Lead Counsel: Commercial Property

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• Lead Counsel - Commercial Property
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• England and Wales Qualified Solicitor
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• Perm
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• Theale | Hybrid
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• You must be eligible to work in the UK without the need for sponsorship
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We are seeking an experienced Lead Counsel - Commercial Property with ECC (Electronic Communications Code) experience to lead the transactional function within a busy Legal & Compliance team supporting a large-scale estates and infrastructure programme.

This is a senior role combining team leadership, hands-on legal delivery, and operational oversight, working closely with Estates teams, internal stakeholders, and external solicitors to deliver high-volume property transactions efficiently and at scale.

About the Role

You will lead a team of Transactional Property Counsel and Transactional Case Managers, ensuring consistent, high-quality delivery across a demanding and fast-paced portfolio of telecoms property work.

The role covers a broad range of transactions, including:

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• Code Agreements (new sites, renewals, variations)
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• Lease and licence negotiations
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• Freehold acquisitions and disposals
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You will also play a key role in improving how legal services are delivered by driving efficiency, standardisation, and continuous process improvement.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Management

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• Lead, manage, and develop a transactional legal team
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• Allocate workloads and oversee delivery against programme targets
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• Provide technical guidance on complex and high-value matters
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• Foster a high-performing and collaborative team culture
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Transactional Delivery

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• Personally manage a portfolio of complex and strategic transactions
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• Support negotiations and resolution of legal and commercial issues
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• Ensure transactions align with agreed heads of terms and internal risk frameworks
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Stakeholder Engagement

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• Act as a senior legal partner to Estates and delivery teams
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• Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders, external solicitors, and site providers
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• Provide clear, pragmatic legal advice to support delivery objectives
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Process Improvement & Governance

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• Drive standardisation of templates, playbooks, and legal processes
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• Identify opportunities to improve cycle times, quality, and efficiency
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• Strengthen governance and risk controls across transactions
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Performance & Reporting

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• Track key metrics including transaction volumes, timelines, and risks
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• Provide regular updates to senior stakeholders
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• Use data insights to support continuous improvement
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About You

We are looking for an England and Wales qualified solicitor with strong commercial property experience and leadership capability in a high-volume environment.

You will bring:

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• 5–10 years PQE in commercial conveyancing transactions, particularly relating to landlord and tenant matters as well as freehold acquisitions
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• Familiarity with the Electronic Communications Code (2017)
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• Strong background in commercial property law, including landlord & tenant work and freehold transactions
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• Experience managing or supervising legal teams
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• Confident negotiator with strong commercial judgement
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• Ability to balance hands-on legal work with leadership responsibilities
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• Strong organisational and stakeholder management skills
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Desirable experience:

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• Telecoms infrastructure or asset-based industries
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• In-house legal experience within a commercial environment
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Why Join?

This is a senior leadership opportunity where you can shape delivery, improve legal operations, and play a key role in enabling a major infrastructure programme.