In-house Tech Lawyer for FTSE 350 Retail Business
Background
Our client, a major FTSE 350 retailer with over 500 stores nationwide and an established online presence serving millions of households weekly, approached us with a specific requirement for an in-house tech lawyer to support the company’s ambitious digital transformation initiative.
Unlike traditional in-house legal roles, this position was unusual in that it would be embedded directly within the IT department, reporting to the Head of Technology Governance with only a dotted line into the central legal function. The role, titled “Senior IT Legal Manager,” was created specifically to provide specialist legal support for what was, at the time, one of the largest technology transformation projects undertaken in Western Europe.
The client required a qualified solicitor with significant experience in negotiating and drafting complex technology contracts, with the ability to advise on intellectual property rights, data protection laws, and telecommunications regulations. The successful candidate would manage a portfolio of approximately 400 supplier contracts, ranging in value from tens of thousands to tens of millions of pounds.
Challenge
This recruitment project presented several unique challenges:
The reporting structure was unconventional, with the role sitting outside the traditional legal function. This required finding candidates comfortable working primarily within a technology-focused team while maintaining strong connections to the central legal department.
The job title “Senior IT Legal Manager” is not common in the in-house legal market, potentially creating confusion about the seniority and scope of the position during the candidate search process.
The role demanded an unusual combination of deep technical legal expertise and commercial acumen, requiring the ability to communicate complex legal concepts to non-legal stakeholders across the business, from IT professionals to C-suite executives.
Given the scale and strategic importance of the transformation project, we needed to find candidates who could handle both high-volume routine work and complex, high-value negotiations with major technology suppliers.
The role required someone who understood the IT landscape at a non-technical level but could “speak the language” of technology—a rare combination in the legal market, particularly for a retail sector position.
Solution
We developed a multi-faceted recruitment strategy tailored to these specific challenges:
We reframed the role description to clearly articulate the strategic importance of the position within the digital transformation project, emphasising the opportunity to lead high-value, complex negotiations in a business-critical area.
Rather than focusing solely on candidates with retail experience, we targeted tech lawyers from various sectors who demonstrated the commercial acumen and stakeholder management skills necessary to thrive in a fast-paced retail environment.
We engaged with our established network of technology lawyers across both private practice and in-house roles, identifying individuals who had experience working directly with technology teams and could demonstrate the ability to translate complex legal issues into business-friendly language.
Through a combination of targeted headhunting and strategic advertising, we assembled a strong shortlist of eight candidates, each bringing a unique combination of technical legal expertise and commercial awareness.
Following a comprehensive selection process that involved both the technology leadership team and key stakeholders from the central legal function, a shortlist of five candidates was presented to the client from which two exceptional candidates were taken to offer stage at different levels.
The successful appointments brought a blend of experience from both major law firms and in-house roles at technology-focused businesses, providing the client with the specialised expertise required to drive forward their digital transformation while ensuring robust contractual protection and regulatory compliance.
