Head of Legal - Brand

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Company Description

We're ASOS, the online retailer for fashion lovers all around the world.

We exist to give our customers the confidence to be whoever they want to be, and that goes for our people too. At ASOS, you're free to be your true self without judgement, and channel your creativity into a platform used by millions.

But how are we showing up? We're proud members of Inclusive Companies, are Disability Confident Committed and have signed the Business in the Community Race at Work Charter and we placed 8th in the Inclusive Top 50 Companies Employer list.

Everyone needs some help showing up as their best self. Let our Talent team know if you need any adjustments throughout the process in whatever way works best for you.

Job Description

As one of our Heads of Legal at ASOS - you will play a key role within the ASOS Senior Legal Team.

You will lead subject matter experts across the team advising on key business activities such as brand protection and specialist intellectual property advice (including trade mark portfolio management and brand protection activities), corporate transactions and other commercial workstreams as the needs of the team and business dictate.

As an experienced commercial lawyer operating across these areas, you will need to be versatile, with solid and varied legal experience ready and willing to engage fully to support the needs of a global commercial business. You will be responsible for partnering with, guiding and supporting the needs of the key stakeholders from the across the ASOS business.

The Details

• Lead on all elements of ASOS corporate transactions, including things such as acquisitions and financing arrangements from time to time, working closely with external counsel and senior stakeholders where required.
• Manage a team that deals with trademark matters (including an international IP portfolio), brand protection (anti-counterfeiting initiatives), incoming and outgoing IP claims (trade marks, copyrights, designs, domains and patents) and brand/ product clearances.
• Develop and embed legal templates, policies and procedures across all business areas (for example, IP policies for product creation or Music rights approach for Marketing initiatives).
• Manage other commercial legal advice as required from across the business, for example supply chain, music rights, litigation and disputes, horizon scanning, contract updates.
• Working very closely with our Procurement Team, providing Legal input on tender processes and collaborating on the negotiation of major contracts.
• Responsible for the continuous improvement and updating of standard form agreements, templates and legal processes.
• Assisting the Legal Team with its Legal Operations strategy, Legal Tech acquisitions, and the implementation of new technology within the Legal Department to promote efficient and effective ways of working.
• Select and maintain strong relationships with external counsel.
• Manage the team's budget effectively.
• Provide project management experience to drive projects forward with multiple stakeholders.
• Supporting our culture by driving Diversity, Equity & Inclusion strategies.

Qualifications

About You

Reporting directly into the General Counsel, the role requires the ability to give commercial input as well as legal advice, to liaise closely with stakeholders within the business at all levels and to promptly identify risks and issues for escalation to appropriate senior stakeholders.

You will need to be technically excellent, hands on and commercially minded, with a strong professional ethic, and with the energy, interest and training to manage varying commercial matters. To win your stakeholders over, you'll need to speak their language and move as quickly as them. You will need the ability to make quick, confident commercial calls at all times in the ASOS tone of voice.

We are looking for:

• A senior solicitor, qualified in the UK (or international equivalent), with a background in IP and general commercial contracts experience gained at an established law firm and in-house.
• Experience leading and developing junior lawyers in an in-house environment.
• Excellent business judgement and commercial astuteness with the energy, interest and experience to pursue a broad array of corporate, commercial, legal and risk/reputation management matters to a successful conclusion.
• Proven ability to operate independently and effectively across a variety of operational areas, and in several jurisdictions.
• Considerable experience working in a fast paced, agile commercial environment.
• Great communication skills, as our team members continually build relationships at all levels across the business, at the same time as working collectively to deliver what's needed, when needed, by whatever means necessary.

Additional Information

What's in it for you?

• Employee discount (hello ASOS discount!)
• ASOS Develops (personal development opportunities across the business)
• Employee sample sales
• Access to a huge range of LinkedIn learning materials
• 25 days paid annual leave + an extra celebration day
• Discretionary performance related bonus scheme
• Private medical care scheme
• Flexible benefits allowance - which you can choose to take as extra cash, or use towards other benefits