Are you a qualified Legal Counsel with M&A experience?
The successful candidate will work closely with both the Group and divisional legal teams and key functions and management across the business to help create value and generate growth through delivering the acquisitions pipeline. While managing this, the successful candidate will ensure that the Group’s businesses are compliant and that risks are effectively managed. They will form part of the Group legal and company secretarial team, and a wider global legal function of around 50 professionals, including colleagues based in the US, France, Germany, Italy, India, the UK and Australia.
Major Responsibilities/Accountabilities
• Support for international M&A activity, from smaller bolt-on acquisitions to new country entries and major transactions. This is expected to be the core of the role, working with the Legal Director, M&A, the General Counsel - Corporate and the central M&A team and in-country/region management, as well as external counsel and advisers as necessary, acting as supporting legal adviser.
• Providing general legal support and advice across a range of areas including commercial, IP, IT, procurement, litigation, governance and compliance with assistance from external experts in the relevant field where necessary.
Technical /Professional Skills & Competencies
• Legal expertise: strong analytical skills, experience of dealing with complex legal issues, delivery of straightforward, pragmatic, action-oriented advice..
• Influencing skills: a strong ability to affect the behaviour of multiple stakeholders so that a good legal and fiscal position is maintained for the company.
• Ability to think strategically and creatively, to identify and resolve legal issues, comfortable working with less-than-perfect information and recommending courses of action despite uncertainty.
• Interest in understanding the business in depth, and operating within a dynamic, international context.
• Willingness to work in areas of law that are new to the candidate with appropriate support.
• Able to work well as a team member and build rapport and trust with both internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced, flexible environment.
• Must possess a high level of integrity and professionalism.
• Possess highly-developed organisational skills and be articulate, detail-oriented and hard-working.
Certifications / Education
The candidate will be a lawyer qualified in England & Wales (solicitor or barrister, with 1- 3 years PQE).
Professional Experience
- Must have considerable M&A experience
• Trained at a reputable firm or in a major corporation’s corporate / M&A legal department.
• Deep knowledge, understanding and experience of advising on and managing legal support for M&A transactions. International experience is preferred.
• Experience of other legal areas (e.g. dealing with contracts, IP, litigation, competition, technology) would be advantageous, this is not essential as M&A is at the core of the role.
• In-house experience would be an advantage but is not a requirement.
