Legal Counsel

Provide excellent, commercial, pragmatic, risk based and practical legal support and advice to the business Draft, review and negotiate simple or complex and high-value legal agreements, including technology contracts in line with DORA and regulatory requirements Act as a point of reference on all legal agreements for the company Proactively manage the precedent bank of agreements and ensure that they are in compliance with law and regulation and up to date Ensure good housekeeping of the Legal drive and maintain administration and record keeping of legal agreements, including maintenance of the spreadsheet of all Legal documentation including current agreements being drafted and all signed agreements Deal with legal issues and other technical matters received from the business as assigned Carry out training and briefing sessions both internally and externally to develop the knowledge and understanding of legal and commercial contractual issues and provide induction training to new starters and any ad hoc training to the business on legal issues and processes Deal with any disputes or other contentious matters, for example, supplier or other third parties, and conduct litigation where required, or instruct external law firms as appropriate Manage the trademarks for the First Title group of companies and protect the intellectual property of First Title Have an excellent knowledge of data protection laws and ensure that agreements contain the correct provisions to ensure the business remains compliant with the GDPR and data protection laws Manage the GDPR framework across group companies and investigate data breaches Undertake legal research in various areas such as insurance law ensuring any group companies are kept up to date on relevant areas of law, providing training where appropriate Provide management information as and when required to General Counsel and the Board Identify and escalate actual and potential legal liability risk appropriately Undertake and proactively drive department/FT projects Model First Title Values in personal work behaviours, decision making, contributions and interpersonal interactions Potential travel throughout UK to be client facing and to build good working relationships Provide guidance, advice and direction to Compliance on legal matters affecting Compliance as and when requested Keep up to date with relevant legal and marketplace changes and developments Maintain continuing professional development as required by the Solicitors Regulation Authority in addition to internal CPD requirements Provide company secretarial duties to affiliated companies England & Wales qualified solicitor with approximately 3+ years' post-qualification experience Excellent knowledge of contract law and tort law essential Knowledge of property law desirable Experience within an insurance or other financial services environment Ability to grasp areas of law rapidly and accurately, exercise good judgment and provide robust commercial legal advice Commercial and market awareness and ability to think critically Strong negotiation skills Ability to effectively communicate in all forms at all levels within an organisation Strong analytical and problem-solving skills Capable of producing high quality work in a flexible, fast-paced environment and at times at short notice Takes personal responsibility for actions and decisions and takes initiative Ability to organise own time and prioritise workload often within tight timescales whilst still maintaining high attention to detail Develops positive relationships with internal stakeholder Demonstrates a flexible, adaptable approach and always rises to challenges Consistently seeking process improvements and efficienciesFirst Title is a pioneer in providing title insurance solutions tailored to the UK real estate market. We specialise in providing robust cost-effective legal indemnity insurance and comprehensive title insurance solutions, tailored to protect property owners, developers, lenders and other stakeholders.First Title is the UK division of First American Financial Corporation ("FAFC"), a leading global provider of title insurance and settlement services for residential and commercial real estate transactions. First American has offices around the globe and invests in innovative technology to equip our people to lead the digital transformation of our industry.We are passionate about providing exceptional service and are proud of our dedicated teams who focus on providing our customers with a friendly, professional service using their expert knowledge and experience to assist clients and drive results.We value and respect each individual's unique perspectives, experiences and contributions.Our inclusive culture of teamwork and innovation is one in which our people can perform well, take initiative and are accountable for what they do.The growth and development of our people is paramount to ensure potential is achieved. Our commitment to developing and supporting employees, through appropriate training and development opportunities means our employees increase their knowledge, their capability and thus their ability to achieve our company goals. The scope of the training extends from initial induction and is limitless due to our focus on continuous development.We value a good work/life balance and have a wide range of family-friendly policies.These are just some of the reasons why so many long serving employees have chosen to grow their career with us.If you would like to join a global company that is committed to the success of each employee and offers challenge, purpose and the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally in a team-orientated environment, you will enjoy a career with us. Benefits of working here Hybrid work arrangements Self Invested Pension plan with employer contribution Health and wellbeing benefits Family friendly policies Life insurance Potential for performance related award Sponsorship for professional qualifications Buy and sell holiday scheme Interest Free Season Ticket Loan Discount on company products and services