Contract Lawyer - Leading Law Firm

As a Contract Lawyer within this prominent in-house legal function based in Newcastle, you will be immersed in a diverse array of responsibilities that span contract review, negotiation, policy development, and stakeholder engagement.

Key responsibilities:

• Reviewing and negotiating commercial contracts under which the firm acts for its clients globally, including those related to client bids, panel arrangements, or specific matters.
• Delivering clear advice on a variety of contractual issues such as events, business development initiatives, secondment arrangements, and non-disclosure agreements.
• Providing input on commercial contracts entered into with material suppliers-both IT-related and non-IT-to ensure compliance with internal standards.
• Supporting the management of client questionnaires by coordinating responses and updating precedent answers for common queries.
• Updating terms associated with client use of legal technology tools and platforms while ensuring alignment with evolving client requirements.
• Offering in-house legal input to ad-hoc projects as well as assisting with updates to standard Terms of Business, templates, internal policies, and processes.
• Supervising Contracts Executives when required to ensure effective workflow within the team.
• Driving efficiencies in knowledge management processes by leveraging technology where appropriate to streamline contract review procedures.
• Liaising with internal specialists on topics such as IT security, data privacy, conflicts of interest, pricing discussions, and other commercial considerations.
• Preparing risk summaries for consideration before entering into new contracts and contributing to training initiatives for broader business teams.

Skills required:

• Demonstrated experience as a practising lawyer with substantial involvement in reviewing and negotiating commercial contracts within a professional services environment.
• Exceptional attention to detail combined with advanced drafting skills that enable you to identify key provisions requiring amendment or negotiation.
• Proven influencing abilities paired with effective negotiation techniques that foster positive outcomes for all parties involved.
• Flexibility to adapt quickly to new processes or technologies while maintaining composure under pressure or tight deadlines.
• Strong planning and organisational capabilities that allow you to manage competing priorities efficiently within a busy team setting.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills that facilitate relationship-building across various levels of the organisation.
• Sound awareness of commercial issues coupled with pragmatic problem-solving abilities that support business objectives responsibly.
• Experience gathering and analysing information methodically to resolve challenges in practical ways relevant to contract law.
• A collaborative approach that enables you to work both independently when required and as part of an interdependent team focused on shared goals.
• A Law degree is essential; prior exposure to risk or compliance functions within professional services is advantageous but not mandatory.

Robert Walters Operations Limited is an employment business and employment agency and welcomes applications from all candidates