of counsel Abingdon, England
Job description
Adaptimmune is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of novel immunotherapy products for people with cancer. The Company's unique SPEAR (Specific Peptide Enhanced Affinity Receptor) T-cell platform enables the engineering of T-cells to target and destroy cancer across multiple solid tumors.
Our company culture is rooted in trust, inclusion, our capacity to collaborate, and our commitment to being honest and brave in our desire to successfully transform the lives of people with cancer.
About the Team: Adaptimmune Legal are partners to all business units within Adaptimmune, offering proactive strategic legal counsel on all contract negotiations, program planning, and other business-facing activities. The breadth of operations that Adaptimmune Legal support includes research and process development, manufacturing and supply chain, clinical operations, commercial and business transactions, corporate securities and governance, and information technology and facilities; with opportunities for both cross-functional training and depth of specialization depending on interests. The roles within Legal continue to evolve and expand with the growth of the Company from emerging clinical-stage entity to multinational commercial enterprise.
The Senior Associate Counsel, Research will be an integral part of Adaptimmune’s cell therapy business and its mission to provide cell therapies to cancer patients. Focusing on the research areas within Adaptimmune, the individual will support the research functional areas across the full breadth of the legal requirements in those areas.
PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY
Provision of legal services will include:
- negotiation of agreements including license agreements, service agreements, supply agreements, materials transfer agreements, consultancy agreements, confidentiality agreements, manufacturing agreements (including quality agreements);
- providing legal advice to ensure compliance with legal requirements, including updated requirements related to compliance with UK and EU GDPR.
- training of individuals within Adaptimmune on the various legal requirements, including in relation to import and export of biologic materials between US, UK, and EU; and
- interfacing with other members of the legal team, members of management and business as necessary.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Provision of legal assistance and advice to business
- Drafting and negotiating a broad range of agreements, including agreements focused on process development, sourcing & procurement, and R&D (such as development agreements, license agreements, service agreements, supply agreements agreements), materials transfer agreements, tissue sourcing agreements, consulting agreements, and clinical services agreements (e.g., CRO and CDMO)
- Drafting template agreements under direction from Deputy GC and/or GC
- Responsibility for management of own matters with supervision/assistance from Deputy GC and/or GC where necessary
- Interfacing with management and employees as necessary, both in the UK and US to ensure progression of matters within required timescales
- Liaising with external counsel as appropriate, upon direction from Deputy GC and/or GC
Provision of advice and responsibility for materials transfer and import/export requirements
- Specify internal governance policies, draft policies, training on requirements and enforce compliance where necessary
- Advising on privacy aspects related to materials transfers, including HIPPA in the US, GDPR across EU and UK
- Researching UK and EU GDPR requirements applicable to UK and EU clinical trials and assisting members of legal team with informed consent questions arising in the context of clinical trials or sponsored research (including tissue procurement).
- Developing underlying documentation required to support compliance, assessing compliance (including internal audit), maintaining documentation.
Drafting, review and training in relation to legal policies
- Specify internal governance policies, draft policies and enforce compliance where necessary, working with corporate compliance team (going forward)
- Responsibility for training employees on policies and legal requirements together with other members of legal team
- Identification of areas where additional policies or compliance are required or could benefit the business
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
Required
- English law qualified solicitor or equivalent
- 5-6 years PQE minimum required (or equivalent)
- Experience with import/export of materials into and out of the EU
- Experience drafting IP-heavy and early-stage (R&D, process development services) agreements.
Desirable
- Business-minded legal focus (i.e., business savvy) is strongly preferred.
- Science background preferred.
- Experience within biotech or pharmaceutical industry strongly preferred, particularly in cell and gene therapy, or ability/interest to learn applicable process technology to provide necessary legal support.
- Experience in working within a global business desirable.
Some domestic and international travel may be required.
At Adaptimmune we embrace diversity and equality of opportunity. We believe that the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. We welcome applications to join our team from all qualified candidates, regardless of age, colour, disability, marital status, national origin, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status or other legally protected category. It is our intent that all qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment.
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