Senior Legal Counsel

75B, Verde, 10 Bressenden Pl Westminster London SW1E 5DH

Hello, we’re Pret

Proud makers of freshly made food, organic coffee and big ideas. Across 750+ shops and 20+ countries, our teams are shaping the future of Pret through innovation, inclusion, great customer service and a shared passion for doing the right thing. We’re growing fast on our mission to be the hospitality employer of choice everywhere we operate – so it’s an exciting time to hop on board.

Growing good things

Pret is where passionate, hardworking, wonderful people (like you!) find what they need to shine. Growth is at the heart of everything we do – from supporting our people to grow in confidence and skills to pursue their unique paths, to figuring out how to make our food and coffee even more delicious and accessible.

What we’re looking for 

This is a broad, hands-on senior in-house legal role at the heart of Pret’s business. Working directly with the Group General Counsel and senior leaders across Pret, the Senior Legal Counsel will take ownership of complex legal and commercial matters across our UK and international operations.

No two days are likely to look the same. The Senior Legal Counsel may negotiate a strategic technology or supply chain agreement, advise on the launch of a new customer proposition, support the expansion of Pret’s international franchise business, manage a dispute or regulatory issue, or help a senior stakeholder work through a fast-moving commercial or operational problem.

The role requires strong commercial judgement, a willingness to get close to the business and confidence in managing senior stakeholders across a broad range of areas, including franchising, technology, digital, marketing, employment, governance and operations.

We are looking for a commercially minded lawyer who enjoys understanding what the business wants to achieve and finding practical ways to make things happen while managing legal risk. The Senior Legal Counsel will have genuine autonomy and responsibility, while working as part of a collaborative Legal team on some of the most important matters facing the business.

Key responsibilities 

• Own complex legal matters end-to-end, from understanding the commercial objective and identifying the key risks through negotiation, stakeholder alignment, approval and execution.

• Act as a trusted legal business partner to teams across Pret, providing clear, commercially focused advice that enables colleagues to make informed decisions and move quickly.

• Advise on legal risk, governance, operational considerations and strategic options, offering clear, pragmatic and solutions-focused recommendations rather than legal analysis in isolation.

• Draft, review and negotiate a wide range of commercial agreements, particularly technology, digital, data, supply chain, procurement, goods and services, and strategic supplier arrangements. This may include SaaS, technology implementation, systems integration, logistics, distribution and complex operational agreements.

• Play a leading role in Pret’s UK and international franchise business, including new market and development arrangements, franchise agreements and ongoing strategic, commercial and contractual issues with franchise partners.

• Partner with Pret’s Marketing, Digital and Customer teams on product launches, promotions, customer propositions and advertising, providing practical advice on consumer law, marketing claims, terms and conditions and brand risk.

• Advise on fast-moving operational and regulatory matters affecting Pret’s shops, products and supply chain, working closely with operational teams to find practical solutions that protect the business without unnecessarily preventing progress.

• Support corporate transactions, M&A activity, business restructurings and other high-priority strategic projects.

• Support with managing and protecting Pret’s intellectual property portfolio and brand, working with external counsel on portfolio strategy, filings, renewals, oppositions and enforcement.

• Manage disputes and contentious matters, including commercial, employment, property and customer issues. Determine an appropriate strategy, manage external counsel, control costs and support the business in achieving an effective resolution.

• Support Pret’s Property and Development teams on lease-related, construction and development matters across the UK and international markets, coordinating specialist external advice where required.

• Support the development, review and implementation of policies, guidelines, templates and training, ensuring that legal and regulatory requirements are translated into clear and workable business practices.

• Identify emerging legal and regulatory developments relevant to Pret and translate them into proportionate, practical actions for the business. Support the consistent application of legal and operational standards across Pret’s markets.

• Represent the Legal function on cross-functional initiatives and significant business projects, including through direct engagement with Pret’s Global Leadership Team and other senior stakeholders.

• Work across Pret’s international business, advising on cross-border matters and coordinating local counsel where jurisdiction-specific advice is required.

• Help continuously improve the Legal team’s templates, know-how, contract management processes and ways of working, with a focus on making legal support accessible, consistent and efficient.

• Work closely with and support the Legal Counsel, acting as a sounding board, sharing knowledge and helping them problem-solve and work through legal and commercial issues, without having formal line-management responsibility.

