Legal Counsel

The NEC Group is the UK’s leading live events business operating in exhibitions, conferences, music, sports, family entertainment and hospitality. We Bring Live to Life, creating destinations of the future, helping customers make every moment count.

From world leaders, rock and pop loyalty, to hosting some of the globe’s most well known brands, as the UK’s leading venue management business the NEC Group, we welcome millions of people through the doors of five of the UK’s most iconic venues. Our people and our brands connect each part of the live experience through venues, content, services and data. We create unforgettable live experiences.
We are looking for a talented and enthusiastic commercial lawyer to join the Legal Services team at the NEC Group. This role offers a broad range of responsibilities and the opportunity to work on important commercial projects within the business.

You will act as a legal stakeholder in the business, making a positive contribution to team development and taking responsibility for wider business needs. Most importantly, you will get the opportunity to really develop your commercial understanding and to become a key member of a number of commercial teams across the NEC Group.

Key Responsibilities

• Providing robust advice on commercial and legal issues affecting the business with a focus on commercial contracts, procurement, and data protection. This will include advising on a wide range of contracts including venue licenses and service delivery for events, new data processing activities, sponsorship and media, IT software purchases, and outsourcing.
• Being a dedicated first port of call for legal advice for individual Business Units and managing and coordinating all legal support for those particular Business Units. This also provides the chance to develop particular areas of specialism within those individual Business Units.
• Assisting with the development and maintenance of legal precedents to ensure that they reflect current business practices and new legal developments.
• Providing a wide range of legal training within the Group including on topics such as data protection, competition law, compliance matters, and general contracting principles.

What we are looking for

• An England & Wales qualified lawyer with 0 to 3 years PQE gained within a busy commercial private practice or in-house team.
• Technical excellence in drafting, reviewing, and advising on a wide range of mainstream commercial contracts work.
• Specific experience in working on data protection advice would be an added advantage.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to build relationships with stakeholders.
• A proactive self starter with a positive, can do approach, good organisation skills, and acute attention to detail.

What we offer

• Flexible working arrangements, generally two days remote, three days in the office
• 25 days annual leave rising to 26 after one year plus all UK bank holidays
• Free on-site parking and free lunch when office based
• Pension matching up to 7%
• Life assurance cover if you are actively contributing to the NEC
• Group personal pension plan
• Private Medical Insurance
• Great Learning and Development Options
• Employee Assistance Programme
• On-site Occupational Health Service
• NEC Group ‘work perks’ discounts

Interviews are planned to take place end of April 2023, but we reserve the right to close before the advertisement expires.

The NEC Group is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, colour, age, religion, gender, sexual orientation or preference, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. NEC Group is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.

Our customers come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds, not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it makes our company stronger. If you share our values and our enthusiasm, you will find a home within the NEC Group.

Should you require further assistance or require any reasonable adjustments be put in place to better support your application process, please do not hesitate to raise this with us.

Disclaimer: due to high volume of applications we receive, we reserve the right to close a vacancy earlier than the advertised date. This is to ensure our teams manage application levels while maintaining a positive candidate experience. So please submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.