Commercial Legal Counsel
Role Purpose
To provide practical, commercially focused legal advice across the business, with a primary focus on commercial contracts, customer and supplier agreements, and contractual risk. Working closely with stakeholders across the business, the role will provide clear, pragmatic legal guidance, support effective contract management, and help the business manage legal and commercial risk while achieving its objectives.
What We're Looking For
We are looking for a commercially minded lawyer who can provide clear, pragmatic advice and act as a trusted legal partner to the business. You will be comfortable working independently, balancing legal risk with commercial objectives, and engaging directly with stakeholders across the organisation, with a strong focus on commercial contracting and practical legal support for day-to-day activities.
This role can be performed remotely or from our Exeter office. The part-time working pattern is flexible, with hours and days agreed by mutual discussion.
Key Responsibilities
Commercial Contracting & Deal Support
- Act as primary legal partner to sales and account management, supporting new deals, upsells, expansions and renewals through to signature.
- Draft, review, negotiate and advise on commercial agreements including customer and supplier agreements, NDAs, trading terms and Ts&Cs, and partnership/reseller/channel agreements.
- Advise on liability (caps and carve-outs), warranties, indemnities, service levels, termination, confidentiality, assignment and compliance.
- Identify risks and gaps against standard terms, playbooks and SOPs, giving clear guidance on where to hold or concede.
- Support negotiations directly with customers and their legal teams, balancing protection with commercial relationships.
- Own and improve standard templates, fallback positions and the contracting process to enable faster, consistent deals as the business scales.
- Draft, review, negotiate and advise on software/SaaS agreements, order forms, MSAs and SOWs, licensing, and support/maintenance/professional services terms.
- Advise on data protection and security terms, including DPAs, acceptable use, service levels and audit rights.
- Advise on IP provisions, software ownership and licensing, and third-party, open-source and OEM flow-through terms.
- Advise on high-volume/standard-form/click-through contracting and support scaling as the business grows.
- Provide legal support on supplier agreements and commercial arrangements.
- Review and negotiate supplier terms and conditions.
- Support management of supplier relationships and contractual risk.
- Advise on procurement-related legal and contractual matters.
- Support identification and management of legal, contractual and commercial risks.
- Provide practical guidance on relevant legal and regulatory requirements.
- Advise on data protection requirements across customer, supplier and technology agreements, including DPAs and Risk Assessments and AI-related terms (e.g. use of customer data to train AI models).
- Support development of legal policies, procedures and contracting processes.
- Keep up to date with legal/regulatory developments, including emerging AI tools and their implications.
- Advise on IP matters including software ownership/licensing, IP provisions in contracts, brand protection and trademarks.
- Support resolution of contractual disputes and claims involving customers, suppliers and other third parties.
- Advise on contractual breaches, remedies and potential claims.
- Support debt recovery and other commercial claims where required.
- Provide legal input on wider commercial initiatives and projects as required.
- Support development of efficient, effective contracting processes.
- Work proactively with stakeholders to identify legal issues early and provide practical solutions.
- At least 5 years PQE.
- Strong experience in commercial contracts, commercial law, procurement or an in-house legal environment.
- Proven experience drafting, reviewing, negotiating and advising on a broad range of commercial agreements.
- Strong understanding of contractual and commercial law principles.
- Experience advising on customer/supplier relationships and managing contractual risk.
- Ability to give pragmatic, commercially focused advice to non-legal stakeholders.
- Excellent drafting, negotiation, communication and stakeholder management skills.
- Strong attention to detail, able to communicate complex legal issues clearly.
- Ability to manage competing priorities, work independently and exercise sound commercial judgement.
- Previous in-house legal experience.
- Experience within or advising a software, technology or SaaS business.
- Experience with software development, technology services, licensing or IP agreements.
- Experience supporting procurement or supplier management teams.
- Experience with contract lifecycle management systems and improving contracting processes.
This listing is from Reed. View original listing ↗