Principal Legal Counsel in London

We are looking for a motivated and skilled senior legal advisor to join this dynamic function, reporting to the Head of Legal. This role involves close collaboration with Directors, Partners, senior stakeholders, and managers, across various teams and functions. It requires someone with a commercial, responsive, and pragmatic approach.

The ideal candidate will be an 8-10 years PQE lawyer who delivers high-level technical expertise, leads complex workstreams and drives operational excellence. They will be a self-starter with strong commercial acumen, excellent negotiation skills, and a creative, solutions-focused mindset, capable of taking ownership of complex and multi-faceted legal matters. We value individuals who are curious, collaborative, proactive and capable of working independently, with strong problem-solving abilities and exceptional attention to detail. A high level of professionalism and interpersonal skills is essential.

This role reflects Shoosmiths’ expectations of a senior, autonomous legal professional capable of operating as a trusted adviser to stakeholders across the firm. Principal Legal Counsel are expected to set the standard for legal excellence, leadership, judgement and professionalism.

Qualifications and Attributes

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex legal issues into clear, structured advice, aligned with risk-appetite.
• Advanced legal knowledge applied to complex or sensitive matters with commercially sound strategic recommendations.
• Effective use of technology to drive transparency and collaboration.
• Solid understanding of technology-related matters and demonstrable experience in data protection and privacy laws.
• Ability to deliver legal advice autonomously and act as a recognised subject matter expert.
• Sound judgment and decision-making skills.
• Commitment to delivering high-quality work.
• Adaptability and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Pragmatic, solutions-oriented approach to advising on commercial contracts, navigating evolving digital and regulatory landscapes.

Responsibilities Include

• Leading, managing, drafting, negotiating and overseeing complex agreements, workstreams and documentation.
• Delegating effectively, ensuring delivery standards, consistency and risk mitigation.
• Advising on legal aspects of new and existing products, including third-party technologies.
• Ensuring compliance with applicable laws and industry standards.
• Conducting analysis to inform business decisions.
• Identifying process inefficiencies and implementing improvements to enhance quality and efficiency.
• Ensuring governance excellence: compliance, cyber-security awareness and ethical decision-making.
• Developing, managing, and maintaining standard agreements, templates, policies, procedures and guidance.
• Supervising and quality-assuring work produced by junior lawyers, paralegals and trainees.

A key part of the role will be identifying legal risks and proposing practical mitigation strategies aligned with the firm’s risk policies. Taking full ownership of client service delivery, anticipating issues and proactively developing solutions is key. The ideal candidate will stay abreast of legal developments and provide clear, technically excellent legal advice, including on client terms when required.

This role can be based in any of our regional offices; however, Birmingham would be preferable.

The Team

The individual would be part of the Office of the Legal Counsel, a recently formed function, currently comprising the Head of Legal, a trainee and a number of outsourced providers, and looking to scale. The function plays a critical role in supporting the firm’s strategic direction, advising on legal obligations and leading on contracting, commercial services, and legal risk management. This role strengthens the Office of the Legal Counsel by providing senior capability, technical depth and leadership. It offers a unique opportunity to work in-house within a private practice environment, working closely with senior stakeholders on high-impact initiatives.

As the firm continues to grow, the legal function is increasingly involved in shaping commercial strategy and risk frameworks. This position offers the chance to contribute to meaningful projects, influence decision-making, and develop your career in a collaborative and evolving environment.

People & Culture

The successful candidate will role-model Shoosmiths’ values, champion an inclusive culture, and confidently challenge behaviours that do not align with the firm’s standards. They will demonstrate strong emotional intelligence, supporting the wellbeing of colleagues. As a senior member of the team, they will coach and mentor junior colleagues, overseeing workload management and development planning. They will foster collaboration, team spirit and effective knowledge-sharing across the function, while maintaining a strong commitment to continuous learning and professional excellence.

The Firm

Shoosmiths is the law firm clients choose for excellent service, incisive thinking and above all for our ability to focus on what matters. From offices across the UK and Brussels and strong international ambition, we support some of the world’s most exciting and ambitious businesses; amazing clients making an impact. We empower our people to be their authentic selves and deliver together in supportive teams committed to excellence and innovation. The first top 50 law firm to achieve ‘Platinum Standard’ Investors in People, our values and culture are not just words on our website but are the heartbeat of the firm.

We have an outstanding benefits package to complement our competitive remuneration system. In addition to the competitive salaries, great working environment and high-quality work, we believe that all staff should be rewarded for their commitment to the continued success of the firm through a comprehensive and flexible range of benefits.

Equal opportunities

Our approach to our people is underpinned by our approach to diversity, inclusion and well-being. Our ambition is to build a diverse and ambitious workforce that reflects all backgrounds and talents, and a workplace that is supportive and inclusive, recognises and nurtures talent, and has a strong sense of community between colleagues. This means that everyone who either applies to or works for the firm is treated equally, whatever their gender, age, ethnic origin, nationality, marital status, disability, sexual orientation or religious beliefs.