Job Description
Our customer, an energy company, is looking for a Commercial Property Lawyer for a fixed term contract.
A high number of candidates may make applications for this position, so make sure to send your CV and application through as soon as possible.
Location - Hybrid in Reading ideally once a week or once a fortnight
Role:
To provide pragmatic legal advice and support in relation to the client’s businesses and to lead and coach a team of property lawyers, ensuring that the client has the necessary property consents and agreements that it requires to operate the gas distribution network.
Key Accountabilities
- To give legal advice to and provide direction for senior managers of the group including how to structure complex property transactions and in relation to policy, strategy and the management of the different property portfolios of the companies.
- To advise on various aspects of statutory obligations / functions of the group
- To prepare and review property contracts, leases, easements, licences and variations to ensure that the property requirements of the business are satisfied
- To minimise financial or legal risks
- To provide regular reports to instructing clients and management on progress of matters
- To coach, advise and mentor the members of their team
- To lead and encourage the members of their team to improve efficiency and sustainability in property procedures
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
- Be an experienced and qualified Solicitor with a valid practising certificate
- Demonstrate Leadership traits.
- Be enthusiastic, self motivated, pro-active and able to work in a team.
- Experience of working in an in-house legal department
- Ideally you will have worked previously in the energy sector
- Demonstrate excellent communication and interpersonal skills
- Have the ability to identify and implement innovative and effective business improvements to increase productivity, rigour and ensure compliance
- Comfortable in dealing with all staff including Directors, senior managers, subordinates etc.
Specific Projects / Duties
- Drafting Property documents including Deed of Easements, Dispositions, Leases including lease management documents, Deeds of Indemnity, Licences and Discharge and terms of transfers.
- Advising business on provisions of the Gas Act, particularly provisions found at Schedule 4 and Schedule 2B.
- Negotiating Terms of the Property documents listed above to give best outcome to Company for rights exercised and protections.
- Registration of legal documents together with any necessary Land Tax.
- Advise on how best to protect our infrastructure from third party threats such as DCO’s and CPO’s and local authority rights.
- Providing advice to the business on Planning Consents and Building Warrants and to protect our infrastructure from third party developments.
- Incorporating Joint Ventures and entering into direct Sales Contracts to develop redundant Place sites and maximise returns.
- Providing advice on land rights and restrictions (e.g. SSSi, conservation areas, TPOs).
- Route planning and site acquisition advice for Network and Project Teams
- Dealing with Connections, Diversions and reinforcement queries
- Complete legal documents for 30 New Connections matters a month
- Dealing with Property Litigation claims, including build-overs, encroachment, prescriptive rights, adverse possession (south), damage to our network, crop loss, disturbance, enforcing Land Rights against property owners
- Advising on access issues, warrant process.
- Interpretation of Legal documents.
- Supporting the larger Legal Team and the business with property elements within commercial contracts
Decision Making Authority
- Deciding how much environmental liability to remove or retain
- Deciding which terms of the leases are compatible with business needs
- Deciding on the strategy and the structure of complex property issues
- Deciding on risk, policy and strategy, security and the management of circa 1.5m property related rights
About Elevate
Elevate provides consulting, technology and services to law departments and law firms across the globe. Headquartered in Los Angeles, our 1,600+ strong team of legal professionals, lawyers, consultants, project managers, and engineers operate across the United States, Europe, UK, and Asia, Hong Kong and Australia.
ElevateFlex, is the flexible resourcing capability within Elevate, we define and support a new flexible career within the legal industry. We match exceptional legal professionals to the evolving needs of our Customers through the curation of a world-class, global Community of Talent, and advanced, technology-enabled search. We were recently proud to be assessed in Band 1 of Chamber’s Global Flexible Legal Resourcing category.
Our Vision is a world where legal and business teams achieve incredible outcomes, together.
Equitability and Inclusion are critical to ElevateFlex’s success. As The Law Company, changing the legal business landscape, we know a diverse, inclusive work culture is at the heart of attracting, retaining, and celebrating the industry’s most talented people. We empower our employees to bring their whole selves to work because we know that diversity of experience and perspective drive innovation and is simply good business.
As a strong proponent of diversity, equitability, and inclusion, ElevateFlex is committed to hiring diverse candidates from all backgrounds. We invite you to apply to become part of the ElevateFlex Team – help us change the legal business landscape and make a dent in the legal universe.