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Legal Counsel

The Legal Counsel will be part of a small, friendly and supportive team of legal experts. The legal team supports across the whole of the CGT Catapult organisation, partnering with stakeholders (including the senior leadership team) to provide high quality, proactive advice that enables the organisation to execute on high impact, novel projects and initiatives within the cell and gene therapy sector.

The Legal Counsel will provide expert legal advice and support across the whole range of CGT Catapult business functions. Reporting to the Head of Legal, the Legal Counsel will be enabled and encouraged to work with high autonomy in a fast-paced but supportive environment.

The Legal Counsel will draft, review, negotiate and advise in relation to a broad range of commercial matters including R&D collaboration agreements, academic/industry consortium agreements, intellectual property licences, and agreements for the procurement of goods, services and software. The role will support the continuing growth and development of operations at several sites across the UK including our two MHRA licenced manufacturing and innovation centres based in Stevenage and Braintree and recently opened laboratories within the University of Edinburgh.

In addition, the Legal Counsel will provide support on other matters as and when they arise (with appropriate support where required) including data protection compliance and subject access requests, dispute resolution, property matters, corporate / company secretarial matters, HR support and legal operations / optimisation projects.

Key Accountabilities:

  • Developing and applying an understanding of CGT Catapult’s strategic aims for the UK cell and gene therapy industry to be able to advise internal business partners on legal issues, risks and compliance matters and proactively develop practical solutions that balance business and impact opportunities with legal risks

  • Partnering with internal and external stakeholders to deliver high quality legal services to enable CGT Catapult to deliver its objectives

  • Drafting, reviewing and negotiating a broad range of agreements including, but not limited to, R&D collaboration agreements, licensing agreements, consultancy agreements, service agreements, data sharing agreements, procurement agreements (including advising on tender documentation where relevant), confidentiality agreements and material transfer agreements

  • Advising on contractual data protection matters

  • Contributing to data protection compliance activities, including responses to data subject access requests

  • Where necessary, liaising with external legal counsel to obtain advice or manage / instruct their performance of legal services for CGT Catapult

  • Developing and delivering training on legal and compliance issues to the business

  • Actively contributing to knowledge management and development, as well as legal operations optimisation initiatives, such as contract templates, checklists, legal technology / software and policy documents

  • Support Head of Legal with company secretarial and other corporate matters


Experience:

  • Experience of working independently with clients/stakeholders to deliver positive outcomes

  • Experience within or exposure to the life sciences industry would be advantageous but is not essential

  • Experience of legal and IP issues that can arise in relation to R&D based agreements and license agreements, such as ownership, licensing and exploitation of IP rights would be advantageous

  • Experience of standard Microsoft packages


Knowledge / Skills / Competencies:

  • Highly motivated, pragmatic, and practical to support the mission of the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult to accelerate the development of a commercial cell and gene-based therapy industry in the UK

  • High-level interpersonal, communication (oral and written) skills and emotional intelligence

  • Ability to quickly interpret and discuss complex legal matters with stakeholders at varying levels of seniority

  • A “roll your sleeves up” hands-on attitude towards varying work assignments

  • Resilient, with the ability to manage multiple and varied tasks and prioritise workload within a fast-paced professional environment, with a strong attention to detail

  • Flexible and pragmatic, able to learn quickly and respond flexibly to project needs and priorities

  • A good team player with a hands-on approach, and adaptable to new challenges

  • Flexibility towards work assignments and new learning

  • Ambitious, collaborative, driven

  • Ability to work well under pressure, to work independently and to be able to take the initiative when completing tasks

  • Comfortable operating autonomously once goals and objectives are set

  • A positive attitude towards learning, personal and professional development

  • Keeps up to date with professional knowledge, expertise and best practice

  • Willingness to travel

  • A quick and willing learner who enjoys discussing ideas and putting them into action

  • Commercial acumen to understand how the key objectives of CGT Catapult interplay with the transactions that it enters and impact the risk appetite of the business in dealing with them


Education / Qualifications

  • This role would be best suited to a candidate with 0-2 years post qualification experience in a law firm and/or in-house legal team


CGT Catapult is committed to providing an equal, diverse, and inclusive work environment where everyone’s contributions are valued. We celebrate differences, empower, and inspire everyone, because when everyone is included, everyone wins. In 2024, we received bronze accreditation from Inclusive Employers.