Head of Legal
Location: Horsham, West Sussex – Benchmark Head Office, Broadlands Business Campus. You will also need to be present at other Benchmark offices, including the main Schroders headquarters in London.
As Head of Legal and a core member of the Benchmark extended leadership team, you will lead all legal affairs across the group, serving as principal legal counsel and strategic advisor to the senior leadership. You will ensure legal and regulatory compliance, proactively manage risk, and provide commercially astute advice to facilitate the firm’s continued success and growth as a leading financial planning business. You will also be responsible for managing a small team and network of legal partners both internally across the Schroders Group and externally. You will be part of the broader Risk and Compliance function, who manage all of our regulatory, legislative and risk matters.
Responsibilities
* Legal Leadership and advice: Oversee all legal matters pertaining to Benchmark, providing senior‑level advice to the business on a diverse range of issues including corporate, commercial, regulatory, and employment law.
* Legal and Regulatory Compliance: Ensure that the company complies with relevant laws and regulations in its operations and business activities, including those within FCA, TPR and HMRC defined regulation and legislation.
* Corporate Governance: Advising on matters related to corporate governance and ensuring compliance with applicable laws and regulations. Provide robust oversight and governance across all legal activity.
* Risk Management: Identify, assess, and proactively mitigate current and emerging legal and regulatory risks, escalating as appropriate, and implementing strategies to mitigate those risks.
* Contract negotiation and oversight: Oversee the drafting, review, and negotiation of contracts and agreements entered into by the company.
* M&A legal oversight: Lead drafting, negotiating, and managing purchase agreements with partners as part of our M&A programme. Lead legal due diligence across our M&A programme.
* External Counsel Management: Act as the executive conduit for engaging, instructing, and managing third‑party legal service providers, ensuring external counsel is leveraged efficiently and cost‑effectively to support business needs while maintaining high standards of quality and compliance. This includes the broader Schroders legal team.
* Dispute Resolution and litigation: Oversee the management and resolution of disputes and contentious matters, including employment related matters, contracts, policies and disputes.
* Intellectual Property: Managing and protecting the company’s intellectual property, such as trademarks, brands and proprietary solutions.
* Strategic Business Advising: Advise the business on legal risks and opportunities in product development, innovation, and growth initiatives, providing legal counsel to the company’s executives and management on various legal issues affecting the business.
* Industry practice: Stay connected with industry practice, and latest legislative developments, building a network of peers and external parties who can help develop approaches. Ensure relevant professional competence is maintained.
* Team Leadership: Lead, coach, and develop the junior legal counsel/paralegal, fostering a high‑performing and compliant in‑house legal function, and work across an experienced risk, compliance and oversight function, and a broader network of external advisers.
* Culture and Ethics Champion: Promote strong legal awareness, ethics, and compliance across all levels of the organisation.
Qualifications
* Qualified solicitor in England and Wales (8+ years PQE), with substantial post‑qualification experience in financial services, ideally in wealth/asset management or private banking.
* Significant experience operating as a Head of Legal, General Counsel, or senior legal adviser within a regulated financial services environment.
* In‑depth knowledge of FCA rules, wealth management products, and relevant legislation.
* Proven ability to provide pragmatic, solution‑oriented legal advice to senior executives and boards.
* Strong negotiation and influencing skills; confident in managing internal and external stakeholders.
* Experience managing, mentoring, and developing others (ideally with line management of legal or paralegal professionals).
* Skilled in regulatory liaison, contract negotiation, M&A, and complex advisory matters.
* Exceptional written and verbal communication; high integrity and commercial acumen.
The base
You’ll be based at the Benchmark Head Office, within our Broadlands Business Campus near Horsham in West Sussex but will need to be present across our other offices, including the main Schroders headquarters in London. The campus offers cutting‑edge software and hardware, spacious facilities, an on‑site restaurant, coffee shop and gym, and a dedicated shuttle bus to and from Horsham’s main line train station.
Inclusiveness
We know that diverse perspectives and an inclusive culture where all can succeed lead to better decisions and stronger outcomes for the company, its clients and its employees. That’s why inclusion and diversity are strategic priorities for us. We’re proud to be an equal‑opportunities employer. You’re welcome at Benchmark regardless of your age, disability, gender identity or expression, religious beliefs, sexual orientation or socio‑economic background. We’re building a workplace where everyone feels respected, valued, and empowered to thrive.
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