JMW Solicitors

Full-service UK law firm for clients

Associate / Senior Associate - Intellectual Property and Commercial

Legal Counsel & Legal SupportPosted on Nov 12

Full-timeManchester, UKNo salary listed

About the Job

Requirements

Qualified Solicitor with around 2–5 years' post-qualification experience in non-contentious commercial work; exceptional candidates outside this range may be considered.
Strong experience in non-contentious commercial contracts.
Experience in intellectual property licensing and related commercial arrangements.
Strong technical ability, sound commercial judgment, and a pragmatic approach to practical advice.
Strong drafting, communication, and negotiation skills.
Collaborative, approachable working style and willingness to work across a broad commercial and intellectual property practice.
Ability to work independently and manage a busy caseload, competing priorities, time recording, billing, and cost recovery effectively.
Aptitude for business development, confidence building trusted client relationships, and desire to support the team's continued growth.
Enthusiasm for long-term career progression within a growing national practice.

Responsibilities

Manage own commercial and intellectual property matters, providing clear, practical, commercially focused advice in close collaboration with the wider national team.
Take ownership of matters, maintain effective day-to-day client contact, and progress work efficiently.
Draft and negotiate general and specialist commercial contracts, advising on legal and commercial issues arising from clients' business models and trading arrangements.
Advise on complex and bespoke commercial projects and help clients implement practical contractual structures that support their business models and commercial objectives.
Manage time recording, billing, and recovery of costs and disbursements effectively.
Work collaboratively with Partners and colleagues across the national team and support junior colleagues where appropriate.
Contribute to business development and practice growth by building an external profile, professional network, and client relationships.

Our national Intellectual Property & Commercial team advises clients ranging from ambitious owner-managed businesses to multinational organisations and leading sports businesses.

We are looking for a non-contentious commercial lawyer to join our Manchester team, advising on a diverse range of commercial contracts, intellectual property matters and business-critical projects. Our work covers general commercial trading arrangements as well as specialist areas including distribution, agency, franchising, recruitment, outsourcing, technology, platforms, software and intellectual property licensing.

This is an opportunity to take meaningful responsibility for high-quality work, build trusted client relationships and develop your career within a and well-respected and growing national practice. Alongside its work for household-name clients, the team places real importance on team spirit and a friendly, supportive working environment. You’ll work closely with approachable Partners and colleagues across JMW in a collaborative, down-to-earth and non-hierarchical team, with scope to contribute to its growth and progress your career.

You will manage your own commercial and intellectual property matters, provide clear, practical and commercially focused advice while working closely with the wider national team. Responsibilities include:

Taking ownership of matters, maintaining effective day-to-day client contact and progressing work efficiently
Drafting and negotiating a diverse range of general and specialist commercial contracts, while providing practical advice on the legal and commercial issues arising from clients’ business models and trading arrangements
Advising on complex and bespoke commercial projects and helping clients implement practical contractual structures that support their business models and commercial objectives
Managing time recording, billing and the recovery of costs and disbursements effectively
Working collaboratively with Partners and colleagues across the national team and supporting junior colleagues where appropriate
Contributing to business development and the growth of the practice, building your external profile, professional network and client relationships.

This role would suit a qualified Solicitor with around 2–5 years’ PQE in non-contentious commercial work, although we would consider exceptional candidates outside of this. You will also bring:

Strong non-contentious commercial contracts experience
Experience of intellectual property licensing and related commercial arrangements
Strong technical ability, sound commercial judgement and a pragmatic approach to providing practical advice
Strong drafting, communication and negotiation skills
A collaborative, approachable working style and a willingness to work across a broad commercial and intellectual property practice
The ability to work independently and manage a busy caseload, competing priorities, time recording, billing and cost recovery effectively
An aptitude for business development, the confidence to build trusted client relationships and a desire to support the team’s continued growth
Enthusiasm for long-term career progression within a growing national practice.

About the Company

JMW Solicitors

Full-service UK law firm for clients

JMW Solicitors provides legal services across corporate and private client work through a team of partners and staff based in three UK offices (Manchester, London, and Liverpool). Their approach centers on delivering high-quality, cost-effective legal advice and practical, commercial solutions tailored to each client’s needs. The firm emphasizes strong, client-focused relationships and a warm, open service style to build long-term partnerships with individuals, SMEs, and international corporations. With more than 500 people, JMW trains its team to prioritize quality and efficiency while maintaining strong ties to the communities they serve. Their goal is to offer an accessible, comprehensive legal service that meets clients’ expectations and delivers practical results.

Company size: 501-1,000
Company stage: Not listed
Total funding: Not listed
Headquarters: Manchester, United Kingdom
Founded: 1978

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