Kennedys is seeking a Contracts Lawyer to join the Risk & Compliance team. The role will provide expert legal advice and support in relation to client contracts, terms of engagement, supplier agreements and contractual risk management across the firm.



The successful candidate will work closely with partners and business services teams to review, negotiate and advise on contractual terms, ensuring compliance with the firm's risk appetite, regulatory obligations and commercial objectives.




Team



Kennedys' Global Risk & Compliance department is responsible for the management of global risk across the firm, including conduct, data, financial crime, new business, quality and audit.



The Contracts Lawyer will act as an internal legal adviser on contractual matters, supporting the firm's global client and supplier contracting activities while helping to identify, assess and mitigate contractual risk.




Key responsibilities


Contract Review and Negotiation

• Review, draft and negotiate client engagement terms, outside counsel guidelines, framework agreements, service level agreements and other commercial contracts.


• Advise partners and business services teams on contractual obligations, legal risks and compliance issues.


• Support negotiations with clients and suppliers to achieve commercially acceptable outcomes while protecting the firm's interests.


• Provide guidance on contractual provisions including liability, indemnities, confidentiality, intellectual property, termination rights, data protection and insurance requirements.

Risk and Compliance Advisory

• Identify, assess and mitigate legal and regulatory risks arising from contractual arrangements.


• Advise on compliance with applicable legal and regulatory obligations, including SRA requirements and professional conduct standards.


• Support the development and maintenance of contractual risk policies, procedures and guidance materials.


• Ensure contractual arrangements align with internal governance and approval frameworks.

Stakeholder Management

• Build strong relationships with partners, fee earners and business services teams.


• Act as a trusted adviser on contract-related matters across all jurisdictions.


• Work collaboratively with the wider Risk & Compliance function, including Conduct Risk, Data Risk, Financial Crime and New Business Intake teams.

Process Improvement

• Support the continued development of the firm's contract management processes and systems.


• Contribute to the implementation of technology and AI-enabled solutions to improve contract review and management efficiency.


• Monitor trends and recurring contractual risk issues, providing recommendations for improvement.

Training and Knowledge Sharing

• Deliver training and guidance to partners, lawyers and business services professionals on contractual risk and compliance matters.


• Prepare practical guidance notes and playbooks to support consistent decision-making across the firm.


• Keep abreast of legal and regulatory developments affecting professional services contracts and communicate relevant changes to stakeholder

Required experience

• Qualified Solicitor in England & Wales, or an equivalent common law jurisdiction.


• 3+ years PQE, with significant experience of commercial contracts and contract negotiation.


• Experience gained in private practice, an in-house legal team, or a risk and compliance environment.


• Strong understanding of professional services contracts and associated legal risks.


• Knowledge of regulatory and compliance requirements applicable to law firms.


• Excellent drafting, negotiation and stakeholder management skills.


• Ability to balance legal risk with commercial objectives.


• Strong organisational skills and attention to detail.


• Experience within a law firm Risk & Compliance or Office of General Counsel environment, desirable.


• Knowledge of data protection, information security and supplier management frameworks, desirable.


• Experience supporting contract lifecycle management systems, desirable.


• Exposure to international contracting and cross-border legal issues, desirable.

Please let us know if you require any additional support or adjustments to be made in order to submit your application to Kennedys.



*where a level of experience is indicated, this is a guideline only and represents the amount of time we would usually expect a candidate to accumulate the requisite level of experience. This does not preclude applications from candidates with more or less experience.




About Kennedys



Kennedys is a global law firm with expertise in dispute resolution and advisory services. With over 3,000 people in 45 offices across 18 countries around the world we have some of the most respected legal minds in their field.



Our lawyers handle both contentious and non-contentious matters, and provide a range of specialist legal services, for many industry sectors but we have particular expertise in litigation and dispute resolution, especially in defending insurance and liability claims.



We're a fresh-thinking firm, and we're not afraid to bring challenging new perspectives to the table way beyond the traditional realm of legal services. We empower our clients with a diverse range of ideas, tools and technology to make their lives easier, as well as delivering exceptional results, every time.




What do we have to offer?



We welcome high-performing lawyers, business services professionals, secretaries, graduates and apprentices to join our rapidly expanding global firm. Whatever your role at Kennedys, you'll be involved in exciting and stimulating work, where your input will make a difference.



Our culture and values form a big part of who we are and we take them seriously. We make a difference by being approachable, straightforward, supportive, distinctive and ambitious. Our values are at the core of who we are and what make us a great firm to work with and for.



The Firm recognises the value of investing in our people's development and believes our culture and values contribute to the quality of our work and of our client relationships. With a culture of on-the-job and experiential learning, peer to peer learning, mentoring, resources and tools that enable you to drive your career, we can support your development in your current and future roles. A variety of other opportunities are available including secondments to clients and our global offices.



We strive to celebrate diversity, empower our people and ensure everyone can bring their authentic selves to work. We've created a culture based on client service, professional excellence, hard work and trust, where diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) is a key priority. We recognise that many of our people want to work for an employer that is aligned to their values, which is why we are building an inclusive culture, decarbonising our operations and supporting our people to thrive at work. Our people are the key to driving this change and helping us to make a difference to our clients, our people and the communities in which we live and work.



Kennedys is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to ensuring our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. We expect all employees to be aware of and comply with all relevant policies and procedures within their jurisdiction, including those relating to Information Security, Data Protection and Quality Management, refer any breach promptly to Risk & Compliance and to complete all mandatory training when requested.



Documents

• JD- Contract Lawyer October 2026.pdf (94.50 KB)