Location
London

Hours
Full Time

Salary
Negotiable

About the Role
Accor is a world-leading hospitality group operating in over 110 countries with a diverse portfolio of more than 40 hotel brands. As Senior Legal Counsel, you will provide pragmatic, commercially focused legal support across hotel development and operations. Your primary responsibility will be negotiating and advising on franchise and hotel management agreements while supporting a wide variety of commercial and operational matters. This fixed-term role offers significant exposure to senior stakeholders and strategic projects across the UK, Ireland, and the Nordics.

Key responsibilities include leading the drafting, negotiation, and execution of franchise agreements, hotel management agreements, and related commercial contracts; advising on hotel development transactions and operational legal matters; supporting financing transactions, joint ventures, and strategic projects; ensuring compliance with franchise regulations, competition law, and other relevant legal requirements; managing relationships with external legal advisers; monitoring legislative developments; developing legal templates and playbooks; delivering legal training; and participating in regional legal projects and continuous improvement initiatives.

Experience
- At least 6 years' post-qualification experience (PQE) or equivalent, gained within a leading law firm, an international in-house legal team, or a combination of both.
- Significant experience negotiating complex commercial agreements, ideally within hospitality, franchising, real estate, or development.
- Experience supporting complex cross-border transactions and working across multiple jurisdictions.
- Experience within the hospitality sector or franchise businesses is highly valued.
- Experience advising on hotel management or franchise agreements is desirable.
- Previous in-house legal experience within an international organisation is a plus.

About you
- Strong commercial awareness with the ability to provide practical, business-focused legal advice.
- Confidence to influence and advise senior stakeholders while simplifying complex legal issues into clear, practical guidance.
- Exceptional analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
- Collaborative approach with excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
- Ability to work independently, prioritise effectively, and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
- Fluency in English.

Qualifications
- A law degree (or equivalent Legal Executive qualification) with a current practising qualification where applicable.