Legal Counsel

Minor DKL Food Group, home to iconic brands including The Coffee Club,  Nomad Coffee Group, Black Bag Roasters, Veneziano Coffee Roasters, Blend Co and Flight Coffee, is seeking a Legal Counsel to join its inhouse legal team.

Reporting directly to the Senior Legal Counsel, this role will be part of the inhouse legal team. You will provide accurate and appropriate legal support to Minor DKL Food Group (MDKL), with a focus on leasing and franchising matters. The Legal Counsel ensures compliance, manages legal risk, and delivers commercially sound advice and documentation to support operational and strategic outcomes. You will also support the Senior Legal Counsel in the supervision of paralegals.

We are looking for someone (under supervision) who will:

Leasing & Franchising Transactions

• Lead and support the execution of leasing and franchising transactions, including the negotiation, review, and amendment of lease agreements, franchise agreements, and related documentation.
• Liaise with landlords, agents, franchisees, and internal stakeholders to ensure timely and commercially sound outcomes.
• Provide legal input on lease renewals, variations, make-good obligations, rent reviews, and termination clauses.

Legal Advisory & Compliance

• Advise MDKL and relevant stakeholders on corporate legal processes, including regulatory compliance, commercial transactions, intellectual property, and risk management.
• Interpret and apply the Franchising Code of Conduct, relevant property legislation, and other applicable laws to ensure business compliance and informed decision-making and prepare advice.
• Monitor legal developments in leasing and franchising to proactively manage risk and identify opportunities for improvement.

Legal Documentation & Correspondence

• Draft, review, and prepare a range of legal documents including applications, breach notices, formal correspondence, deeds, and agreements.
• Ensure all documentation is accurate, legally sound, and aligned with business objectives.
• Maintain consistency in legal templates and precedents for leasing and franchising transactions.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal teams, particularly Property and Operations, to influence outcomes and ensure legal compliance in leasing and franchise activities.
• Provide training and guidance to internal stakeholders on legal processes, leasing obligations, and franchise compliance.

Your experience and qualifications to meet the requirements of the role will include:

• Bachelor of Laws (LLB) or equivalent Australian legal qualification.
• Current Queensland Law Society practising certificate.
• Minimum 2 years' post-admission experience as a lawyer, with demonstrated expertise in property law (particularly leasing), commercial law (franchising), and dispute resolution (preferred).
• Corporate and commercial legal background, with the ability to adapt to new areas of practice and apply legal skills to diverse business challenges.
• Experience in retail or commercial leasing, including negotiation, documentation, and dispute resolution, is highly desirable.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey complex legal concepts clearly and persuasively.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills, with the ability to influence and negotiate effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• High attention to detail and strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.

To be considered, please submit your resume and a cover letter (outlining your core capability for the role, demonstrated experience of how you have delivered outcomes and why this role is of interest) both in Word format by selecting the "apply now" function.

Confidential enquiries can be made to Peter Starling, Client Partner on