General Counsel – Commercial & Real Estate

The client

Our client is in the real estate sector and is seeking a General Counsel to lead a range of complex in-house legal matters. The role involves working closely with executives to support growth, business strategies, and legal risk management within the group, all while maintaining a pragmatic and commercial approach to support business objectives.

The Role

As the General Counsel, you will serve as the key and sole legal contact, acting as a trusted advisor to the SMT, executives, and other business units on a broad spectrum of legal and strategic issues, including land acquisition and sale.

This role requires confident leadership, impactful decision-making, and the ability to influence through pragmatic, commercial advice. You will be involved in both strategic and day-to-day legal matters, playing a pivotal role in the group’s legal and commercial operations.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Managing, negotiating, and structuring real estate transactions such as land acquisitions and sales.
• Mitigating legal risks through strategic advice, audits, and recommended steps.
• Leading on broader legal issues including commercial contracts, corporate governance, data protection, employment, and compliance initiatives.
• Ensuring all legal policies are current and fit for purpose.
• Managing legal budgets and collaborating with external counsel on critical legal matters, advising on what should be handled in-house versus outsourced.
• Building relationships and collaborating with business partners across the group.
• Supporting litigation matters and working with external counsel.
• Serving as a trusted advisor on key initiatives and projects.
• Performing company secretarial duties.

About you

To succeed in this role, you will likely have:

• Senior counsel experience, with leadership roles such as Head of Legal, General Counsel, or Legal Director.
• A minimum of 9/10 years PQE as a solicitor, with expertise in real estate and extensive in-house legal leadership experience.
• Experience in corporate governance, company secretarial work, compliance, and data protection.
• The ability to work well under pressure and tight deadlines, partnering closely with senior business leaders in a fast-paced environment.
• Confidence in your approach, with strong relationship-building and collaborative skills.
• Commercially driven advice, pragmatic risk mitigation, and tactful negotiation skills.
• Solutions-oriented mindset with the ability to handle complex legal challenges.

This is an excellent opportunity for a senior lawyer with real estate, commercial, and corporate expertise to provide leadership-level legal advice. Apply now to learn more!

Start date: ASAP, with flexibility for up to 1 month notice; a 3-month notice period is not suitable.

Duration of contract: Initial 6 months.

Location: UK offices with occasional travel; flexible homeworking arrangements available, with willingness to be present when needed.

Salary: Highly competitive in the market.

Please note that PQE and salary levels are guides; applications from all qualified candidates will be considered.

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