Legal Counsel

Job Purpose

We are excited to be recruiting a new Commercial and IP Legal Counsel into our in-house legal team. The successful candidate will be focus on reviewing, drafting, negotiating, and closing commercial contracts to help drive our business forward in innovative ways while managing risk, and assisting the Co-Heads of Legal on various compliance and legal assignments as necessary. In particular, the candidate will work closely with our IP Services Division which offers the industry’s highest quality patent translations, a seamless global patent filing experience and a wide range of cutting edge IP research services. This new role will also advise on the Group’s portfolio of patents, trademarks, and other forms of intellectual property. The successful candidate will be part of a growing, proactive and energetic global legal team, reporting directly into the Co-Head of Legal located in the Czech Republic.

About RWS Legal

In joining RWS’s Legal and Professional Advisory team you will play an instrumental part in supporting the world’s leading provider of technology-enabled language, content, and intellectual property services. RWS has growing revenues of over £750m through a combination of value accretive acquisitions and organic growth and a current market capitalization of £1.3bn. The Legal and Professional Advisory team, led by our General Counsel and Company Secretary, Jane Hyde, includes the Legal, Company Secretarial, Data Privacy and ESG functions which provide critical business partnering to our Divisional operations and help drive the Group’s risk management, regulatory, governance and sustainability agendas. You will be part of a diverse and international team working across our global operations which span a footprint of over 100 legal entities in 43 different countries worldwide. It’s a very exciting time to join RWS for an individual who enjoys driving change and making an impact in a dynamic environment. As part of the overall RWS business strategy we are making a significant investment in upgrading our systems and processes to deliver enhanced reporting and control and strengthening our risk and governance frameworks.

Job Overview

Key Responsibilities

Review, revise, draft, and negotiate all forms of contracts and third party agreements with customers, vendors and partners worldwide. Contracts include localization and a range of patent services agreements, technology agreements, data processing agreements, and procurement agreements. Emphasis is on providing timely, high-quality analysis and pragmatic solutions and legal advice on all contract negotiations.

Provide advice on the Group’s intellectual property portfolio, including patents, trademarks, and copyright Collaborate with the research and development teams to identify patentable inventions. Advise on the intellectual property aspects of contracts and agreements. Liaise with external counsel and patent and trademark attorneys.

Advise the Groupon any disputes or legal proceedings related to its intellectual property or affecting the IP Services Division.

Collaborate with, and provide strategic and legal advice to, various cross-functional teams, including Sales, Operations, Marketing, Procurement, Data Privacy, Security, Procurement, and Vendor Relations.

Shepherd deals through the sales cycle and internal approval processes while partnering with the appropriate cross-functional teams.

Act as a client-facing subject matter expert on contract-related matters.

Effectively prioritize and manage additional ad-hoc requests and responsibilities across a spectrum of complex business, legal, and strategic issues.

Skills & Experience

UK qualified solicitor or barrister, or equivalent qualification from another common law jurisdiction.

Post-qualification experience, preferably including an in-house role.

Knowledge of intellectual property law and the protection of intellectual property and proprietary rights.

A background advising large technology driven organizations would be advantageous.

Strong contract negotiation and drafting skills, and substantive expertise in key provisions of commercial and business services contracts, with an understanding of privacy issues.

Qualified candidates must be comfortable operating in an international setting.

Ability to think strategically, problem solve creatively and quickly, and be a savvy partner to clients (both internal and external) to help them navigate legal risk to achieve business objectives.

Self-motivated and highly productive with the ability to multi-task.

Quick learner who can adapt to a fast-paced, high-growth environment and can navigate complex cross-functional situations.

Works well under pressure in a fast paced sales environment, with regular prioritization and timely and transparent communication

Life at RWS

At RWS, we’re here for one purpose: unlocking global understanding.

As a unique, world-leading provider of technology-enabled language, content, and intellectual property services, we remove the barriers to communication to make global connection possible. Our unrivalled experience and deep understanding of language have been developed over more than 60 years. As we look to shape the future, our ambition is to create a world where understanding is universal for everyone.

We work with over 80% of the world’s top 100 brands, more than three-quarters of Fortune’s 20 ‘Most Admired Companies’ and almost all the top pharmaceutical companies, investment banks, law firms and patent filers. Our client base spans Europe, Asia Pacific and North and South America. Our 65+ global locations across five continents service clients in the automotive, chemical, financial, legal, medical, pharmaceutical, technology and telecommunications sectors.

If you like the idea of working with smart people who are passionate about breaking down language barriers and giving back to their communities, then you’ll love life at RWS. Our work fundamentally recognizes the value of every language and culture. So, we celebrate difference, we are inclusive and believe that diversity makes us strong.

We want every employee to grow as an individual and excel in their career. In return, we expect all our people to live by the values that unite us: to partner with colleagues and clients, to adopt a pioneering spirit, to be positive in progressing the work we do, and always to deliver what we promise.

RWS Values

Get the 3Ps right – Partner, Pioneer, Progress – and we ll Deliver together as One RWS.

For further information, please visit: RWS

RWS embraces DEI and promotes equal opportunity, we are an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind. RWS is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. All employment decisions at RWS are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, religion, nationality, ethnicity, sex, age, disability, or sexual orientation. RWS will not tolerate discrimination based on any of these characteristics

Recruitment Agencies: RWS Holdings PLC does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward any unsolicited resumes to any RWS employees. Any unsolicited resume received will be treated as the property of RWS and Terms & Conditions associated with the use of such resume will be considered null and void.

Regular Full-Time