Legal Counsel in Bristol

We are looking for a lawyer to join the Legal and Compliance team on a fixed term basis for a period of twelve months with a view to the role becoming permanent. You will be a key member of the team and work closely with our Senior Legal Counsel to provide transactional support, with a particular focus on our invoice finance and asset finance products. There will also be an opportunity to work on matters relating to the overall Group’s function, where we cover commercial contracts, GDPR, employment, property, banking and finance and corporate secretarial. This is an excellent opportunity for you to gain meaningful in‑house experience within a fast‑paced specialist asset‑based lender.

Key responsibilities

• Assisting with the review of share purchase agreements and asset purchase agreements relating to MBO/MBI and share purchases that we are funding.
• Supporting the onboarding of new clients, including wider transaction management.
• Advising on any amendments to standard security documents to reflect client and credit requirements, including negotiating deeds of priority and other ancillary documents with third parties.
• Providing advice to key stakeholders regarding transactions and security structures.
• Assisting with putting property legal charges in place.
• Reviewing and advising on the legal implications of general commercial relationships and contracts across the business (i.e. contracts for services, NDAs etc).
• Assisting with queries relating to recoveries litigation, administrations and liquidations.
• Liaising with external professional advisers (including legal and insolvency practitioners).

What are we looking for?

We are open to all levels of experience but anticipate that this role would be best suited to someone who has just qualified or is in the early stages of their in‑house or private practice career. Whatever stage you are at, you will need a solid understanding of banking and finance law, with ideally some knowledge of asset‑based lending – particularly invoice finance and asset finance in the unregulated space.

But ultimately, who you are and what drives you, is key. We are looking for people who really want to get involved with the business – curiosity about what we do and how we do it is vital, as the team and this role have wide exposure to the business. Whilst we have processes in place to help anyone who joins us, you will need to be comfortable with being proactive and using your initiative to solve issues and challenges as and when they arise.

Personal attributes

• Attention to detail – this is a role that focuses on legal process to ensure that legal risk is managed properly across the business and the transactions we enter into. A keen eye for detail is essential.
• Ownership – as you get to know the business, you will appreciate that we all look out for each other and therefore if something doesn’t look right or, if you think something has been missed, it is important that you are happy to speak up and help work with others to solve the problem.
• Resilience – is vital, as is the ability to stay calm under pressure whilst maintaining focus and prioritising work requests. As this role is key to ensuring transactions are paid out to clients, you will need to be comfortable being reactive to others needs as well as proactive in anticipating them, so we deliver an efficient service from start to finish.
• Communication – plays a key part in achieving good outcomes for our business and its client, so you will need to be an excellent communicator. Knowing when to refer to others and having the skills to bring stakeholders together is really important, together with being able to present complex information clearly and concisely.

Location and how we work

Bristol or Edinburgh. We work on a hybrid basis with a minimum of two days per week in the office on a Tuesday and Wednesday.