Legal Counsel sounds like something for millionaires! What does it mean and what does the position entail?
The legal team advises the Urban Sports Group on all legal matters of the business. Whether it’s about running a new campaign, starting a project, implementing a new tool, data protection, contracts or corporate matters. Teams approach us with all kinds of legal questions and they come in all sorts of shapes, sizes and contexts.
Urban Sports Club employees are very diligent and do everything by the book. That’s why we’re often involved with new projects from the beginning so we can give the best possible advice or, if needed, suggest alternative ways forward. However, the occasional firefight is part of the job as well.
It’s okay to take risks. We legals provide the necessary awareness and transparency so that teams can make conscious and informed decisions. We always try to make things as easy as possible for the teams and they appreciate the support.
Can you share a milestone in your work life that meant a lot to you?
In spring 2021 I was given the opportunity to work on Urban Sports Club’s financing rounds. This kind of project is of the utmost importance at the best of times, but even more-so in the midst of a pandemic. Even one tiny mistake can impair the project and have severe financial consequences. Being trusted by my line manager to work on this and other big corporate projects gave me a lot of confidence in both my work and private life.
How does your job influence your personal life? Do you have lots of insurance ;)?
Quite the opposite! Because part of my job is making risk assessments, I’m more confident taking risks in my private life. To be honest, this has led me to the conclusion that some types of insurance are not necessary.
From working in a startup environment I’ve learnt that not everything has to be 100% perfect on the first try and this extends to my personal life now too. Sometimes it’s better to just finish something than to spend so much time making it perfect it never gets finished. And my Urban Sports Club employee membership has of course had a very positive influence on my spare time.
Which Urban Sports Club values means the most to you and why?
This may be a typical legal answer but I’d say it’s Put yourself in the shoes of others. This is essential when negotiating because thinking about the positions, goals and walk-away points of the other party (i.e. investors or internal stakeholders) helps me prepare my negotiation strategy.
Last but not least, Hebrew is your fifth language. How did that happen?
Back in my college days I did a summer school program at Tel Aviv University. I learned some Hebrew on the side for basic communication with the locals – and found out that reading and writing in a different script is easier than you might think 🙂
