BIG is looking for a highly experienced, talented, and motivated Senior Legal Counsel to join the dynamic and expanding London studio.
BIG is a group of 750+ architects, engineers, urbanists, inventors, researchers and business minds from all over the world who are based in our Copenhagen, New York, London, Barcelona and Los Angeles offices. While we are led by a group of expert partners, directors, and associates, a flat hierarchy and collaborative spirit are essential to our BIG ecosystem. We are infectiously ambitious and unified by the shared mission to craft the world we want to live in, to give form to our future one project at a time.
Our London office has been growing at a rapid pace and now we are on the lookout for a dedicated Senior Legal Counsel who will take responsibility for providing effective and proactive legal support to the Managing Director and Director of Business Development.
You will be working within BIG’s Legal Department which currently has 8 members globally, supporting our offices in Copenhagen, New York, London, Barcelona and Shenzhen. You will work closely with your colleagues, sharing knowledge, experience, ideas and developing and aligning company standards and procedures. Together the global department is an extremely friendly, creative and ambitious team which offers support to all members and thrives on developing and optimising legal tactics through a collaborative approach.
Primary areas of responsibility:
1. Contract review : at the core of the role is the review and negotiation of contracts (including architectural design agreements of all stages with clients, sub-consultants, vendors etc.). The business operates at a fast pace, so the need to be able to assimilate and advise on the terms of an agreement quickly and with a commercial awareness of the terms is essential. Also, because of the international nature of the business, it is essential that you are alive to the cultural differences that arise when working in different locations.
2. Insurance: critically review and maintain business insurances. Managing insurance renewal processes and advising on optimum insurance solutions at local and global levels. Take active role in education of stakeholders on insurances and provide strategic advice on cover optimisation.
3. Contract negotiation : lead contract negotiations from instruction to signature, including liaising with internal stakeholders, interface with clients and other consultants, to understand the project at hand and drive communication with clients, external counsel, insurance brokers etc.
4. Legal support : provide ongoing internal support for the management of projects throughout the contract lifecycle e.g. in explaining contract terms and obligations and supporting the local and global offices with legal advice and analysing legal considerations.
5. Department growth: use expertise to grow department reach into areas that best serve the growing business. Advising on legal compliance opportunities within the business at local level and global. Take initiative and advise on areas where business is expanding into particularly in Middle Eastern projects.
6. Risk: critically review corporate risks and advise the business on solutions in areas such as data protection, compliance, confidentiality, anti-bribery, etc.
7. Education: create initiatives to educate stakeholders on key legal risks.
8. Client relations: take proactive role supporting the Business Development and Project Controlling teams in building legal contacts within key client organisations and across the LEAP teams to help facilitate contract negotiations.
9. Corporate governance : identify, develop and maintain standards and procedures to mitigate risks and ensure effective processes locally as well as at global group-level and ensuring corporate compliance (e.g. management of insurance policies, corporate duties, brand protection etc.)
10. Training & development : participate in educating and creating internal awareness around basic legal risks and protecting BIG's assets.
We seek a person who:
11. Has 6 years PQE in a similar position within the architectural, construction, or engineering industry.
12. Is an approachable team player with good interpersonal skills that is able to work independently and also manage multiple local and global stakeholders with varying degrees of legal experience.
13. Demonstrated ability to lead negotiations and track record in closing and delivering projects successfully and timely.
14. Has self-confidence and good judgement, especially in ambiguous situations – is comfortable with making and owning decisions and working closely with executive leadership in a fast-paced and rapidly changing environment.
15. Extremely organised and able to handle multiple live projects effectively, providing regular high level updates to stakeholders.
16. Desires to be challenged and think outside the box, while not being afraid to ask questions and offer solutions as necessary.
17. Structured and able to think critically, delving into the details where required but always keeping the big picture in mind.
18. Is proactive, reliable, and trustworthy – completing tasks with a sense of urgency and capable of multi-tasking responsibilities that vary in scale and scope.
19. Strong writing and legal drafting skills with excellent legal analytical and communication skills – able to distil complex and cumbersome legalese into digestible information.
Application: