Junior Real Estate Counsel

We believe that difference sparks brilliance, so we welcome people and ideas from everywhere to join us in stretching what's possible.
At Tapestry, being true to yourself is core to who we are. When each of us brings our individuality to our collective ambition, our creativity is unleashed. This global house of brands - Coach & Kate Spade New York - was built by unconventional entrepreneurs and unexpected solutions, so when we say we believe in dreams, we mean we believe in making them happen. We're always on a journey to becoming our best, but you can count on this: Here, your voice is valued, your ambitions are supported, and your work is recognized. Visit Our People page to learn more about Tapestry's commitment to equity, inclusion, and diversity.
Primary Purpose: The Junior Real Estate Counsel is responsible for drafting, reviewing, and negotiating a variety of lease-related documents for Tapestry Europe and liaising with landlords, external counsel, and internal teams.
Reporting to the Senior Director, Senior Legal Counsel for Europe, the Junior Real Estate Counsel will oversee lease accounting, landlord relations across retail locations, support new store approvals, and serve as the main contact for lease issues and cross-functional communications in the business.
The successful individual will leverage their proficiency in Retail Leasing to:

• Draft and review leases, amendments, extensions, renewals, break notices, rent reviews, landlord contribution claims, dilapidation settlements, letters of intent, heads of terms and other lease related documents
• Liaise with the Vice President of Business Development & Real Estate Europe, landlords and external counsel as it relates to the negotiation of documents
• Maintain various trackers for tenant allowance collections, lease expirations, store closures and management of storage lease portfolio
• Act as the primary point of contact with external counsel on lease reviews, cross functional partners on notices for lease violations and Store Operations and Showrooms for issues with landlords and building maintenance
• Attend on-going status meetings with internal teams including Construction, Operations (NSO), Legal, Finance and Lease Accounting
• Review, draft, and negotiate all outlet store lease agreements
• Prepare deal memos and distribution upon lease execution of key information to cross functional partners
• Act as the point of contact for insurance, SEPA, parent/bank guarantees, security deposits, and works deposits
• Prepare materials to secure executive approval for new brick and mortar store openings
• Support Finance and Construction in CER approval requests
• Monitor and document ESG requirements for all B&M doors and document landlord requirements

The accomplished individual will possess:

• Qualified Solicitor in England and Wales, with 2-3 years' PQE ideally within a retail-focused legal environment
• Demonstrated experience in retail leasing, including negotiating lease agreements, managing landlord relationships, and supporting store development across multiple locations
• Strong knowledge of commercial property law, including property rights, landlord-tenant legislation, and contract law
• Exceptional legal drafting, negotiation, and analytical skills
• Commercial mindset, with the ability to deliver practical, business-oriented legal advice on real estate transactions
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to build and maintain effective relationships with internal stakeholders and external partners
• High level of attention to detail, with strong organisational and time management capabilities
• Comfortable working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and managing a diverse range of legal matters
• Proactive and ambitious, with a strong desire to learn and take ownership of responsibilities
• Sound judgement, professionalism, discretion, and confidence in handling sensitive matters
• Intuitive and forward-thinking, with the ability to anticipate business needs and act proactively

What Tapestry can offer you:

• Hybrid working (3 days working from the office, 2 days remote)
• Option to finish early on a Friday (Flex Fridays)
• 1 Paid Volunteering Day per year and opportunities to volunteer with global projects
• Learning & Development opportunities
• Internal mobility & career progression
• Regular Social Events - Seasonal & Cultural
• Equity Inclusion & Diversity initiatives which include employee resource groups & regional inclusion council

Other benefits include:

• 25 days holiday in addition to bank holidays
• Annual Incentive Plan (company performance bonus)
• Multi brand discount up to 50% off Coach & Kate Spade New York
• Private Healthcare with health assessment (Bupa)
• Bupa rewards - Financial wellbeing support and wellness discounts
• Free 24/7 support for family building, fertility and menopause with Maven
• Private Dental Cover
• Eyecare vouchers
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employer Pension Contribution
• Gym discount
• Interest free season ticket loan
• Cycle to work scheme

Our Competencies for All Employees

• Courage: Doesn't hold back anything that needs to be said; provides current, direct, complete, and "actionable" positive and corrective feedback to others; lets people know where they stand; faces up to people problems on any person or situation (not including direct reports) quickly and directly; is not afraid to take negative action when necessary.
• Creativity: Comes up with a lot of new and unique ideas; easily makes connections among previously unrelated notions; tends to be seen as original and value-added in brainstorming settings.
• Customer Focus: Is dedicated to meeting the expectations and requirements of internal and external customers; gets first-hand customer information and uses it for improvements in products and services; acts with customers in mind; establishes and maintains effective relationships with customers and gains their trust and respect.
• Dealing with Ambiguity: Can effectively cope with change; can shift gears comfortably; can decide and act without having the total picture; isn't upset when things are up in the air; doesn't have to finish things before moving on; can comfortably handle risk and uncertainty.
• Drive for Results: Can be counted on to exceed goals successfully; is constantly and consistently one of the top performers; very bottom-line oriented; steadfastly pushes self and others for results.
• Interpersonal Savvy: Relates well to all kinds of people, up, down, and sideways, inside and outside the organization; builds appropriate rapport; builds constructive and effective relationships; uses diplomacy and tact; can diffuse even high-tension situations comfortably.
• Learning on the Fly: Learns quickly when facing new problems; a relentless and versatile learner; open to change; analyzes both successes and failures for clues to improvement; experiments and will try anything to find solutions; enjoys the challenge of unfamiliar tasks; quickly grasps the essence and the underlying structure of anything.

Tapestry, Inc. is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer and we pride ourselves on hiring and developing the best people. All employment decisions (including recruitment, hiring, promotion, compensation, transfer, training, discipline and termination) are based on the applicant's or employee's qualifications as they relate to the requirements of the position under consideration. These decisions are made without regard to age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic characteristics, race, color, creed, religion, ethnicity, national origin, alienage, citizenship, disability, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or any other legally-recognized protected basis prohibited by applicable law. Visit Tapestry, Inc. at http://www.tapestry.com/