Associate General Counsel in Guildford

The Associate General Counsel will support Essential Pharma’s global legal operations, acting as a key legal advisor to internal stakeholders across departments. This role bridges strategic legal oversight and hands-on legal execution, contributing to the company’s growth, compliance and risk management initiatives.

What You Will Do

• Provide legal advice across a broad range of areas including commercial, corporate, competition law, M&A, intellectual property, regulatory, data protection, debt and equity financing, and litigation/disputes.
• Draft, review, negotiate and advise on complex commercial agreements (e.g. distribution, licensing, supply/manufacturing and service agreements).
• Support M&A and business development activities, including due diligence and contract negotiation and execution (e.g. APA, SPA, in-licensing/milestone, TSAs and ancillary agreements) and subsequent integration activities.
• Support management and protection of the company’s intellectual property portfolio, including management of trademark attorney relationship.
• Manage external counsel relationships, including selection, engagement and cost control.
• Contribute to legal risk assessments and mitigation strategies across business functions.
• Support Company Secretarial activities and intra-group agreements, including entity opening and closure and management of domiciliation agent relationships.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (e.g. Commercial, Supply Chain, Finance) to ensure legal alignment with business objectives.
• Work closely with Rare Disease division on development of phase II asset and ultimately commercial launch of the product once approved; advise on legalities relating to the trial and related counterparty agreements and engagement (e.g. CRO, CDMO, trial sites), as the trial progresses across US, EU, UK and beyond; advise on brand development and protection.
• Support new country expansion activities, including entity formation, governance, employment law support, engagement of third-party service providers and ultimately supporting commercial launch of products.
• Monitor and advise on changes in legal and regulatory frameworks impacting the pharmaceutical industry.
• Prepare and maintain legal templates and policies.
• Participate in complex commercial strategies, including dispute resolution and litigation strategy development.

What We Do

Essential Pharma is a global pharmaceutical company working to make a difference for patients in niche populations. Everything at Essential Pharma is driven by the fact that every patient matters. We are focussed on developing and delivering medicines for patients in small, underserved or rare disease populations. Our team of 70+ people has an entrepreneurial spirit, challenging convention and working creatively to deliver results. Our headquarters are in Surrey, UK, and we have offices in Malta, France, Spain and Switzerland. We are an international business, with a growing product portfolio that reaches patients in approximately 70 countries. We cover multiple therapy areas with a particular focus on rare disease, CNS, ophthalmology and gastroenterology. Our first development-stage asset is an anti-GD2 antibody for the treatment of high-risk neuroblastoma. We have a proven track record of acquiring, investing in and commercialising treatments.

What You Will Bring

• Qualified lawyer (UK, US or EU) with substantial post-qualification experience.
• Experience in the pharmaceutical, biotechnology and/or healthcare sectors.
• Familiarity with U.S. regulatory frameworks, including those governing clinical research and other FDA-related compliance.
• M&A or other related transactional experience and familiarity with core M&A agreements.
• Experience working with / advising on U.S. commercial and/or intellectual property matters.
• Proven ability to navigate legal complexities around licensing, data rights, and collaboration agreements in pharmaceutical R&D environments.
• Exposure to cross-border legal matters and international transactions.
• Prior in-house legal experience or secondment to corporate clients.

Core Competencies

• Strong Agile thinker who can adapt to situations of high-speed change.
• Problem solver who can work through complex issues.
• Growth mindset and willingness to learn.
• Integrity and high ethical standards.
• Work effectively as part of team, with strong collaboration and coordination.
• Willingness to achieve goals together and respect the view of others.
• Results orientated and accountable for actions.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary.
• £150 towards your home office.
• Healthcare Pension – you contribute 5% and we offer 5%.
• Life Insurance – lump sum (tax free) death benefit of 4 x basic salary.
• Enhanced family leave.
• Enhanced sick pay.
• 25 days annual leave.
• Discretionary annual performance bonus.

What To Expect

At Essential Pharma, every colleague matters: we want every member of the team to thrive and grow during their time with us. Right from the interview stage, we encourage candidates to ask us questions, voice opinions and be curious. This is a dynamic, fast-paced working environment. We expect individuals to be responsible and accountable, while understanding the importance of collaborating with colleagues to fuel success. We pride ourselves on our inclusive culture, based on the belief that everyone brings unique strengths and perspectives. We have an unwavering dedication to employee growth and development.