Real Estate Counsel

At Frasers Group we’re rethinking retail. Through digital innovation and unique store experiences, we’re serving our consumers with the world’s best sports, premium and luxury brands globally. As a leader in the industry, we’re elevating the retail experience for our consumers through our collection of established brands, including Sports Direct, FLANNELS, USC, Frasers, Evans Cycles, Sofa.com and GAME.

With over 1,000 stores within the UK, Europe, the US and Asia the Group has a diverse property portfolio of freeholds (including multi-let properties) and leaseholds. Within a constantly changing and evolving retail landscape the success of the property portfolio is key to the continues success of the Group.

As Real Estate Counsel you will take the lead role in legal matters affecting the property portfolio and will report into the Group Head of Real Estate – Legal and work with senior executives throughout the group such as the Group Head of Acquisitions.

The team currently consists of the Group Head of Real Estate -Legal and a Legal Assistant who works within both the Property Legal Team and wider Legal team.

The role will involve:

• Working on contentious and non-contentious Real Estate matters
• Working on and managing a variety of property acquisitions including freehold acquisitions, corporate acquisitions, and new leases
• Site disposals including sale and leasebacks
• Asset management – including lease renewals under the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 (from both a landlord and tenant perspective)
• Review of JCT contracts and collateral warranties
• Property litigation including dilapidations claims, 1954 Act renewals and general litigation and break notices (with support from panel law firms)
• Drafting new leases (experience of turnover rents will be an advantage) and standard clauses to use across the portfolio.
• Dealing with property acquired as part of a business purchase from administrators (experience of administrations will be an advantage)
• Assistance of management of panel law firms (5 firms across the UK with additional 2 shortly to be taken on) and other law firms throughout Europe
• The ability to summarise, with the help of local counsel, issues outside of the UK in a clear and succinct manner
• The ability to review title documentation and leases to advise the business and members of the Leasehold/Freehold team.
• Day to day queries from the team on legal matters, both leasehold and freehold, giving instructions to external solicitors
• Produce reports/high level summaries on new acquisitions
• Overtime, potential to build a caseload of bespoke or time sensitive matters.
• Occasional travel to the London office

• Must be a UK qualified Solicitor (England and Wales) or a Chartered Legal Executive
• Would be open to consider applications from approx. NQ-3 years PQE, however any applicants with more than 3 years PQE will be considered. Experience gained from both private practice or in-house is welcomed.
• Previous in-house experience desired but not a pre-requisite
• Must have Landlord and Tenant experience. A basic understanding of restructuring would be desirable.
• Must have excellent attention to detail
• Well organised with a professional approach
• Taking ownership of matters – not just providing advice on options but recommending to the business the option to take
• Commerciality – knowing when to accept risk in order to get matters completed
• Able to work flexibly and to tight time scales
• Delegation – balancing work done in-house and work done by externals
• Desire to work in a fast paced and challenging environment

This role is based Monday to Friday on site at our Head Office in Shirebrook with occassional travel to our London Head Office.

An opportunity like this at Frasers Group is for the fearless. The potential is massive, the experience unrivalled. To be able to make the most of it you need to live and breathe our principles:

• Think without limits and take the team with you
• Own it and back yourself
• Be relevant to people, partners and the planet