Legal Counsel in Chester

The Senior Legal Counsel will be a key member of the Legal team, reporting directly to the General Counsel. This is a hands-on, business-facing role with a broad remit across commercial, regulatory, and corporate legal matters. The successful candidate will act as a trusted adviser to stakeholders across the group, providing strategic and pragmatic legal support. While the primary focus will be on commercial contracting, the role will also include exposure to corporate transactions, regulatory issues, and wider strategic initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of commercial contracts, including B2B customer agreements, supplier arrangements, and partnership contracts.
• Provide legal support on regulatory issues affecting e-money, payments, and financial services.
• Support the development and launch of new products, services, and partnerships, ensuring compliance with regulatory frameworks.
• Provide corporate and governance advice, including support for group structuring and M&A activity.
• Advise on dispute resolution, pre-litigation management, and contentious issues.
• Manage and coordinate external counsel on specialist matters.
• Contribute to the development of internal legal templates, playbooks, and processes to drive efficiency and consistency.
• Support board and executive reporting, including legal risk management and policy implementation.
• Act as a senior point of contact for internal stakeholders, providing timely, practical, and business-aligned advice.

Accountabilities

• Delivery of clear, practical legal advice that supports business objectives and manages risk.
• Ensuring that commercial contracts and business arrangements are legally sound and aligned with regulatory requirements.
• Maintenance of strong relationships with key internal stakeholders and external counsel.
• Support the General Counsel in overseeing legal governance and strategic projects across the group.

Qualifications

• Qualified solicitor in England and Wales (or equivalent common law jurisdiction).
• 4–7 years PQE gained in private practice or in-house, ideally in fintech, payments, or financial services.
• Proven experience drafting and negotiating commercial agreements.
• Good understanding of financial services regulation (e-money, payments, or FX advantageous).
• Strong analytical, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to work independently, prioritise effectively, and provide balanced commercial advice.
• High levels of professionalism, integrity, and attention to detail.

Desirable Skills

• Prior in-house experience in a regulated financial services or fintech environment.
• Familiarity with corporate governance, M&A, or data protection matters.
• Experience working in or advising on multi-jurisdictional projects.

Over the last 18 years, we have helped over a million satisfied customers move and manage their money. Our award-winning product portfolio allows our customers to make low-cost multi-currency payments across various payment products. From travel money to transfers, currency hedging, to expense management, we are focused on a single goal of making it easy for our customers to manage and move their money. As a business, we are committed to delivering value to our customers through the combination of advanced payments technology and personal expert service. We are doing this by hiring exceptional people and are now looking for a Senior Legal Counsel to join our team. Within our offices in London, Chester and Los Angeles and Europe, Equals comprises of three business lines and brands - Equals Money, FairFX and CardOneMoney. You will join a very close-knit, talented and supportive team from various backgrounds who believe that bringing different perspectives together helps us understand our customers' needs. United, by one thing, making money management straightforward and cost-effective for our customers.

Benefits

• A competitive salary benchmarked against a peer group.
• 25 days holiday per year + your birthday off.
• Opportunities for progression, development and learning new skills - £250 towards the cost of learning & development.
• Free onsite Nuffield Health gym & pool (London) and discounted gym membership elsewhere.
• GetActive with Aviva – Health and Wellbeing discounts on services and products.
• Interbank currency rates on travel money and international transfers.
• Bupa Private Healthcare.
• Free Eye Test and £50 up to the cost of glasses.
• EAP Service – Mental Health Services.
• Life Assurance Policy – x3 annual salary.
• Contributory pension scheme.
• Cycle to Work Scheme.
• Season Ticket Loans.
• Enhanced Parental Policies.
• Complimentary tea, coffee, soft drinks and fruit.
• We operate a hybrid working arrangement where possible.