Paralegal - Commercial - Membership Body London, England
Job description
- Are you currently working in Construction law and looking to move to Commercial?
- Would you like to join and progress within an in-house legal team?
About Our Client
My client is the UK's leading trade organisation for building engineering services contractors - representing the interests of firms active in the design, installation, commissioning, maintenance, control and management of engineering systems and services in buildings.
The Legal & Commercial Department is one of their key service departments and is a highly valued and visible benefit of membership - it is held in high regard and is noted for its professionalism. The team provides advice to members and represents members' interests to a broad range of stakeholders in the HVAC industry. The team also delivers internal advice across the corporate group and together with supporting the governance regime.
Key activities of the department are to:
- advise members on a wide range of legal, commercial, corporate and contractual matters
- prepare and deliver in innovative ways, general guidance to members on a wide range of legal, commercial and contractual issues
- represent members' interests to improve the commercial environment in which they operate
- advise on and enable management of legal matters to assist other internal service departments or group subsidiaries manage their legal risk
Job Description
As a member of the team, some of key duties of the role are to:
- Assist with research and assist with the provision of practical commercial and legal advice to members so that they can make informed commercial judgements about the risks involved in their contracting activities and resolve disputes without the need for formal court proceedings
- Assist with representing the needs and interests of members to external stakeholders
- Help with providing other departments and parts of the Group with commercial advice, guidance and assistance
- When required, assist the Head of Legal & Commercial with presentations at national and regional meetings including lecturing or making presentations on commercial, legal or contractual
- Assist the Head of Legal & Commercial with other ad hoc tasks which may arise.
- Assist with the preparation of agendas, minutes and supporting documents for, and attending, committees formed of member representatives
- where required, assisting in responding to external consultations on matters that affect
The Successful Applicant
- Paralegal/Legal Executive with Law Degree/GDL/LPC.
- Ideally 6 months - 1 year experience as a Construction & Engineering Paralegal/Legal Executive.
- Experience of reviewing and advising on standard (e.g., JCT & NEC) and non-standard construction contracts.
- General knowledge of the UK construction
- Familiarity with the legislative framework that affects construction
- Understanding of commercial contracts
Qualification, Experience & Knowledge - Desirable
- Mixed contentious and non-contentious experience
- Awareness of UK intellectual property system
General Skills & Abilities - Essential
- Ability to think commercially and problem solve solutions outside of the black letter law
- Proficient in legal research skills
- Professional written and oral communications skills
- Proficient IT skills - familiarity with the use of Microsoft Office
- Ability to communicate effectively with industry participants such as BESA members
- Personable and able to work well within a small dynamic professional team and across a wider corporate group
- Self-motivated, able to multi-task and manage competing priorities
Personal Attributes - Essential
- Willing and flexible attitude and readiness to take on new challenges
- Commercially aware
- Enthusiastic, ready to make decisions, take the initiative, and originate action
- A desire to exceed internal & external stakeholder needs
What's on Offer
Permanent Role
Opportunity to progress
Small Legal Team
Excellent Benefits:
Annual Leave: 26 days per year PLUS the Bank Holidays - with the option to purchase up to 5 additional holidays each year- Private Medical Insurance: Upon commencement of employment
- Employee Assistance Program - financial, relationship and mental health assistance
- Full sick pay: On completion of probationary period
- Blended office/home working/flexible working - options available
- Summer Hours: Option of compressed hours over the Summer to finish early on a Friday
