Head of Commercial and Corporate

at  BDO

IDEAS | PEOPLE | TRUST

We’re BDO. An accountancy and business advisory firm, providing the advice and solutions entrepreneurial organisations need to navigate today’s changing world.
We work with the companies that are Britain’s economic engine – ambitious, entrepreneurially-spirited and high‑growth businesses that fuel the economy – and directly advise the owners and management teams leading them.

OVERVIEW:

The Legal Team sits in QRM and is a highly experienced team. It provides dedicated legal support to the entire BDO firm in the UK (‘the Firm’), advising on all legal matters including contentious and non-contentious issues.
The Commercial and Corporate Team sits in the Legal Team and there are currently 8 lawyers in that team. Its remit includes client and supplier contracting, as well as matters relating to the Firm’s operations including mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property and other corporate law matters. The Firm is seeking a Director, Head of Commercial and Corporate, to lead this team of lawyers and, where appropriate, deputise for the Head of Legal (General Counsel).
The role involves significant interaction with Partners in the Firm, including its Leadership Team, and with external law firms. The Head of Commercial and Corporate will work closely with the QRM Partners, reporting to the Head of Legal (General Counsel), and supporting the delivery of the Firm’s quality and risk management objectives.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Proactively leading the Commercial and Corporate Team ensuring that the structure and team are appropriate for the Firm’s needs and workloads are balanced, matters are progressing and costs are being controlled and kept within budget.
• Ensuring that staff development is prioritised and team members are appropriately coached and developed.
• Taking the lead on more complex matters, including negotiating and drafting high-value contracts, framework agreements and master service agreements, and reporting to the relevant Partner as appropriate.
• Act as a point of consultation on complex contractual and data protection matters for members of the Commercial and Corporate Team, and for Partners and staff in the Firm.
• Influencing the firm’s commercial strategy and approach to contracting on clients and suppliers.
• Define best practice on contractual matters and work with the business to support them in execution, including identifying trends in the risks that the firm faces and how best to mitigate them.
• Collaboration with the BDO Global umbrella organisation and other international member firms of the BDO Global network regarding commercial legal matters.
• Lead in the development and delivery of commercial legal related training.
• Special projects as determined by the Head of Legal (General Counsel), QRM Partners or the Firm’s leadership.

In addition to being a qualified lawyer with experience managing direct reports, the role requires the following competencies:

• Business thinking: Connect the Firm’s strategic framework with meaningful measures of success for the Commercial and Corporate Team for the commercial benefit of the Firm as a whole. Demonstrate high-level project management skills to deliver the Firm’s initiatives, ensuring our operations stay resilient and evolve with changes in the legal environment.
• Communicating: High-level interpersonal skills and the ability to articulate complex issues clearly and credibly to a range of audiences.
• Collaborating: A team player and relationship builder who enjoys supporting colleagues and has the ability to build relationships across the firm and to build rapport, gaining the trust of partners and colleagues.
• Decision making: Identify and drive the use of best practice in legal strategy and tools to deliver improvement and development in the firm’s practices.
• Developing self and others: An awareness of and an interest in deepening your own legal knowledge, together with enthusiasm for sharing your knowledge and experience with others. A positive attitude with a strong work ethic and excellent attention to detail.
• Innovating and change: The ability to think creatively and connect ideas and insight from other businesses and industries to improve the Firm’s quality and manage risk.

You’ll be able to be yourself; we’ll recognise and value you for who you are and celebrate and reward your contributions to our business. We’re committed to agile working, and we offer everyone the opportunity to work in ways that suit them, their teams, and the task at hand.
At BDO, we’ll help you achieve your personal goals and career ambitions, and we have programmes, resources, and frameworks that provide clarity and structure around career development.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Proactively leading the Commercial and Corporate Team ensuring that the structure and team are appropriate for the Firm’s needs and workloads are balanced, matters are progressing and costs are being controlled and kept within budget.
• Ensuring that staff development is prioritised and team members are appropriately coached and developed.
• Taking the lead on more complex matters, including negotiating and drafting high-value contracts, framework agreements and master service agreements, and reporting to the relevant Partner as appropriate.
• Act as a point of consultation on complex contractual and data protection matters for members of the Commercial and Corporate Team, and for Partners and staff in the Firm.
• Influencing the firm’s commercial strategy and approach to contracting on clients and suppliers.
• Define best practice on contractual matters and work with the business to support them in execution, including identifying trends in the risks that the firm faces and how best to mitigate them.
• Collaboration with the BDO Global umbrella organisation and other international member firms of the BDO Global network regarding commercial legal matters.
• Lead in the development and delivery of commercial legal related training.
• Special projects as determined by the Head of Legal (General Counsel), QRM Partners or the Firm’s leadership

In addition to being a qualified lawyer with experience managing direct reports, the role requires the following competencies:

• Business thinking: Connect the Firm’s strategic framework with meaningful measures of success for the Commercial and Corporate Team for the commercial benefit of the Firm as a whole. Demonstrate high-level project management skills to deliver the Firm’s initiatives, ensuring our operations stay resilient and evolve with changes in the legal environment.
• Communicating: High-level interpersonal skills and the ability to articulate complex issues clearly and credibly to a range of audiences.
• Collaborating: A team player and relationship builder who enjoys supporting colleagues and has the ability to build relationships across the firm and to build rapport, gaining the trust of partners and colleagues.
• Decision making: Identify and drive the use of best practice in legal strategy and tools to deliver improvement and development in the firm’s practices.
• Developing self and others: An awareness of and an interest in deepening your own legal knowledge, together with enthusiasm for sharing your knowledge and experience with others. A positive attitude with a strong work ethic and excellent attention to detail.
• Innovating and change: The ability to think creatively and connect ideas and insight from other businesses and industries to improve the Firm’s quality and manage risk