Legal Counsel
Salary £80,000–£85,000 | Hybrid working (Central London)
We’re supporting a listed, international manufacturing group in the appointment of a Legal Counsel to join its in-house legal function based in Central London.
This is a broad, hands-on in-house role, offering exposure across general commercial legal work, corporate matters, and governance within a complex, regulated, international environment. The role is well suited to a commercially minded lawyer looking to build strong in-house capability, judgement, and governance experience.
You’ll work closely with the Group General Counsel and Company Secretary, as well as senior stakeholders across the business, providing pragmatic legal support and gaining visibility across a wide range of legal and commercial matters.
Key accountabilities
Support the Group General Counsel and Company Secretary on legal matters across the group
Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of commercial contracts
Provide day-to-day legal support across areas including data protection, IP, and employment-related queries
Deliver clear, pragmatic, and commercially focused legal advice to internal stakeholders
Support company secretarial activities, including board and committee processes
Prepare minutes, resolutions, and statutory filings
Assist with governance and regulatory compliance for a UK listed group
Support corporate projects, transactions, and strategic initiatives
Manage external legal advisers where required
Contribute to the ongoing improvement of legal processes, templates, and governance frameworks
Candidate requirements
Qualified solicitor (or equivalent)
Experience gained in private practice and/or an in-house legal environment
Exposure to general commercial legal work
Interest in company secretarial matters and corporate governance
Strong drafting skills with good attention to detail
Confidence engaging with stakeholders at different levels of the organisation
Skills & attributes
Practical and commercially minded approach
Solutions-focused and adaptable
Comfortable working in a fast-paced, evolving environment
Able to manage competing priorities and work autonomously when required
Strong communication skills with a collaborative, approachable working style
Genuine interest in building a long-term in-house legal career
This role offers a strong platform for a Legal Counsel looking to deepen their in-house experience within a supportive, high-quality legal function, with exposure to both commercial and governance matters.
Hybrid working is supported, with 2–3 days per week in the Central London office.
If this sounds aligned with your experience and career goals, we’d welcome your application.
Smartsearch take your privacy seriously and will only use your personal information to administer your application. To effectively process your application, we may share your details with the company for whom we are collecting job applications and Smartsearch or the company may contact you by email, telephone or SMS. A copy of our privacy policy will be emailed to you upon receipt of your application.
If you want the s