General Counsel in Bristol

About this opportunity

We are seeking an experienced senior legal leader to serve as General Counsel or Legal Counsel at a forward‑thinking professional services firm.

In this role you will develop and lead the firm’s legal function, shaping commercial agreements, regulatory risk, dispute resolution, and quality standards across the organization.

Responsibilities

• Lead the firm’s legal strategy and serve as the principal legal advisor to the Executive and Partners.
• Lead all compliance matters with ICAEW and act as the primary point of contact with our regulator.
• Oversee PI matters, including strategic management, resolution of PI cases, and liaison with PI insurers and external advisers.
• Provide strategic oversight of procurement, reviewing, drafting, negotiating, and approving high‑value and complex supplier contracts.
• Act as a senior legal partner on commercial agreements, influencing key negotiations and supporting firmwide initiatives.
• Lead anti‑money laundering oversight, training and regulatory responses, working closely with the MLRO and digital ID providers.
• Own firmwide risk management from a legal perspective, including Business Continuity Planning, GDPR compliance, data breach response, and Health & Safety obligations.
• Direct compliance reviews and annual regulatory assessments (AML, DPB, Client Money) to ensure robust governance, insight, and actionable recommendations.
• Lead policy development, governance frameworks, and continuous improvement initiatives across the legal and compliance landscape.

Qualifications

• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence at Partner and Board level.
• Outstanding drafting skills and meticulous attention to detail for complex contractual arrangements and strategic legal risk.
• Extensive experience in Professional Indemnity claims and dispute resolution, managing high‑risk and high‑value matters.
• Significant experience advising on complex commercial contracts with deep technical expertise and negotiation leadership.
• Strong commercial acumen, balancing legal risk with business opportunity and providing pragmatic, business‑aligned solutions.
• Substantial post‑qualification experience, ideally gained within an in‑house leadership role; senior private practice candidates considered.
• Experience operating within a regulated environment with a solid understanding of governance and compliance obligations.
• Proven experience leading legal, risk or compliance functions (highly advantageous but not essential).
• Ability to perform effectively under pressure, responding to complex and emerging issues with clarity and confidence.
• Comfortable using Microsoft Office products.

Benefits

• 30 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Extra time off at Christmas – we close between Christmas and New Year.
• Hybrid and flexible working
• A contributory pension scheme
• Life assurance
• Critical illness cover
• Simply Health cashback plan with 24/7 online GP service and counselling services
• Perkbox discounts and rewards platform with over 4,000 perks
• Social events with active committees that plan internal and external events
• Numerous opportunities for development
• Additional Information

Please contact Sam Ford, Talent Acquisition Manager, if you would like to discuss this opportunity further.

We are committed to welcoming new people into an inclusive working environment, where everyone has equal opportunity to reach their full potential.

We support a culture where people are valued and treated with respect, and differences are celebrated.

As part of our recruitment process and commitment to maintaining a safe and compliant working environment, we conduct background checks on all successful applicants, including verification of references, confirmation of right to work in the UK, and standard or enhanced DBS checks where applicable.

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