Senior Legal Counsel (Maternity Cover)

Senior Legal Counsel - Maternity Cover (8 months)

About

SailGP is racing redefined. The sport’s pinnacle league, SailGP was established in 2018 and is headquartered in London and New York. The annual, global championship aims to Race for the Future by showcasing the power of nature and accelerating change.

The fan-centric, inshore racing takes place among the sport’s top athletes in some of the most iconic harbors around the world, and offers the sport’s largest monetary prize of $1 million. Rival national teams battle it out in identical supercharged F50 catamarans, engineered for intense racing at electrifying speeds exceeding 60 mph/100 kph.

In 2020, SailGP set a new standard as the first climate positive sports and entertainment property, and began delivering actions and innovations that advance the global adoption of clean energy. Underpinning the organization’s purpose-driven agenda is a diversification of the league, with the goal of immediately progressing gender equity and racial inclusivity.

SailGP is a global organization with defined values that shape the culture of its diverse team: deliver the best, break boundaries, leave a legacy, stand together and strike a balance.

Job Summary

SailGP is seeking a senior legal counsel to join its legal team. Reporting to the General Counsel, the lawyer will provide support on a range of legal issues across the world for SailGP. This London-based position (with the option to work flexibly/remotely as required) is suited to a lawyer with 7+ PQE.

Key Responsibilities

• Assisting the SailGP General Counsel in delivering legal services to the Global SailGP business.
• Handling a varied workload including the following areas of law: commercial contracts, IP, sponsorship, media and broadcast, licensing, data protection, employment and immigration, and property.
• Liaising with external counsel where necessary on local law issues or on areas of specialist legal advice.
• Areas of focus include:
• Negotiating commercial contracts.
• Negotiating broadcast production agreements with SailGP’s production partners and advising the broadcast team on the same.
• Negotiating broadcast sales agreements with linear and non-linear broadcasters around the World
• Assisting the commercial team with agreements for sponsorship of SailGP and the events and teams. Advising the commercial team on activation of such contracts.
• Assisting Event organisers with holding SailGP events, including agreements for local infrastructure, immigration issues, IP, commercial contracts, property licensing.
• Advising on IP issues including protection of valuable trade marks, copyright, designs and patents.
• Advising on employment law issues across the World.
• Advising on collection, storage, protection and use of personal data.
• Establishment of corporate entities and investment proposals to match SailGP expansion.
• Advising on health and safety issues.
• Negotiating licensing deals and collaborations with third parties.
• Drafting and advising on competition terms and conditions.
• Assisting the marketing teams with clearance and protection of marketing assets.
• As the role requires the coverage of a diverse range of subject areas, it does not require the candidate to have expertise of all. The candidate should be able to issue spot, obtain expert advice where necessary and provide practical, pragmatic advice to the SailGP business to meet business needs.

Background Qualifications

• At least 7 years PQE.
• Strong commercial contracts and IP experience.
• Some experience in one or more of employment law, data protection, broadcast and licensing and sponsorship agreements.
• Excellent communication skills.
• In-house experience.
• Strong interest in sports and a working knowledge of how sports properties operate.

Attributes

• Strong strategic thinking capabilities with demonstrated problem-solving skills.
• Willingness to take on any task, even outside comfort zone.
• Ability to analyse and explain complex legal issues to non-lawyers to work to a solution.
• Ability to operate both independently and in a collaborative, team environment.
• Entrepreneurial and passionate with a desire to exceed expectations.
• Strong organisation, prioritisation and project management skills.
• Extremely good attention to detail with the ability to multi-task and meet deadlines with limited supervision.
• Ability to work effectively and thrive in a fast-paced, start-up environment.
• Self-starter, action-oriented, resourceful; can take a project or program from start to completion.
• Culturally sensitive and able to effectively work globally.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally.

SailGP is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace committed to building a team culture that celebrates diversity and inclusion.