Legal Counsel

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If you’re someone who likes to imagine new possibilities and build better systems rather than plug-in to outdated ones, Quince is the place for you.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 efficien