Job at a glance
Job Title: Group Legal Counsel Reports to: Group General Counsel Experience Level: c.2-4 years' PQE Employment Type : Permanent (applicants for both full-time and part-time hours are welcome). Industry: Hospitality and Leisure (Hotels and Resorts) About the Company Macdonald Hotels & Resorts is one of the UK’s largest privately-owned hotel groups, founded by Donald Macdonald in 1990. With over 30 distinctive hotels and 9 self-catering resorts, we combine a passion for authentic hospitality with a strong commitment to quality and Scottish heritage.
We pride ourselves on our attention to detail as experienced hoteliers, and with more than 2,500 dedicated employees across the UK and Spain, we recognise that our people are at the heart of everything we do. The Role This is an exciting opportunity for a commercially-minded lawyer seeking to work in a fast-paced and dynamic environment. The successful candidate will work on a broad range of legal and operational matters across the business and provide support to the Group General Counsel on a variety of projects and responsibilities.
The role will focus largely on commercial contracts and day to day operational matters, together with data protection, intellectual property, insurance claims and regulatory matters. You will also have the opportunity to be involved in licensing and property matters, as well as engaging in exciting fast-paced projects which include asset transactions. Key Responsibilities Commercial Contracts: Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of contracts, including supplier agreements, IT and technology contracts, marketing and sponsorship agreements, management agreements, service-level agreements, customer terms and conditions, NDAs.
Support procurement, sales and other operational teams to ensure contracts are commercially sound and legally compliant. Data Protection & Privacy: Advise on data protection compliance under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. Review and draft data processing agreements and privacy notices. Assist with handling data subject requests and liaise with external advisors or regulators where required.
Assist and advise on implementation of policies and processes to ensure compliance. Advise on and assist in the completion of DPIAs and other assessments. Intellectual Property: Maintain our register of intellectual property rights and liaise with external counsel in respect of new registrations and managing conflicts. Employment & HR Matters: Provide legal advice on employment law matters as they arise, including drafting and advising on employment contracts, employee handbook, other policies, and employee relations matters.
Support Payroll and HR functions with ad hoc queries and coordinate with external counsel on complex issues where required. Assist in the preparation of group communications advising on changes to employment legislation. Advise on and assist in shaping of employee benefits portal and processes relating to the management of employment records. Licensing : Assist in overseeing compliance with the Group’s licensing requirements for operation of its hotels through internal reviews and management of external counsel.
Insurance Assist in discussions relating to annual insurance renewals. Oversee the management of insurance claims as they arise and the flow of information to our insurers. Provide guidance and regular communications to staff in respect of claims management and claims defensibility. Operational & Regulatory Support: Advise on day-to-day operational and customer complaint issues which are escalated to the Legal Team for support.
Support compliance with health and safety, licensing, and other hospitality-related regulations. Risk Management & Projects: Support the Group General Counsel in managing legal risk across the business. Contribute to process improvements, identifying efficiences, template development, and legal training initiatives for non-legal teams. About You The ideal candidate for this r