Job Description

Company Description

We are worldwide Augmented Hospitality leaders, the best at what we do. Heartists is what we call ourselves, generous, passionate, attentive and free, whether we are welcoming guests, connecting with our peers or serving others.

Our entire Accor estate expands across the world. With over 300,000 experts committed to rejuvenating the hospitality experience we pride ourselves in being the employer of choice, so live limitlessly, come as you are, grow with us, work with purpose and explore the endless opportunities in store.



You will be in charge of a dynamic team of lawyers working on all Legal Development and Operations matters across the United Kingdom, Ireland, Nordics, Iberia and Mediterranean region. Applicants with additional languages such as French, Spanish, Italian and/or Portuguese are highly desirable.

In a nutshell, this role will include drafting and negotiating franchise agreements, hotel management agreements and all related agreements and leading a team of lawyers who will report to you.

Here is a further snapshot of the main accountabilities:

• Act as a strategic partner to the business and Europe & North Africa Legal CoDir and advise on all branded residential matters.
• Develop and share know-how in particular by producing template agreements that maximise value and minimise risk for use by the team and its internal clients
• Be proactive and look to improve process and business efficiencies. The aim is to simplify and standardise contract management, industrialise legal processes and move towards transnational legal services.
• Management, monitoring and reporting of pre-litigation and litigation disputes.
• Respond to a variety of operational issues with franchisees and owners, including quality assurance matters, and negotiating and drafting agreements relating to changes of ownership, terminations and exits.
• Provide preliminary advice on proposed transactions including with respect to confidentiality agreements, structuring transactions, letters of intent, tortious interference.
• Provide advice and ensure compliance with franchise regulatory requirements (including preparing franchise disclosure documents), franchise disclosure and relationship laws, and other relevant laws, including antitrust and agency.
• Advise on the application of key policies within the organisation including Ethics, Compliance and Data Protection

Qualifications

• Law degree or equivalent Legal Executive qualification
• Previous experience in Legal Development and Operations role preferred.
• At least 10+ years PQE (or comparable jurisdiction) commercial or technology transactional experience at a reputable law firm and/or comparable in-house experience.
• Experience of working in an international environment.
• Knowledge of working within a Franchised and Managed business model is a must.
• Interest in and understanding of economic contexts, in particular, with a view to development contracts
• Ability to work independently and to make legally sound decisions or to prepare decision papers.
• Coordinating legal matters with other internal divisions and/or outside counsel and implementing best practices
• Ability to develop clear strategic plans and business objectives, which balance medium and short-term business needs.
• To lead, develop, inspire and coach team/ stakeholder groups across the Accor network
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills; Strong collaboration runs in our DNA
• Confident and calm under pressure, adaptive and resilient to changes, with a positive can-do attitude.
• Other languages also desirable but not essential (French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian).

Additional Information

Your profile? Guest orientated, service minded, efficient and well organised. Good written and spoken communications skills. In addition you will have the ability to maintain a good working relationship with your colleagues creating a team that works well together and with all departments.

To acknowledge your hard work, loyalty and commitment to us, we offer an extensive benefits package; competitive salary, bonus, season ticket loans, subsidised gym membership, private medical healthcare, pension, and of course complimentary hotel stays (to name a few).

Your Accor experience begins now so if you are in search of your next challenge and you think you have what it takes to shine brighter than your competitors then we want to hear from you.

Accor