Commercial Lawyer

At Sanderson Design Group, we are always looking for talented, ambitious and motivated people to join our team. Commercial Lawyer (FTC, Part-Time) Reports to: Legal Counsel Location: Remote* - with a requirement to attend Chiswick (Voysey House) one day per week initially Department: Legal Role Type: 4-month FTC, part time (15 hours per week) Role Overview: As Commercial Lawyer, you’ll provide practical, commercially focused legal support across Sanderson Design Group – taking ownership of a range of commercial contract and intellectual property matters and giving pragmatic, business-focused advice to stakeholders across the Group of brands, working alongside the Legal Counsel and our Paralegal.

This is a temporary, part-time role for approximately four months, working the equivalent of two days per week, and is available to start as soon as possible. Working days and hours are flexible and can be arranged across the week to suit you and the business– the time doesn’t need to be worked as two full days and could, for example, be split across shorter days.

For the first few weeks you’ll work from our Chiswick office one day per week to support onboarding and integration with the team; after that, the role can be worked remotely.

About Us

Sanderson Design Group plc is a luxury interior design house, home to six iconic brands with over 165 years of history: Sanderson, Morris & Co., Harlequin, Zoffany, Clarke & Clarke, and Scion. Our portfolio spans fabric, wallpaper, and paint, with manufacturing capabilities through Anstey and Standfast & Barracks. Our purpose is to ‘bring the beautiful into people’s homes and lives’ and we are the proud owner of one of Europe’s largest design archives, with over 75,000 historical documents and artworks.

We also have a growing international licensing programme which supports our strategic global expansion.

Responsibilities

Commercial Contracts Review, draft and negotiate agent and distributor agreements, customer terms and conditions, NDAs and other general commercial agreements. Support the Legal Counsel and the wider business with contract negotiations and ad hoc commercial legal queries as required. Take ownership of matters and manage them efficiently through to completion with limited supervision.

Intellectual Property & Licensing Review, draft and negotiate copyright and brand licensing agreements, supporting our growing international licensing programme. Advise on associated contractual IP issues, drawing on your knowledge of copyright, trade marks and IP licensing. Risk & International Advice Provide concise, commercially focused legal advice across multiple jurisdictions, including the UK, EU, USA, APAC and wider EMEA, working with external counsel where specialist local-law advice is required.

Give practical advice on contractual risk, identifying key legal and commercial issues and proposing proportionate, business-oriented solutions. Escalate material legal or commercial risks to the Legal Counsel where appropriate. Working with the Business Form part of a small, collaborative legal team – the Legal Counsel, this role and a Paralegal – supporting the legal and compliance needs of the PLC business and our brands.

Manage your own workload and stakeholders, progressing matters efficiently and keeping the business informed. Work collaboratively with colleagues across the Group and, where required, external legal advisers. Skills & Experience: Experience & Know-How Strong commercial contracts experience, gained in private practice and/or in-house.

Experience drafting and negotiating agent and distributor agreements, licensing agreements and customer terms and conditions. A good working knowledge of copyright, trade marks and IP licensing. Experience advising on cross-border commercial matters and working across multiple jurisdictions would be advantageous. Experience within retail, consumer goods, interiors, fashion, design, licensing or another IP-rich business would be advantageous but is not essential.

How You Work Able to hit the ground running, work autonomously and manage matters with limited supervision. Confident drafting and negotiating agreements independently and providing clear, pragmatic advice to business stakeholders. Ability to apply legal knowledge in a practical way, analyse risk and balance it against the commercial objectives of the business.

Excellent attention to detail and a high level of accuracy. Strong commercial acumen and stakeholder management skills. Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to give clear and concise legal advice. Excellent time management and organisational skills. Highly collaborative, flexible and pragmatic in your approach.

Qualifications

Qualified lawyer (for example, a solicitor qualified in England & Wales or another relevant jurisdiction). Values & Behaviours: Intrepid: Provide clarity, encouragement and meaningful feedback to help us move forward with purpose and positivity. Imaginative: Lead with curiosity, coach and encourage teams to be resourceful and think beyond the obvious to drive meaningful, creative outcomes.

Respectful: Proactively consider and take responsibility for how decisions and leadership approach impact the team, the wider Group dynamics and performance. We are committed to providing equal opportunities to all and we welcome applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds.