Senior Legal Counsel

Senior Legal Counsel, Real Estate

Vastint is a purpose-led, quality-driven real estate investor in offices, homes and hotels. As owners, managers and long-term partners, we stay engaged for the lifetime of our investments. That long-term commitment gives us a fundamentally different perspective.

We take responsibility for the entire lifecycle, from land acquisition and planning to construction and daily operations. Because we remain invested, we build with tomorrow in mind. Our values and quality standards are embedded from the first sketch and carried through every detail. We continuously renew and improve, so our buildings continue to create value for generations to come.

As part of the Interogo Group, our investments help safeguard IKEA’s continued success. The core duty and purpose of the Interogo Group is to create the financial strength and reserves required to safeguard the independence and longevity of the IKEA Concept. Our long-term value creation through property investment helps fulfil our common duty and purpose.

In doing so, we aspire to use our influence to do good for people and planet while growing our business responsibly. Although we are not directly connected to Inter IKEA, our IKEA heritage is evident in our purpose, shared values, way of doing business and long-term perspective.

The Vastint UK portfolio includes two major mixed-use regeneration opportunities at Sugar House Island, London and Aire Park, Leeds. Across the two sites there is the potential for more than 2,500 apartments and 1.5 million sq ft of commercial accommodation, of which 380 build-to-rent apartments and 620,000 sq ft of offices have been delivered. In addition, there is a mixed-use estate of offices, hotel and build-to-rent apartments in Edinburgh, an operational hotel in Stratford and future development sites across the UK.

Our heritage

Our heritage calls on us to work together and do good, never stand still, dare to be different and be open to new ideas.

The role – Senior Legal Counsel

The Senior Legal Counsel will provide strategic and practical legal support across the UK business, supporting its development, investment, asset management, residential and commercial leasing, and operational activities. The role plays an essential part in identifying and managing legal risk, maintaining strong governance and compliance arrangements, and enabling commercial objectives to be delivered effectively.

Working closely with the Head of Legal UK, senior management and project teams, the Senior Legal Counsel will provide timely, practical and commercially focused advice. The role will also manage external legal advisers, contribute to the effective operation and continuous improvement of the UK Legal function, and collaborate with legal colleagues across the wider Vastint and Interogo Groups.

This is a broad senior in-house role requiring a background in real estate, strong legal expertise, business understanding, sound commercial judgement and the ability to manage competing priorities. The successful candidate will translate complex legal issues into clear practical advice, assess legal risk proportionately, provide constructive challenge and contribute to well-informed business decisions.

The role will be primarily based in Vastint UK’s London office in Stratford, a minimum of 3 days a week in the office with occasional UK and European travel.

What the role offers

• A varied role across the full lifecycle of real estate investment, development and operations.

• The opportunity to work closely with senior decision-makers and multidisciplinary project teams.

• Scope to shape legal processes, templates, systems and ways of working.

• Opportunity for development into new areas of practice and new jurisdictions.

• Close collaboration with legal and non-legal colleagues across Vastint and the wider Interogo Group.

Responsibilities

Real Estate Matters – Leasing, Development & Construction

• Manage and coordinate legal support for acquisitions, disposals and strategic real estate transactions across the UK portfolio.

• Advise on transaction and investment structures, risk allocation and legal strategy for land,

development and asset acquisitions and disposals, thinking independently and questioning

established approaches where a better answer exists.

• Review and negotiate heads of terms, exclusivity agreements, confidentiality agreements and

transaction documentation.

• Act as a trusted partner to the Portfolio team, advise on heads of terms, leasing structures, and responding to legal due diligence queries.

• Advise on documenting fit-out arrangements, licences for alterations, service charge, utilities, access rights and operational lease issues.

• Draft and negotiate letting agency, property management agreements and other asset management arrangements.

• Support lease renewals, variations, enforcement matters, asset management initiatives and

disposals.

Compliance, Commercial and other Business Matters

In addition to key real estate matters, you will have the opportunity to assist the Head of Legal in managing the effective operation of the UK Legal function. You will also work on broader legal work to best support this business. This will range from leading on compliance and governance matters for the business, as well as supporting the business on a range of general commercial matters and governance, including:

• Advising on company law, corporate structures and governance, board and shareholder approvals, powers of attorney and document execution requirements.
• Acting as a lead legal adviser on regulatory compliance across the UK business, setting the standard and standing up for the right way of doing things whatever our position, including Building Safety Act and other health and safety related duties
• Lead on data protection and privacy compliance, including records, policies, contractual provisions and responses to data subject access requests.
• Manage the company secretarial function for UK entities, including legal entity records and Companies House filing requirements.

Who are we looking for?

• A solicitor qualified in England and Wales, or an equivalent qualification with relevant UK experience.

• Relevant post-qualification experience, preferably including a significant period in-house or

other broad experience within real estate development, investment, asset management or a closely related commercial environment.

• Strong drafting and negotiation skills across complex property and commercial agreements.

• Sound understanding of corporate governance, regulatory compliance (including data protection and health and safety) and legal risk management as well as a willingness to learn and support the business on wider matters.

• Strong commercial judgement and the ability to translate complex legal issues into clear, practical advice that colleagues can act on without wading through complexity.

This is an exceptional opportunity to join a purpose-led organisation in a key role for the business and European legal team.

We look forward to hearing from you!