Legal Counsel

Job description

**ABOUT QUINCE** Quince is a destination for builders, creators, innovators, and operators who want to come together and challenge the status quo. Our mission is simple: make really high quality essentials for really low prices, fairly and sustainably. We deliver on that mission through a unique manufacturer-to-consumer (M2C) model eliminating the layers of traditional retail that add cost and result in consumers paying more than they need to. We find, build relationships with, and work directly with the manufacturing partners behind some of the world’s finest products. From there, our teams design smart, efficient operational processes and build and deploy proprietary technology, AI, and analytics to help us scale fast. What began with a small assortment of elevated basics has quickly grown into a cross-category brand spanning apparel, accessories, home goods, and more. Today, tens of millions of people across a growing number of countries come – and return – to Quince because they trust us to deliver. **OUR CULTURE** Quince is a culture built for builders by builders. Our way of working starts with a blank sheet of paper. We question conventional thinking, use technology and data to uncover new opportunities, and move quickly to turn ideas into reality. We aren’t interested in replicating how others do retail. We’re building a better way – at a speed and scale unlike anything that’s been done before. - We dream big and chase the hard problems others shy away from. Rejecting long-held assumptions is part of our company's DNA. Where conventional wisdom says you have to choose – soft or durable, speed or rigor, quality or price – we ask why that trade-off has to exist in the first place. - Our pace is fast and the bar is high because our customers expect a lot from us and we refuse to let them down. We believe the best results come from challenging ourselves, learning from one another, and building on each other's strengths. - Here, responsibility is not determined by role, tenure, or seniority. Every team member - no matter their level - has the opportunity to drive our business and shape our trajectory. If you’re someone who likes to imagine new possibilities and build better systems rather than plug-in to outdated ones, Quince is the place for you. **THE ROLE** **Legal Counsel** We're seeking a Legal Counsel to join as the second lawyer in our International legal team, helping to scale Quince's presence across the UK and EU and shape how the legal function supports our international business. You'll own matters and projects end-to-end and support the full scope of the business, including commercial contracting, employment, logistics, IP, data protection and product compliance. This is a high-autonomy, foundational role for someone who is comfortable with ambiguity, makes sound judgments without established playbooks, and takes ownership from day one. You'll work directly with leaders and cross-functional partners across product, engineering, operations, HR, logistics, marketing, merchandising and customer service to launch and scale our UK and EU presence, build practical legal processes from scratch, and move priorities forward with a bias for action. Critical to this role: you'll be hands-on, doing legal work directly rather than delegating to external counsel. You'll manage external relationships pragmatically, balancing specialist advice with cost efficiency. You'll say 'yes, and here's how' more often than 'no' - while protecting the business from material legal risk. **Responsibilities** **Generalist Legal** - Legal contact for UK and EU-based teams and issues - Provide strategic and day-to-day counsel across a range of commercial, regulatory, and operational matters - Key focus on scaling the UK business to new EU markets - Escalate material legal issues to the Legal Director; own resolution of day-to-day matters independently - Horizon scanning for relevant UK and EU legislative updates **Employment** - Work with People Director to build UK and EU playbooks and policies. - Support Legal and People Directors with onboarding, terminations, restructures, and performance issues across multiple jurisdictions - Support the Legal Director with employee-related inquiries, compliance and team growth in UK and planned EU offices - Help maintain awareness of emerging employment law changes in UK and target EU markets **Data Privacy & Consumer Protection** - Advise on UK and EU GDPR, including data subject rights, transfer mechanisms (SCCs, adequacy decisions), and cookie compliance - Advise on marketing practices, pricing strategies, sustainability claims, and consumer protection regulation (e.g., CMA, ASA guidelines) - Collaborate on privacy policies, terms of service, and consent flows - Assist Legal Director with interactions with UK and EU regulators and support handling of data subject access requests and breach notifications - Ensure product claims, environmental claims, and sizing/sustainability representations comply with UK/EU standards **Technology, AI & Digital Innovation** - Advise on AI governance, responsible AI frameworks, and bias/fairness considerations in product and marketing - Support the procurement and deployment of AI and machine-learning tools; flag legal and compliance risks - Review technology platform contracts, including SaaS, APIs, cloud infrastructure, and third-party data services - Keep the business informed on emerging technology regulation, including the EU AI Act, and UK AI frameworks - Advise on intellectual property ownership and licensing of AI-generated content and outputs **Commercial, Compliance & Operations** - Draft, review, and negotiate vendor contracts, logistics agreements, SaaS licenses, and supplier agreements end-to-end - Provide legal support for fulfillment operations, including 3PL, warehouse, and distribution arrangements - Manage external counsel relationships efficiently; handle simpler matters in-house to control costs - Ensure compliance with product labeling, environmental standards (e.g., plastic packaging, textiles regulations), and trade regulations and monitoring of compliance thresholds as operations scale. - Support supplier compliance and ethical sourcing (labor practices, ESG commitments) **Intellectual Property & Brand** - Advise on UK and EU trademark registration, protection, and enforcement strategy - Support IP ownership documentation for software, designs, and AI-generated assets - Assist with monitoring and responding to IP infringement and counterfeiting issues - Work with operations and product teams on trade mark compliance in packaging and marketing **Risk & Governance** - Assist the Legal Director with pre-litigation matters, disputes, and inquiries - Liaise with outside counsel on specialist matters (IP litigation, regulatory defense); manage costs - Establish and maintain risk register for UK/EU operations; flag emerging legal and regulatory risks **Qualifications** **Required:** - UK-qualified solicitor with 5+ years PQE (post-qualification experience) - Strong generalist background, ideally with top-tier law firm training and in-house experience at a high-growth, technology-led or retail company - Demonstrated ability to deliver pragmatic, commercial legal advice and operate independently with minimal supervision - Proven track record of owning legal projects end-to-end and building legal processes and frameworks from scratch - Comfortable working cross-functionally with business stakeholders, non-legal teams, and distributed teams - Proactive, business-minded, and hands-on with a strong bias toward execution and clarity - Ability to manage a high volume of work independently, prioritize effectively, and make sound legal judgments with incomplete information - Commercial pragmatism and comfort operating in a fast-paced, high-growth environment without established playbooks - Confidence using AI tools and incorporating AI to increase efficiencies in legal team delivery **Preferred:** - Experience with product liability, environmental regulations (textiles, packaging), or ESG compliance - Experience advising on AI governance, responsible AI, or machine learning deployment and familiarity with the EU AI Act, UK pro-innovation AI regulation, and Digital Markets Act - Experience supporting EU expansion and advising on multi-jurisdictional compliance **WHY QUINCE?** Joining Quince means being part of a mission-driven team reshaping retail. You will work alongside talented colleagues, tackle meaningful challenges, and contribute to building a more sustainable, accessible future for customers and partners alike. **EQUAL OPPORTUNITY & HIRING INTEGRITY** Quince provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applications for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. Quince is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation to complete your application or to perform the essential functions of a role at Quince, please let us know by completing [this accommodation form](https://forms.gle/DpJ11jHa1WbqfUWB9). We review all requests individually and will work with you to determine appropriate accommodations on a case-by-case basis. Employment is contingent upon successful completion of a background check. Quince will conduct background checks in compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. *Security Advisory: Beware of Frauds* At Quince, we're dedicated to recruiting top talent who share our drive for innovation. To safeguard candidates, Quince emphasizes legitimate recruitment practices. Initial communication is primarily via official Quince email addresses and LinkedIn; beware of deviations. Personal data and sensitive information will not be solicited during the application phase. Interviews are conducted via phone, in person, or through the approved platforms Google Meets or Zoom—never via messaging apps or other calling services. Offers are merit-based, communicated verbally, and followed up in writing. If personal information is requested to initiate the hiring process, rest assured it will be through secure and protected means.