Shipping Legal Counsel

Shipping Legal Counsel locations: London - Shell Centre

Time type: Full time

Posted on: Posted Today

Job requisition id: R203082, United Kingdom

Job Family Group: Legal Jobs

Worker Type: Regular

Posting Start Date: May 7, 2026

Business Unit: Legal

Experience Level: Experienced Professionals

Job Description: Shell Trading and Supply (T&S) has an integrated global portfolio of crude oil, refined products, natural gas, LNG, electrical power, chemical feedstocks, low carbon fuels and various environmental products. T&S has hubs in London, Houston, Dubai, Rotterdam and Singapore and operates in over 25 countries worldwide. T&S has over 7,000 employees and trades daily on average over 8 million barrels of crude and oil products and 10 billion standard cubic feet of natural gas and 5,000 megawatts of power. T&S is Shell's centre of expertise for Shipping and Maritime matters, with 1,000 vessels associated with Shell on the water on any given day, and (via the Distribution Operations business) manages the physical movement of product on land. On the Oil Products side alone, T&S handles more than 6 million barrels of oil per day of movements to counterparties directly or via our Mobility businesses. On the Crude Oil side, T&S manages the global movement of over 7 million barrels per day. The organisation also manages 6.5 million barrels per day oil equivalent Gas, Power, and LNG movements.

This position sits within the Crude and Products team, supporting the T&S organisation and reporting to the Managing Counsel Shipping, Distribution Operations & Products Trading Europe.

You will provide professional, timely, cost-effective and commercial legal advice and support to T&S’ Shipping and Maritime and freight trading businesses. The individual may also advise the Distribution Operations and Products Trading businesses and the allocation of work among these various business lines will occur at the direction of the line manager.

Specifically, this individual will provide legal advice and participate in commercial negotiations in relation to the Shipping & Maritime business and freight trading desks, including:

• Advising on a range of both contentious and non-contentious matters in the shipping and chartering sphere;
• Providing project support (e.g. fleet renewals, decarbonisation, shipping technology); and
• Support in handling the challenges arising as the businesses continue to adapt to changing industry and regulatory environments.

What we need from you

• Provide specialist legal advice to the Shipping and Maritime and Freight Trading businesses
• Draft, review, and negotiate contracts, agreements, and transactions and provide legal advice to senior management on complex shipping and maritime and freight trading transactions
• Collaborate with business and functional teams to assess and manage legal risks associated with trading operations to enable business objectives
• In line with pooling efficiencies within Legal, collaborate proactively with Legal colleagues and support activity across multiple commodities including providing legal advice to the Distribution Operations and/or Products Trading businesses
• Operate in a fast‐paced, highly visible trading environment shaped by industry change and evolving regulation

What you’ll bring

• Advanced experience in support of shipping and maritime commercial activity
• Advanced understanding of the main legal areas relevant to shipping and maritime law including working knowledge of charterparties, bills of lading, cargo claims, demurrage, vessel management agreements and issues arising in the context of oil spill response. Recent dispute resolution experience in these areas is desirable
• Some exposure to international civil and/or common law contracts and knowledge of physical commodity trading business
• Experience identifying critical legal risks and dealing with complex contracts with a demonstrated ability to think creatively in developing compliant and unique legal and commercial solutions to support the business
• Ability to prioritise effectively and work under pressure, including challenging where Legal will not be value adding, work independently, and escalate appropriately
• Resilience and the ability to balance speed with accuracy, comfortable working with high levels of autonomy at an operational level, with third parties and also internally, providing strategic advice to management and senior stakeholders up to VP and EVP level
• Strong verbal and written communication skills and excellent drafting and negotiating skills
• Demonstrable track record as a team player with the ability to develop and sustain relationships with business and functional colleagues at all levels
• Self-motivated, self-directed, able to prioritise workload and to work both relatively independently and as a member of a team, while at the same time knowing when to seek advice from his or her line manager or more senior colleagues
• Qualified to practice as a solicitor or a barrister in a common law jurisdiction
• Fluent written and spoken English
• Legal excellence through strong analytical and problem-solving capability, high quality drafting skills balanced with appropriate risk tolerance and commercial awareness
• Understands commercial drivers and frames advice that enables business outcomes while protecting Shell’s licence to operate
• Maximising performance by prioritising high value, high risk work, and using digital tools to improve efficiency and reduce low value activity
• Digital fluency and AI-readiness are critical, must demonstrate confidence in adopting technologies, and using AI tools to enhance quality, speed and consistency of legal support
• Future ready and change positive, by embracing innovation, boldly and proactively, and leaning into new ways of working as Legal transforms. Promotes a continuous improvement mindset and challenges self and others to identify and implement opportunities for improvement
• One Team mindset, operating collaboratively across boundaries, functions, and geographies, sharing knowledge, and contributing proactively to Legal’s collective performance
• Values led, acting with honesty, integrity and respect for people. A clear commitment to the highest standards of ethical and compliant behaviour as well as inclusive leadership, modelling behaviours that support a commitment to E&C and DE&I. Role modelling behaviours aligned with Shell’s refreshed Shell Performance Framework, Code of Conduct and reinforcing a constructive speak up culture. Willing to share and learn from mistakes
• Learner mindset, including demonstrating curiosity, continuous improvement, and capability of independently building up knowledge in new and developing areas of law; sharing learnings with wider community

What we offer

• You bring your skills and experience to Shell and in return you work with talented, committed people on one of the most important challenges facing our planet. You’ll have the opportunity to develop the skills you need to grow in an environment where we value honesty, integrity, and respect for one another.
• You’ll be able to balance your priorities as you become the best version of yourself.
• Progress as a person as we work on the energy transition together.
• Continuously grow the transferable skills you need to get ahead.
• Work at the forefront of technology, trends, and practices.
• Collaborate with experienced colleagues with unique expertise.
• Achieve your balance in a value-led culture that encourages you to be the best version of yourself.
• Benefit from a range of flexible working options.
• Perform at your best with a competitive starting salary and annual performance related salary increase – our pay and benefits packages are considered to be among the best in the world.
• Take advantage of paid parental leave, including for non-birthing parents.