Legal Counsel

Purpose of the Role:
Reporting to the Head of Legal or Senior Legal Counsel, this is a key role within O2 Business’ legal team, providing commercially focused, accurate, effective and timely legal advice, analysis and support to the business on a broad range of B2B legal matters.
The Legal Counsel will support a range of customer, supplier and internal business matters, taking ownership of contracts and workstreams while escalating complex, high-risk or strategically significant issues as required. This individual will be versatile, working on numerous matters across O2 Business, ensuring consistent, value enhancing and high calibre support for the business.
The Legal Counsel will be proactive and collaborative, able to engage effectively with stakeholders and provide clear, pragmatic legal advice that supports business objectives, manages risk and enables the efficient execution and delivery of commercial contracts.
Key Responsibilities:
* Accountable for a broad range of commercial legal matters, identifying risk, escalating as appropriate, recommending mitigation and implementing solutions, with responsibility for:
* negotiation and drafting of various B2B contracts (both customers and suppliers);
* drafting and maintenance of standard customer-facing product and service terms and conditions
* drafting settlement agreements and advising business stakeholders on dispute resolution
* Manage relationships and business partnering with various stakeholders.
* Proactively supports contract management function.
* Able to work autonomously, with judgement as to when escalation is appropriate, keeping stakeholders informed as to material issues, presenting clearly and precisely, enabling stakeholders to understand key facts and issues including accurate and articulating reporting on status and execution of projects, changes to agreements and material risk.
* Stays up to date with legal developments and key business information, is aware of the marketplace and the company’s position within it, and shares knowledge within the function; recognises when changes require action.
* Supporting corporate governance and contract sign-off process.
* Knowledge sharing and taking an active role in team development.
* Leads by example, developing standards and practices for the business functional area, motivating and informing other lawyers within the department to provide the best possible legal advice and support.
* Be vigilant for possible fraudulent activity and if necessary raise a security incident report using the template accessible via the corporate Intranet.
* Periodically review the company Security Policies – centrally hosted on the Intranet - to ensure full compliance with current legal, regulatory and company requirements.
* If you are a Manager of staff, you must ensure: ➢ your team are aware of their security responsibilities & know how to access the company Security Policies hosted on the Intranet; ➢ the principles listed with the company Security Policy Statement document are embedded within the operations of your team.
* Carry out any ‘ad hoc’ assignments as and when required.
* To be compliant with health and safety company policy and legislation.
Experience, Knowledge & Expertise – Essential Experience
• Ability to work at pace and to adapt to change. • Commercially focused, practical and able to balance legal risk with business objectives.
• Willing to contribute constructively as part of a collaborative legal team.
• Takes ownership of allocated matters and delivers to agreed timelines, while recognising when input or escalation is required.
• Composed, organised and resilient in a fast-paced environment, with the ability to manage competing priorities and maintain high service standards.
• Good self-awareness and ability to recognise own limits.
• Strong professional integrity, judgement and ethical standards.
• Strong drafting, reviewing and negotiation skills, with experience of commercial/B2B contracts.
• An understanding of the regulatory framework governing the provision of B2B telecoms services would be advantageous.
• Ability to work autonomously and proactive with sound business acumen.
• Analyse complex legal and commercial issues in the context of the Company’s core business issues and challenges.
• Ability to think and act quickly on their feet and to remain focused under pressure to develop strategy, including creative or novel legal solutions to complex commercial arrangements.
• Clear, concise and constructive communicator, able to explain legal risks and advise non-legal stakeholders and business partners.
• Well organised, with the ability to manage a varied workload and progress matters efficiently