Sotheby's Associate General Counsel

About Sotheby's

Sotheby’s is an auction house founded in London in 1744. Its specialists work across fine art and collecting categories including jewelry, watches, handbags, wine, design, and classic cars. The house connects collectors through live and online auctions, private sales, and fixed-price purchases. Its work spans specialist research and cataloging, client services, marketing, technology, finance, and operations, supporting the preparation, sale, and movement of objects across its international network.

Role & Responsibilities

• Support Sotheby's business in France, Belgium and Monaco on general commercial matters, including drafting and negotiating auction, private sale and other commercial contracts.
• Provide legal support to marketing, procurement and operations teams, including drafting and negotiating marketing, vendor, procurement and operations agreements.
• Advise on commercial matters relating to Sotheby's business, including corporate matters, licensing requirements, digital activities and new initiatives across France, Belgium and Monaco.
• Advise all company levels on deal structure and legal and reputational risk.
• Advise on local claims and disputes, including restitution matters, and support the global Litigation team as required.
• Update template contracts, conditions of business and client-facing documentation as required.
• Assist the business in France, Belgium and Monaco with non-standard legal and related commercial matters as they arise.
• Draft and maintain compliance policies and procedures with the global Compliance Department, and address day-to-day compliance enquiries in France, Belgium and Monaco.
• Deliver relevant training and coaching to appropriate employee groups in France, Belgium and Monaco.
• Develop internal processes continuously, focusing on efficiency and scalability; create playbooks and proactively identify opportunities for improvement.
• Ensure company policies and procedures are followed and related documents comply with company policies and applicable laws and regulations.
• Supervise external law firms and manage the external legal budget.
• Keep abreast of business developments, initiatives and relevant areas of law affecting the business.

Qualifications

• Qualified lawyer in France.
• Art industry experience preferred but not required; in-house experience is a plus.
• Confident working across multiple time zones and jurisdictions, independently and with support from external counsel.
• Commercially pragmatic, able to assess legal risks from a business perspective and take personal responsibility for judgment calls when instructions are incomplete or ambiguous.
• Preferably proficient in one or more European languages in addition to English and French.
• Strong work ethic and ability to multitask, prioritize and manage multiple projects and demanding deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong attention to detail and high-quality work product.
• Exceptional drafting, communication, analytical and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent business judgment and ability to assess legal risk, think strategically and provide practical advice.
• Practical approach to legal drafting and problem-solving, with the ability to explain legal issues in clear, plain English and/or plain French to non-lawyers.
• Collaborative team player willing to take on additional responsibilities, while also able to work independently.
• Curiosity about new areas of law and business opportunities, and willingness to learn.
• Ability to work effectively with individuals at all organizational levels.
• Highest degree of integrity, ethical judgment and professionalism.

Skills

Experience

Approximately 8–10 years of post-qualification experience.

Culture

Sotheby’s describes its culture in terms of client service, specialist knowledge, curiosity, collaboration, and ethical conduct. Its careers materials emphasize working across disciplines and encouraging employees to explore internal opportunities.

About Cerulean

Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.