Associate Litigation and IP Legal Counsel

We’re approaching ‘Legal Risk’ in Financial Services in a new way.

• We are ready to serve everyone, if we wanted to - we ensure Legal Risk does not constrain the business but empowers it to achieve its goals;
• We create the best possible customer experience - we want our customers (both internal and external) to look forward to going through our processes; and
• We aim to automate wherever possible - we don’t like inefficiencies nor do we believe that real risk mitigation is achieved by throwing people at the problem.

The Legal Function is at the forefront of GoCardless’ expansion. We must ensure that GoCardless adopts, implements and maintains forward-thinking and appropriate processes and controls, often coming across new challenges or issues that require innovative solutions.

The role

We are seeking an experienced In-House Litigation and IP Lawyer (5 to 6 years PQE) to oversee and manage the company's legal disputes and proceedings as well as the company’s trademark portfolio and everything linked to it.

The key responsibilities of this role include:

• Manage and oversee all legal disputes and litigation processes involving the company
• Develop effective litigation strategies to protect and defend the company’s interests
• Advise internal teams on legal risks and potential liabilities related to ongoing matters
• Collaborate with external counsel when necessary
• Monitor legal developments and ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations
• Manage and oversee all aspects of the company’s intellectual property portfolio
• Conduct IP due diligence and assist in trademark filings, registrations and renewals
• Monitor and enforce IP rights, address infringement issues, and coordinate with legal agents and external counsel
• Advice legal teams on IP strategy, risk management and compliance
• Stay updated on IP laws and industry best practices to ensure ongoing protection and maximisation of IP assets
• Build out and maintain self-help tools, playbooks and guides for the legal team and for the wider business
• Be able to support the team on other legal matters
• Work closely with your manager or other team members to support on projects
• Be prepared to deal with any legal issue, at any time.

Desired skills

We’re looking for a lawyer with private practice training and/or in-house experience in a fast-paced environment. You will be driven, able to work independently and able to apply your existing knowledge and approach across a very wide range of legal (and quasi-legal) areas. As a technology business, it helps if you have had experience in a similar area, or perhaps you have a keen interest in tech outside of your day to day work.

We’d love to hear from you if:

• You have experience in dispute resolution and litigation.
• You have experience in IP management and handling IP related issues.
• You grasp new legal concepts quickly, and are not afraid to use your common sense.
• You are able to appropriately challenge ways of working and not be afraid to ask why.
• You are a self-starter who is proactive and you are willing to roll up your sleeves to get the job done.
• Your communication skills are first class, and you are able to distil complex and cumbersome legalese into understandable English.
• You love tech and tools, and love exploring how they can contribute to efficiency and customer experience.
• You enjoy project management and thrive on operational efficiency.
• You are easy to work with, do not take yourself seriously and want to work in a fun, fast-growing and challenging environment.

Bonus points if:

• You have knowledge of FCA requirements or payment services.
• You have experience reviewing marketing materials in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
• You have experience with selling and supporting SaaS solutions.
• You can explain what an API is.

Base salary range: £64,000 - £96,000

Base salary ranges are based on role, job level, location, and market data. Please note that whilst we strive to offer competitive compensation, our approach is to pay between the minimum and the mid-point (£64,000 - £80,000) of the pay range until performance can be assessed in role. Offers will take into account level of experience, interview assessment, budgets and parity between you and fellow employees at GoCardless doing similar work.