Senior Associate, Commercial Intellectual Property

Overview

In this role you will lead complex franchising, distribution and brand-related matters for UK and international clients within our market-leading Commercial IP team. You will draft and negotiate strategic agreements, advise on expansion strategies, and support regulatory compliance, while mentoring juniors and contributing to business development. You’ll work across Fieldfisher’s European and international network to help clients grow brand value and enter new markets. This is a high-visibility, cross-border role with meaningful impact on client outcomes.

Pay / Benefits

• private medical insurance
• health cash plan
• dental insurance
• life assurance
• critical illness insurance
• matched pension contributions up to 7%

Responsibilities

• Lead on complex franchising, distribution, commercial and brand-related matters for a diverse UK and international client portfolio
• Draft, negotiate and advise on franchise, area development, licensing, distribution, sponsorship, advertising and other strategic commercial agreements
• Advise on domestic and international expansion strategies, routes-to-market and brand commercialisation projects
• Support clients with advertising and marketing compliance issues, including campaigns and regulatory considerations
• Build strong collaborative client relationships and manage matters from instruction through to completion
• Mentor junior lawyers and contribute to business development, thought leadership and growth of the practice
• Supervise and mentor junior lawyers and trainees, supporting their professional development
• Develop and maintain strong client relationships through excellent service delivery and responsiveness
• Contribute to business development initiatives including pitches, client presentations, publications, and industry events
• Drive efficient matter management, financial discipline, and delivery against budgets and timelines
• Collaborate effectively across international offices and practice groups
• Support innovation, process improvement, and knowledge management initiatives
• Ensure compliance with professional standards, firm policies, and regulatory obligations

Key requirements

• Qualified solicitor in England & Wales or another common law jurisdiction with strong relevant experience
• Significant post-qualification experience (ideally 5+ years PQE) at a leading international law firm or comparable in-house
• Significant experience advising on franchising, distribution, licensing, route-to-market arrangements or other strategic commercial projects
• Experience advising brand owners or consumer-facing businesses is advantageous
• Excellent drafting, negotiating, and end-to-end transaction management skills
• Resilience and ability to manage multiple priorities under pressure with analytical problem solving
• Delivers work efficiently with high quality standards
• Mentors junior team members and contributes to team development
• Commercial awareness and proactive client service and business development
• Strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills to promote inclusion and collaboration across global teams

• excellent communication
• stakeholder management
• team collaboration
• franchising
• distribution
• licensing

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