Legal Counsel - Commercial Lawyer - Senior Manager - Permanent - London

Location: London

Date: Mar 5, 2025

Requisition ID: 1586921

EY is a global network of professional services firms engaged in consulting, transaction, assurance and tax services with member firms in over 170 countries worldwide. The UK firm of Ernst & Young LLP has over 9700 partners and 2018,000 employees.

The opportunity

We have a vacancy for a Senior Legal Counsel – Commercial Contract Lawyer within our high performing and ambitious in-house legal team. We respond to business transformation and innovation, enjoying a varied and challenging workload, and support the new EY All in Nextwave Strategy by showing curiosity, intelligence and energy to deliver prompt, pragmatic, adaptable and commercial legal advice to all levels within our business.

Your key responsibilities

• The work within the UK Legal team is highly varied and covers all legal issues arising from the running of a professional services business. Much of the legal work is at the cutting edge of business practice as the firm constantly finds innovative ways to help our clients’ businesses.
• This in-house role includes:

• Advising on, drafting and negotiating contracts, such as Master Services Agreements and Global Framework Agreements with our clients as well as other complex contractual arrangements pursuant to which we provide an ever more diverse range of services;
• Subcontracts, where EY is subcontractor;
• Collaboration agreements;
• Managed services and outsourcing agreements;
• Software and Licensing agreements;
• Government and public sector agreements;
• Advising on tenders and RFP responses;
• Supporting other Legal Team members with large complex commercial contracts;
• Advising on, drafting and negotiating contracts with suppliers;
• Providing legal advice to the firm’s service lines and its other internal support functions such as real estate and facilities, procurement, finance, HR, IT, knowledge and marketing, and the opportunity to be the legal lead on firm-wide projects.

Skills and attributes for success

• Strong team player with excellent negotiation and communication skills.
• Demonstrable commitment to the attributes of our highest performing teams – focus on results, accepting of accountability, committed, embraces healthy conflict, builds trust.
• Keeps calm and copes well with conflicting and ever-changing deadlines.
• Ability to lead, provide a view, take responsibility and ownership of issues, including an ability to take difficult decisions and provide substantiated arguments.
• Commercial awareness of the business issues facing us as we evolve, coupled with an active desire to get alongside our business, scanning the horizon for new service offerings to provide legal insight and support.

To qualify for the role you must have

• Approximately 8 or more years of post-qualification experience.
• Significant experience gained either in a reputable City law firm (or equivalent) and/or in-house.
• Ability to provide practical legal advice and support with a high degree of professionalism in a fast-paced environment and to establish a high degree of credibility, respect and trust at all levels.

Ideally, you’ll also have

• Proven ability to establish a high degree of credibility, respect and trust at all levels, including with senior members of the firm, some of whom have a considerable understanding of the law.

What we look for

• A self-starter, adept at responding promptly/juggling deadlines who actively looks to build relationships based on trust and confidence.

What working at EY offers

• We offer a competitive remuneration package where you’ll be rewarded for your individual and team performance. Our comprehensive Total Rewards package includes support for flexible working and career development, and with FlexEY you can select benefits that suit your needs, covering holidays, health and well-being, insurance, savings and a wide range of discounts, offers and promotions.
• Support, coaching and feedback from some of the most engaging colleagues around;
• Opportunities to develop new skills and progress your career;
• The freedom and flexibility to handle your role in a way that’s right for you.

EY is committed to being an inclusive employer and we are happy to consider flexible working arrangements. We strive to achieve the right balance for our people, enabling us to deliver excellent client service whilst allowing you to build your career without sacrificing your personal priorities.

If you can confidently demonstrate that you meet the criteria above, please contact us as soon as possible. Join us in building a better working world.