Principal Legal Counsel - IP/Commercial

Job Description

Description

The role:

Acting as a true business partner, this role requires someone who is hands-on and commercially minded, with a strong professional ethic and the energy, interest and training to pursue a broad array of commercial, IP, legal and risk/reputation management matters. This is a role with great potential for the right candidate to quickly grow their level of experience, responsibility and autonomy.

What you’ll do:

Your remit will include:

• Working with the Head of Legal (IP/Commercial) on all IP matters (contentious and non-contentious) across the globe, including autonomous management of material parts of Farfetch’s trademark, patent and domain name portfolio, and managing brand protection strategy for new sub-brands;
• Taking ownership of material business projects, including acquired company IP/Commercial integration, large-scale Commercial/IP agreements and support for Corporate Acquisitions;
• Ownership, drafting and negotiating a broad range of large commercial contracts including software agreements, subscription agreements, talent agreements, partnership agreements, sponsorship agreements, and digital marketing agreements across the group, including for the Marketing, Product, Ftech, Innovation and Strategy teams;
• Leading contentious matters from domain name recovery to more complex multi-jurisdictional material IP litigation;
• Working directly with business teams in relation to their marketing initiatives and projects, brand partnerships and new launches – including with our pioneering Store of the Future and tech/retail innovation teams;
• Working with the Legal Teams in Russia, Portugal, US and China on a range of IP and commercial matters arising out of these territories;
• Responsibility for the management and development of one direct report;
• Managing external counsel and trademark agents as appropriate, including on acquired portfolios for the Group in line with regional strategy focus;
• Advising on a range of general business matters such as logistics, customer services, outsourcing contracts and the integration of acquired businesses into the Farfetch group;
• Preparing and delivering training on IP/Commercial matters for legal and business teams.

Who you are:

This is a highly visible and exciting role in a growing and dynamic team. This role will be ideal for a senior commercial/IT/IP lawyer looking to continue to develop their in-house experience with a business-focused role.

You will likely:

• Be a qualified lawyer with at least 4-6 years’ PQE as a commercial/IT/IP lawyer and have IP litigation and/or Brand Protection knowledge.
• Have trained in a top tier law firm and have significant prior in-house exposure.
• Have experience working with multiple territories or managing international projects.
• Be experienced in leading legal counsel on specific projects.
• Possess excellent communication, negotiating and drafting skills.
• Proven ability to deliver commercial and pragmatic solutions and concise advice
• Have a strong work ethic and attention to detail.
• Be passionate about fast-moving consumer-led technology businesses.
• Be driven, forward-thinking, robust, innovative and agile, with commercial acumen.