Senior Legal Counsel
3 days ago
City of London
Major, Lindsey & Africa (MLA) are exclusively retained by Accsys to conduct a search for a Senior Legal Counsel be based in their London office. Position Summary Assist the General Counsel and Company Secretary to provide legal, governance, regulatory and commercial advice to Accsys. Leveraging prior experience gained in a PLC governance and regulatory environment. Company Overview Accsys Technologies PLC is a fast-growing business with a purpose: changing wood to change the world. Accsys combine chemistry, technology and ingenuity to make high performance wood products that are extremely durable and stable, opening new opportunities for the built environment. By doing so, they give the world a choice to build sustainably. Accsys is cross-listed on London Stock Exchange AIM and Euronext Amsterdam. Accsys transforms fast-growing, certified sustainable wood into durable, stable, non-toxic wood products with characteristics that match or better those of manmade, intensely resource-depleting and heavily carbon-polluting alternative building materials. Accsys’ Accoya® wood manufacturing facilities are in Arnhem, the Netherlands. Accsys also have a majority owned joint venture with Eastman Chemical Company, in Tennesse, USA. Key Responsibilities • Providing technically excellent, balanced and timely legal, regulatory, governance and compliance advice and support across Accsys, which may include:, • Advising Accsys’ sites on day-to-day issues, • Drafting, reviewing and negotiating simple and complex contracts with customers, suppliers and other third parties (e.g. distribution, agency, supply, novations, confidentiality agreements), • Supporting key functions within Accsys, including business development, marketing, supply chain, procurement, HR, IT and finance, • Advising in relation to Accsys’ current joint ventures and licensing partners on a broad range of issues, • Advising on share plans and incentivisation arrangements, • Advising on Accsys’ equity and debt arrangements and any new financing arrangements, • Advising on data protection matters, • Advising on day-to-day corporate matters as they may arise, • Assisting with company secretarial matters generally, • Supporting the Company Secretary with PLC governance, regulatory compliance and reporting including in relation to AIM Rules, Disclosure Guidelines and Transparency Rules, Market Abuse Regulation and QCA Corporate Governance Code, • Advising on technology and licensing development, • Partner with the business and Accsys’ functions, recognising mutual needs and helping them to achieve their goals, • When external counsel is used, ensuring appropriate instruction and management of the same, • Contributing to the Legal function, in particular its continuous development as a leading, forward-looking and visible function Qualifications & Experience Required • Experience of the PLC governance and regulatory environment, ideally in the AIM/small-mid cap space is considered a bonus, • Qualified solicitor with excellent academics and significant post qualification experience preferably in a mixture of both a respected private practice firm and a strong in-house team, • Significant experience in advising on a range of simple and more complex technical legal and compliance issues, including providing advice directly and managing and synthesising external legal advice, • Experience in commercial, operational and projects work; international experience is strongly desired, • In-house experience in a forward-looking / progressive in-house legal department is strongly desired, or otherwise able to demonstrate an understanding of in-house teams and an ability to add value to an in-house team, • Experience of working with variety of stakeholders, internal and external, junior and senior, • Experience of the building products, timber or chemicals industry and / or large to medium industrial capex projects highly desired but not a requirement for the role Competencies Skills & Attributes • Provide legal, regulatory and compliance advice to an excellent level, • Willingness to be flexible and work in areas of non-core competence (with appropriate support where necessary), • Ability to appropriately challenge business leaders and voice alternative perspectives and viewpoints, • Self-starter, highly proactive, outgoing and able to establish relationships effectively with a range of personnel across the business, but equally comfortable understanding the importance of working together as a team and comfortable taking instruction when necessary, • Ability to exercise good judgement and sound decision making even when not in possession of all the facts, • Adaptable, welcomes change and challenge and plays an active role in designing and implementing novel solutions, • Shows ownership of self-development and adopts a growth mindset; demonstrating an open and willing approach to continuously improve own legal and non-legal skills, • Passionate and enthusiastic about the role of in-house lawyers and the importance of a legal function which is focussed on its continuous development to be a leading and forward-looking function, • You may have to work with other members of the Legal function or the broader Accsys organisation on a matrix or other basis.You will need to be team orientated, flexible and show sound judgement when dealing with any organisational ambiguity, • Accsys believe teams and solutions are made stronger through different perspectives, which is why they are committed to a culture of equality, diversity and inclusion. Please do not contact the Company directly; all resumes sent to the Company will be routed to MLA for handling and will create delays.