• Take ownership and get stuck in. As part of a lean and collaborative Legal team, the Senior Legal Counsel will be comfortable pitching in with the practical steps needed to move matters forward.

Experience and Skills required  

• A qualified lawyer, typically with at least five years’ post-qualification experience. Experience gained in-house within a complex, fast-moving commercial environment would be advantageous.

• Strong experience drafting and negotiating commercial contracts, ideally including technology, digital, data, supply chain or complex services arrangements.

• A genuinely commercial approach and a desire to understand how the business works, rather than advising on legal issues in isolation.

• Demonstrated ability to take ownership of matters from initial instruction through negotiation, internal alignment, approval and execution.

• Strong issue-spotting, risk-assessment and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify the points that really matter and exercise sound commercial judgement.

• Able to make a clear recommendation and explain complex legal and commercial issues in straightforward, business-friendly language.

• Comfortable working independently, managing a broad portfolio of matters and delivering high-quality advice under time pressure.

• Comfortable moving between significant strategic projects, detailed contract negotiations and urgent day-to-day operational questions.

• Confident working directly with senior stakeholders, building trusted relationships and constructively challenging where necessary.

• Collaborative, pragmatic and low ego, with a willingness to work closely with colleagues across the Legal team and the wider business.

• A practical, solutions-focused mindset and an appreciation of the commercial and operational realities of a fast-moving, customer-facing business.

• Experience in retail, hospitality, consumer, franchising or another multisite business would be helpful, but is not essential.

• Experience of international or cross-border work would be advantageous.

Why Join Pret?

This is an opportunity to join a small, highly engaged Legal team with a genuinely broad and international remit. The successful candidate will have direct access to decision-makers, significant responsibility and the opportunity to work on matters that have a visible impact on Pret’s shops, customers, partners and future growth.

The breadth of the role is unusual. It combines complex commercial contracting with technology, franchising, marketing, consumer, operational, regulatory, property and contentious work. The Senior Legal Counsel will be encouraged to develop a deep understanding of Pret’s business, build strong relationships across the organisation and play an active role in shaping practical and commercially sustainable outcomes. 

We are looking for someone who wants more than a narrow specialist role: a lawyer who enjoys variety, takes ownership and wants to make a meaningful contribution to a well-known international consumer brand.

Life at Pret
In the office
Our offices are where teams come together to collaborate, connect and bring great ideas to life. Wherever you're based, you'll find:
- Individual ways to grow: fully funded professional qualifications, leadership development and informal and formal mentoring
- Diversity & belonging: Everyone’s welcome at Pret – you’ll be valued for who you are and supported to feel confident in yourself and your skills
- Pace & variety: Build a diverse skillset, meet some new people and learn (a LOT)
- Community & purpose: We work together to creative positive change through the Pret Foundation
Our values
- Be kind, honest and generous: bring genuine warmth and your authentic self to work every day
- Bring your passion: share our passion for food and exceptional customer service
- Spread joy every day: small acts of kindness are a big part of what makes the Pret experience special

The perks

- A Gold Card! That means when you’re in the office, your food and drinks are on us. And when you’re not, you get 5 free drinks a day and 50% off everything else

- 33-38 days of annual leave (increasing with service)

- Free private medical aid cover – with the option to add a loved one

- 4-5% pension contribution (increasing with service)

- Life assurance at 3x your annual salary

- Loyalty awards to celebrate every 5 years you’re with us

- And more – think: a flexible benefits platform, season ticket loans, a healthcare cash plan, mortgage services, financial wellbeing provisions, option to take a sabbatical after 3 years and opportunities to support our incredible charity, the Pret Foundation.

The Pret interview journey
Step one: apply! Please don’t overly rely on the use of AI, we want to get to know you, not a robot.
Then, if we move forward with your application, we’ll start the process with a 30-minute chat, so we can better understand your experience and skills. The next stage is to pop into our Head Office, where you’ll have a one-hour interview with the hiring team.
Those are the basics, but depending on the role, we might ask you to complete a task, spend time in our shops or meet someone else in the team.
Throughout it all, you are entitled to reasonable adjustments if you have a disability. If this is the case, please let us know how we can help make the process more accessible for you.