- Lead Counsel - Commercial Property
- England and Wales Qualified Solicitor
- Perm
- Theale | Hybrid
- You must be eligible to work in the UK without the need for sponsorship
We are seeking an experienced Lead Counsel - Commercial Property with ECC (Electronic Communications Code) experience to lead the transactional function within a busy Legal & Compliance team supporting a large-scale estates and infrastructure programme.
This is a senior role combining team leadership, hands-on legal delivery, and operational oversight, working closely with Estates teams, internal stakeholders, and external solicitors to deliver high-volume property transactions efficiently and at scale.
About the Role
You will lead a team of Transactional Property Counsel and Transactional Case Managers, ensuring consistent, high-quality delivery across a demanding and fast-paced portfolio of telecoms property work.
The role covers a broad range of transactions, including:
- Code Agreements (new sites, renewals, variations)
- Lease and licence negotiations
- Freehold acquisitions and disposals
You will also play a key role in improving how legal services are delivered by driving efficiency, standardisation, and continuous process improvement.
Key Responsibilities
Leadership & Team Management
- Lead, manage, and develop a transactional legal team
- Allocate workloads and oversee delivery against programme targets
- Provide technical guidance on complex and high-value matters
- Foster a high-performing and collaborative team culture
Transactional Delivery
- Personally manage a portfolio of complex and strategic transactions
- Support negotiations and resolution of legal and commercial issues
- Ensure transactions align with agreed heads of terms and internal risk frameworks
Stakeholder Engagement
- Act as a senior legal partner to Estates and delivery teams
- Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders, external solicitors, and site providers
- Provide clear, pragmatic legal advice to support delivery objectives
Process Improvement & Governance
- Drive standardisation of templates, playbooks, and legal processes
- Identify opportunities to improve cycle times, quality, and efficiency
- Strengthen governance and risk controls across transactions
Performance & Reporting
- Track key metrics including transaction volumes, timelines, and risks
- Provide regular updates to senior stakeholders
- Use data insights to support continuous improvement
About You
We are looking for an England and Wales qualified solicitor with strong commercial property experience and leadership capability in a high-volume environment.
You will bring:
- 5–10 years PQE in commercial conveyancing transactions, particularly relating to landlord and tenant matters as well as freehold acquisitions
- Familiarity with the Electronic Communications Code (2017)
- Strong background in commercial property law, including landlord & tenant work and freehold transactions
- Experience managing or supervising legal teams
- Confident negotiator with strong commercial judgement
- Ability to balance hands-on legal work with leadership responsibilities
- Strong organisational and stakeholder management skills
Desirable experience:
- Telecoms infrastructure or asset-based industries
- In-house legal experience within a commercial environment
Why Join?
This is a senior leadership opportunity where you can shape delivery, improve legal operations, and play a key role in enabling a major infrastructure programme.