Legal Counsel in Edinburgh

A leading global professional institution is seeking a high‑calibre Legal Counsel to join its in‑house tea. You will support the Head of Legal and General Counsel on a broad range of commercial matters, working at the heart of an organisation with international reach.

The business is located in central London, with 3 days per week in office and 2 day working from home.

Key responsibilities

• Provide pragmatic, solutions‑focused legal advice on commercial, corporate governance and litigation issues, identifying and mitigating legal and associated risks.
• Lead on drafting, negotiating and reviewing a wide range of commercial contracts, including IT, software, outsourcing and systems integration agreements, working closely with Procurement and Digital/Technology teams.
• Support management of the organisation’s international intellectual property and brand portfolio, ensuring consistency and quality of legal documentation.
• Advise on risk management and compliance, helping to maintain risk registers, update policies and procedures and monitor legislative developments across relevant jurisdictions.
• Provide corporate governance and regulatory support, including legal entity management and advising on data protection, privacy and GDPR (and equivalent regimes globally).
• Act as a key liaison between the Legal function and business stakeholders, and instruct and manage external counsel in the UK and internationally with close attention to cost and service delivery.
• Contribute to strategic projects, major transactions and litigation, bringing legal insight to business‑critical initiatives.

Skills and experience

• Qualified solicitor with solid post‑qualification experience; prior in‑house experience is preferred.
• Strong commercial background, broad contracting experience ideally with some exposure to IP, procurement and IT contracts; experience of litigation is desirable.