Commercial Lawyer

A leading national firm is seeking an experienced Commercial Lawyer (Senior or Principal Associate) to join its highly regarded Commercial team in London. This is an outstanding opportunity for an experienced commercial lawyer to work on some of the most sophisticated IT, digital transformation and outsourcing projects in the UK market, while benefiting from a collaborative team culture and excellent prospects for career advancement.

This is one of the UK's most established and sector-focused commercial, IT and outsourcing groups. The team advises clients on the full spectrum of IT-related agreements from small SaaS arrangements and app development projects through to business critical ERP implementations, software licensing, hosting agreements, AI related services and major outsourcing projects.

With around 800 contracts advised each year, the breadth and pace of work is unparalleled. No two days look the same, and the team prides itself on its enthusiasm, energy and commitment to helping clients build and safeguard the technology foundations of their businesses.

The wider commercial group includes a specialist public sector team that works closely with central government departments on significant digital transformation and infrastructure programmes providing Senior and Principal Associates with the opportunity to engage in complex, high profile public sector matters alongside private sector instructions.

As a Senior or Principal Associate in this team you will play a key role in advising on the drafting, negotiation and delivery of a wide range of IT and outsourcing contracts across sectors including automotive, aerospace, retail, food and drink, life sciences, financial services, energy and telecoms.

Your work will encompass:

• Traditional software licensing agreements
• SaaS, cloud hosting and digital services contracts
• Software development, integration and implementation projects
• Outsourcing and managed service arrangements
• E commerce and telecoms agreements
• AI related clauses and emerging technology services
• Advisory work relating to the EU AI Act, DORA and NIS regulations

The team operates as a standalone practice with its own client relationships and business plan. Support to the corporate team forms only a small proportion of the workload, giving you significant autonomy and visibility within the practice.

Recent examples of the team's work include:

• Supporting a major UK retailer with the digital transformation of its website
• Advising a global automotive brand on its online vehicle sales platform
• Acting for a national industry body on the redesign of its first registration system
• Advising a leading food and beverage chain on a first generation IT outsourcing
• Supporting a major insurer with the re procurement of its UK network
• Advising an energy provider on a critical SaaS procurement
• Leading on ERP procurements and large scale implementation projects for government departments

The team also works closely with scale up technology companies, helping them develop template contracts and negotiate with major enterprise clients.

You will be:

• A qualified solicitor with at least 6 years' PQE in commercial IT and outsourcing work
• Experienced in drafting, negotiating and advising on a broad range of technology contracts
• Commercially minded, pragmatic and confident in assessing risk
• Strong in negotiation with the ability to navigate complex, high value matters
• Able to build, manage and grow strong client relationships
• Comfortable supervising and supporting more junior team members where required
• Proactive in business development and profile raising activity
• Technically strong with excellent drafting skills
• Ambitious, collaborative and adaptable

This is a standout opportunity for a senior IT and outsourcing specialist seeking high quality work, a thriving client base and a clear route to progression. You will work on major digital transformation, outsourcing and technology projects, gaining exposure to cutting edge legal issues while being part of a respected and genuinely supportive team.

If you are a Principal Associate, Senior Associate or equivalent with a strong background in IT and outsourcing, this role offers the platform to take your career to the next level.

BCL Legal is an equal opportunities employer.