Legal Counsel

Company Description

Legal & General (L&G) is a leading UK financial services group and major global investor.

We’ve been safeguarding people’s financial futures since 1836, and strive to build a better society, while improving the lives of our customers and creating value for shareholders.

We are one of the world’s largest asset managers and provide powerful asset origination capabilities. Together, these underpin our retirement and protection solutions: we are an international player in pension risk transfer, in UK and US life insurance, and in UK workplace pensions and retirement income.

Our Group Functions provide the services that all areas of the business need. This requires a talented and diverse team behind the scenes, who enable everyone at L&G to do what they do best.

Joining us means helping to improve the lives of our customers and contributing to the success of the business every day.

Job Description

We’re recruiting a Legal Counsel to support the Institutional Retirement legal team in providing first class legal and governance advice.

The role holder will be part of the Institutional Retirement legal team, which is a close knit team comprising 9 lawyers. The team delivers corporate transactions (pension risk transfer (“PRT”) and reinsurance) ranging from up to £100m to £5bn plus, as well as a wide variety of post transaction and general advisory support. The transactions we write are often novel and complex and Legal & General is at the forefront of this busy and growing market that, in aggregate, wrote c£45-£50bn of transactions in 2024. Transactional experience and interest and enthusiasm for learning new things and delivering deals is essential. Knowledge of the PRT/reinsurance market and regulatory environment in relation to it is useful but not a pre-requisite – all training will be provided.

What you’ll be doing

• Structuring, negotiation, execution and management of transactions from small (sub £100m) to our “mega deals” (£5bn plus), taking responsibility for transaction documents, including term sheets and other early stage documentation and long‑form documentation, with assistance from external counsel where required
• Providing day‑to‑day support to the business in relation to general advisory matters for existing transactions, including support for ad hoc requests on transactions. As noted, knowledge of PRT/reinsurance is useful but not a pre‑requisite
• Providing governance support to Legal & General Group Plc and Group subsidiary companies with respect to transactions, including ensuring legal risks are appropriately reported
• Working collaboratively with the relevant internal stakeholders including company secretarial, finance/accounting, tax, treasury, risk and board support in order to ensure a joined up approach on transactions and so that the strategic and commercial objectives of the Group are achieved
• Managing external counsel, key stakeholders and other third parties and to ensure business costs are kept to a minimum and manage external legal advice to ensure sound and commercially useful advice is provided to the business
• Supporting the on‑going development of L&G standard form documentation, co‑ordinating with external counsel and internal advisory functions for ongoing legal education and training

Qualifications

• Experience in advising on and negotiating, executing and managing a range of transactions is essential, as well as enthusiasm for new and novel transactions
• Ability to provide clear, commercially focused advice to meet business’ objectives
• Able to identify potential problems, escalating where necessary and contribute to identification of solutions
• Experiences in summarising complex issues in simple, easy to understand terms
• Knowledge and understanding of the legal and regulatory requirements for a major financial services group and an understanding of the general business and financial services environment and regulatory business requirements and its impact on the Legal & General Group’s strategy would be helpful, but is not a pre‑requisite. All training will be provided
• Approximately four years of post‑qualification experience, though strong candidates with slightly less experience will also be considered.
• 2.1 or above degree from a UK university (or a similar level of qualification gained from a non‑UK university)

Benefits

• The opportunity to participate in our annual, performance‑related bonus plan and valuable share schemes
• Generous pension contribution
• Life assurance
• Healthcare Plan (permanent employees only)
• At least 25 days holiday, plus public holidays, 26 days after 2 years’ service. There’s also the option to buy and sell holiday
• Competitive family leave
• Participate in our electric car scheme, which offers employees the option to hire a brand‑new electric car through tax efficient salary sacrifice (permanent employees only)
• There are the many discounts we offer – both for our own products and at a range of high street stores and online
• In 2023, some of our workspaces were redesigned. Our offices are great spaces to connect and collaborate and have your wellbeing at the heart

Additional Information

At L&G, we believe it\’s possible to generate positive returns today while helping to build a better future for all.

If you join us, you’ll be part of a welcoming, inclusive culture, with opportunities to collaborate with people of diverse backgrounds, views, and experiences. Guided by leaders with integrity who care about your future and wellbeing. Empowered through initiatives which support people to develop their careers and excel.

We care passionately about outcomes rather than attendance and are therefore open to discussing all kinds of flexible working options including part‑time, term‑time and job shares. Although some roles have limited flexibility due to customer demand, we accommodate requests when we can.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t meet every single criterion in this advert. Instead, think about what you excel at and what else you can bring in terms of strengths, potential and connection to our purpose.