Sofitel/MGallery - Europe - Legal Counsel Franchised Hotels & Procurement Support Europe

Company Description

We are a collection of 4 exclusive Luxury brands: Sofitel, Sofitel Legend and MGallery, Emblems across 38 countries, unlocking unique memorable moments in connection with the local destination.

Our signature:

All our Talents express themselves with authenticity, playfulness in a diverse and inclusive environment, have the ability to surprise our customers with crafting exceptional tailor made experiences and go the extra mile every day, while embracing local culture.

Join our Maison to strive for Excellence. It is a place where you live your purpose!

Job Description

Legal Counsel Managed Hotels France & Southern Europe

Join a group of lawyers supporting a dynamic and ambitious team in charge of four exclusive Luxury brands: Sofitel, Sofitel Legend, MGallery and Emblems. The position is open on a full time and permanent basis.

What is in it for you:

As part of our team, you will have the opportunity to support the acceleration of the development of franchised hotels in Europe, especially in France and create a unique and renown luxury collection hotel portfolio and you will be in charge providing legal support to the specialized luxury network on procurement aspects.

What you will be doing:

You will directly report to the Global General Counsel of Sofitel, MGallery Emblems and Luxury Hotels Europe who is based in London and your main missions and responsibilities will be:

Franchised hotels support:

• Rolling out Franchise Agreements based on standard process predominantly in France;
• Negotiate with owners and legal advisors of Hotel Franchise Agreements and all related documents;
• Implementation of pre-contractual documentation;
• Preparation and adaptation of template documents related to hotel franchising in different legal environments;
• Follow-up franchise related legislation changes with the support of external advisors;
• Cooperation with compliance team in relation to KYC review process for franchise deals and other related compliance matters;
• Providing legal support to franchise operations team;
• Analyse and implement potential franchise concepts for services additional to accommodation services (e.g. F&B, SPA-wellbeing etc.)
• Engage with external legal counsel to address legal matters in different jurisdictions;
• Ensuring documents are compliant with Accor Group policies; procedures and organisational structure;
• Liaise with Accor Group departments in relation to intellectual property; IT; distribution sales etc. matters;
• Prepare and implement technical support documentation regarding development projects;

Procurement support:

• Independent management of legal correspondence with internal departments and external partners, in particular with legal advisors;
• Preparation of legal decision-making bases for the management and specialist departments;
• Develop and share know-how in particular by producing template agreements/ adapting template agreements to luxury segment specificities that maximise value and minimise risk for the Group;

Qualifications

Experience & Qualifications

Your experience and skills include:

• at least 5 years PQE,
• experience in hospitality and franchising
• fluency verbally and in writing both in English and French
• any other language knowledge is a plus;
• excellent communication skills;
• proactivity, agility, strong problem solving skills;
• ability to build and manage relationships with internal and external clients;
• flexibility and strong work organisation;
• ability to travel regularly (domestically and internationally as well)

Your team and working environment:

Members of the European legal team are based in different countries across Europe. This position is based in London or Paris with possibility for working from distance occasionally in accordance with the Group’s policies.

Additional Information

Our Culture #BeALLyouAreWithALLyourHeart

At Accor, we are committed to diversity. Each individual, each personality, and each experience has its place to grow and make us grow collectively. Everything we do, we do with heart. We are creators of emotions, professionals of the human experience, open to others and the world around us.

• Our culture is inclusive. We value the richness of the 120 nationalities, the different backgrounds, the different stories that make up our company.

• We care for the world around us: our teams, our customers, our establishments, our environment are at the heart of our concerns. Our mission is human, essential: to bring cultures together, to open windows on the world, to provide unforgettable experiences, day after day.

• All our heartists are talents in the making, they are the future of our group and our hotels. Helping them grow professionally and develop personally according to their wishes and ambitions is our priority.

• Together, we imagine your future. Our group is large, with many opportunities, and the experiences are infinite.

• We dare to question the status quo. We challenge ourselves to always do better. We take risks, we dream the impossible and make it possible.

• Hospitality is teamwork, and we are stronger together. We believe in caring, we respect our differences and value all voices. We work as a team, saying what we do and doing what we say.