corporate division. In this business-facing role, you will work closely with senior management and other key stakeholders, including in the Editorial, Production, Marketing, Commercial and Product/Technology functions.

The Taylor & Francis legal team is a highly respected and valued business partner to Taylor & Francis, with lawyers based in the UK, US and Singapore. The team combines technical legal expertise with commercial insight and an appreciation for the business’ objectives to provide constructive, balanced and effective advice.

Responsibilities are expected to include

• Providing legal support to Taylor & Francis’ Corporate division, for example including:
  • Proactively building effective working relationships with senior leadership in the business and representing the legal team at management meetings contributing expertise and influencing
  • Identifying and managing projects end to end to mitigate any identified areas of legal risk
  • Representing Taylor & Francis at external events, trade body meetings and industry initiatives as appropriate
• IP/copyright/commercial/AI
  • Supporting the business on complex IP/copyright-related matters, in particular in the context of AI, including advising on AI-related licensing agreements and legal developments relating to AI and copyright
  • Drafting, negotiating and advising senior leaders 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
• Dispute resolution
  • Advising on content-related issues and disputes, both pre- and post-publication, including issues related to copyright, defamation and privacy
  • Taking a lead on managing and resolving third party disputes
  • Instructing external counsel where necessary and managing external legal costs
• Collaborating effectively with the other lawyers in the Taylor & Francis legal team (based in the US, UK and Singapore) to ensure a consistent and effective approach to managing legal risk across the business globally

Qualifications

Knowledge and experience required

• A qualified lawyer with around 6 years plus 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 may apply).
• Prior experience of building effective working relationships with senior commercial stakeholders in a business.
• A robust understanding of intellectual property/copyright law and demonstrable experience of advising clients on, and finding pragmatic solutions to, complex copyright and licensing issues, ideally within a content industry. Experience of advising on copyright issues within an AI context is highly desirable but not essential.
• A professional qualification in IP would be helpful but not essential.
• Demonstrable experience of managing and resolving legal disputes to an effective solution.
• Prior experience of instructing external counsel and managing external legal costs is desirable but not essential.
• Prior inhouse experience and/or experience of the publishing industry is desirable but not essential.

What makes you stand out

• Strongly commercial thinker able to find pragmatic and workable solutions.
• Evidence of ability to exercise commercial judgment and balance business needs with legal risk in a commercial, constructive and business-sympathetic way
• Excellent interpersonal skills and an ability to work cooperatively and build strong relationships with others, including within the legal team and with internal senior business stakeholders
• Ability to take ownership and work independently, and to take a lead and own issues and projects within the role’s remit.
• An enthusiastic and proactive approach to work, with an ability to prioritise effectively
• 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.

Additional Information

Closing Date: Applications will close on Friday 27th November 2026.

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.

We ask that candidates live within a commutable distance of our office in either Milton Park, Oxfordshire (OX14) or Howick Place, London to ensure that as a balanced worker they can make it to our office location to collaborate 3 days per week. If primarily London-based, you will need to be able to commute to the Oxfordshire office at least once per week.

Please note that our Milton Park office will be relocating to Oxford city centre in late 2027 / early 2028, offering an exciting new workplace in the heart of the city.