Vice President Legal
4 days ago
London
VP Legal Location: London, Hybrid About the Role The company builds and operates large-scale GPU compute infrastructure for AI workloads in partnership with institutional capital providers and lenders. As a capital-intensive business scaling rapidly, complex transactions, contractual frameworks, and legal risk management are mission critical. We are seeking an experienced and commercially astute VP of Legal to join the leadership team and build and lead the legal function. Reporting directly to the CFO, this is a pivotal role responsible for establishing the legal foundation of the platform spanning transactions, governance, regulatory strategy, and commercial contracting. You will play a central role in enabling capital deployment, infrastructure build-out, and long-term platform scale. This is a hands-on leadership role, ideal for someone who thrives in a high-growth environment, is comfortable building a legal function from the ground up, and can operate as both a strategic advisor and execution partner on complex, high-value deals. Key Responsibilities Legal Strategy & Corporate Governance • Define and implement global legal strategy across all jurisdictions, including the US and Europe, • Establish and oversee corporate governance frameworks across a multi-entity, cross-border structure, • Advise the Board and executive team on legal, structural, and governance matters, • Ensure the business operates within a clear, scalable, and defensible legal framework Transactions & Deal Leadership • Lead all legal aspects of major transactions, including:, • Equity and debt fundraising, • Infrastructure investments and acquisitions, • Joint ventures and strategic partnerships, • Structure, negotiate, and execute complex agreements with investors, lenders, and partners, • Lead legal due diligence processes and manage associated risks, • Act as a key advisor on deal strategy, risk allocation, and execution Commercial Contracting • Own the legal framework for all commercial agreements across the platform, • Draft, negotiate, and oversee:, • Customer offtake agreements (including long-term, take-or-pay structures), • Supplier and OEM agreements (hardware, data centre, and infrastructure partners), • Construction, development, and services contracts, • Develop scalable, standardised contracting approaches to support rapid growth, • Provide pragmatic, commercially focused legal guidance to internal stakeholders Regulatory & Infrastructure Legal • Provide legal oversight on matters related to:, • Data centre development and operations, • Energy and power agreements, • Land acquisition and site control, • Cross-border regulatory frameworks, • Ensure compliance with applicable regulatory regimes across all operating jurisdictions, • Monitor and advise on evolving legal and regulatory developments impacting the platform Risk Management & Compliance • Establish and maintain a robust legal risk management framework, • Identify, assess, and mitigate legal risks across the business, including operational, contractual, and strategic risks, • Oversee dispute resolution and manage any litigation or contentious matters, • Manage relationships with external legal advisors and ensure efficient use of counsel Strategy & Business Partnering • Partner closely with the CFO, corporate development, and leadership team on:, • Capital deployment and investment decisions, • Structuring of partnerships and commercial models, • Risk allocation across transactions and operations, • Act as a trusted advisor to the executive team on all legal matters, • Support negotiations with institutional investors, lenders, and strategic partners Scaling & Function Build • Build and scale the legal function in line with business growth, • Establish internal processes, controls, and documentation standards, • Implement systems and frameworks to support a multi-jurisdiction, infrastructure-led platform, • Drive efficiency and consistency across legal operations About You Experience & Qualifications • Significant legal experience within:, • Private Equity / Infrastructure / Real Assets, • Digital infrastructure, data centres, energy, or related sectors, • Proven track record leading complex, high-value transactions and negotiations, • Deep expertise in:, • Corporate law and governance, • M&A, joint ventures, and financing transactions, • Commercial contracting in capital-intensive environments, • Experience operating in a high-growth or scaling organisation Skills & Attributes • Strong commercial judgment with the ability to balance legal risk and business objectives, • A builder’s mindset — comfortable creating legal frameworks and processes from scratch, • Ability to operate at both strategic and execution level, • High level of integrity and sound judgment in complex, high-stakes situations, • Collaborative and solutions-oriented; able to influence across finance, legal, and executive teams Desirable Requirements • Experience in data centres, AI infrastructure, energy, or large-scale infrastructure projects, • Familiarity with US and European legal and regulatory environments, • Experience supporting fundraising and working with institutional capital providers, • Background in start-ups or rapidly scaling platforms, • Experience operating in multi-jurisdictional, capital-intensive businesses