Legal Counsel Job Description
Hire an experienced in-house lawyer to provide practical commercial advice, manage legal risk and support corporate governance across the business.
What does a Legal Counsel professional do?
A qualified lawyer responsible for delivering commercial legal support, managing external counsel and ensuring regulatory and contractual compliance.
Legal Counsel job description template
Use this employer-ready example as a starting point, then replace the placeholders and adjust the content so it accurately reflects your vacancy.
Legal Counsel
About the role
[Company] is seeking a Legal Counsel to join the legal team in [Location]. You will provide pragmatic legal advice across commercial contracts, corporate governance, regulatory matters and intellectual property, draft and negotiate agreements, manage external counsel and support business transactions. This role reports to [Head of Legal / General Counsel] and will work closely with commercial teams and senior stakeholders.
Key responsibilities
- Provide clear, commercially-focused legal advice to senior management and business teams on contracts, regulatory obligations and corporate governance.
- Draft, review and negotiate commercial agreements, supplier contracts, service-level agreements and NDAs.
- Identify, assess and manage legal risks, including escalation to senior management and recommendations for mitigation.
- Manage relationships with external counsel, oversee litigation and coordinate legal spend and strategy.
- Support corporate matters such as board papers, shareholder queries, and governance processes.
- Advise on data protection, intellectual property and sector-specific regulatory compliance as required.
- Support mergers, acquisitions, restructurings or significant commercial transactions, including due diligence and documentation.
- Draft or update internal policies and deliver legal training or briefings to business teams.
Essential skills and experience
- Qualified solicitor or equivalent UK-recognised legal qualification (admitted to the roll or demonstrable equivalent).
- At least 3 years' relevant post-qualification or in-house legal experience advising on commercial and corporate matters.
- Strong contract drafting and negotiation skills with a commercial mindset.
- Good understanding of UK regulatory frameworks relevant to the employer's sector.
- Proven ability to manage external counsel and to prioritise multiple matters under deadlines.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to translate legal risk into practical business guidance.
Desirable
- Experience working in-house or in a law firm with exposure to M&A, litigation or regulatory investigations.
- Knowledge of intellectual property, data protection or employment law in a commercial context.
- Experience of supporting board and governance processes or acting as Company Secretary.
- Familiarity with legal project management tools or matter-management systems.
- Previous experience in the same sector (eg fintech, healthcare, manufacturing) where relevant.
What we offer
- Pension contribution (employer-specified)
- Flexible / hybrid working options
- Annual leave allowance (insert days) plus public holidays
- Private medical insurance (if applicable)
- Professional subscriptions and CPD budget
- Performance-related bonus (if applicable)
How to apply
Apply with your CV and any additional information requested. Make the interview process, closing date and any assessment stages clear where known.
Use this as a starting point rather than a final advert. The strongest version will reflect the real role, salary, location, systems, responsibilities, benefits and working arrangements.
What is a Legal Counsel role?
Legal Counsel are in-house lawyers who provide commercial legal advice to support business objectives while managing legal risk. They draft, negotiate and interpret contracts, advise on compliance and corporate governance, oversee relationships with external firms and support transactional work such as acquisitions or restructurings. The role combines legal technical skill with commercial judgement and stakeholder management.
Core focus
Commercial contracts, regulatory compliance, corporate governance and dispute management.
Reporting lines
Typically reports to the General Counsel or Head of Legal and works closely with senior commercial stakeholders.
Typical employers
Medium to large private companies, PLCs, start-ups scaling commercial operations and regulated businesses.
Career progression
Progression to Senior Counsel, Head of Legal, General Counsel or specialist in-house legal roles.
Typical Legal Counsel responsibilities
Responsibilities should reflect the real scope of the vacancy rather than every task someone in this profession might ever complete.
Provide clear
Provide clear, commercially-focused legal advice to senior management and business teams on contracts, regulatory obligations and corporate governance.
Draft
Draft, review and negotiate commercial agreements, supplier contracts, service-level agreements and NDAs.
Identify
Identify, assess and manage legal risks, including escalation to senior management and recommendations for mitigation.
Manage relationships with external counsel
Manage relationships with external counsel, oversee litigation and coordinate legal spend and strategy.
Support corporate matters such as board papers
Support corporate matters such as board papers, shareholder queries, and governance processes.
Advise on data protection
Advise on data protection, intellectual property and sector-specific regulatory compliance as required.
Support mergers
Support mergers, acquisitions, restructurings or significant commercial transactions, including due diligence and documentation.
Draft or update internal policies
Draft or update internal policies and deliver legal training or briefings to business teams.
Legal Counsel skills and experience to look for
Keep the essential list focused on what the person really needs to perform the role. Move useful-but-trainable experience into desirable criteria.
Usually worth prioritising
- Qualified solicitor or equivalent UK-recognised legal qualification (admitted to the roll or demonstrable equivalent).
- At least 3 years' relevant post-qualification or in-house legal experience advising on commercial and corporate matters.
- Strong contract drafting and negotiation skills with a commercial mindset.
- Good understanding of UK regulatory frameworks relevant to the employer's sector.
- Proven ability to manage external counsel and to prioritise multiple matters under deadlines.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to translate legal risk into practical business guidance.
Useful where relevant
- Experience working in-house or in a law firm with exposure to M&A, litigation or regulatory investigations.
- Knowledge of intellectual property, data protection or employment law in a commercial context.
- Experience of supporting board and governance processes or acting as Company Secretary.
- Familiarity with legal project management tools or matter-management systems.
- Previous experience in the same sector (eg fintech, healthcare, manufacturing) where relevant.
See our guide to what to include in a job advert before publishing.
How to write a Legal Counsel job advert
Small role-specific details can make the advert much easier for suitable candidates to assess.
Be explicit about scope
State the primary legal areas the role will handle (eg commercial contracts, regulatory compliance, M&A) so candidates understand day-to-day focus.
Specify seniority and reporting
Include expected years of PQE or in-house experience and who the role reports to; this helps match candidate seniority.
Highlight decision-making authority
Clarify whether the role can sign contracts, manage external counsel budgets or act as primary legal contact for business units.
Give practical examples
Use one or two brief examples of typical matters (eg leading supplier negotiations, running due diligence) to set expectations.
Legal Counsel salary considerations
Legal Counsel salaries vary widely. Pay depends on employer sector and size, the seniority of the role, required specialisms, location and the candidate's post‑qualification experience. Consider the total reward package (base salary, bonus, pension and benefits) when setting an offer.
depending on experience
- Use a genuine range
- Separate variable pay
- Avoid “competitive” alone
- Match salary to seniority
What Legal Counsel candidates will want to know
Practical details can influence whether a suitable candidate applies, even when the title and salary are attractive.
What will the team structure and workload look like?
Candidates want to know team size, reporting lines and whether they will be sole counsel for parts of the business or part of a larger legal function.
What authority will I have to instruct external counsel or sign contracts?
Clarify approval limits, budget responsibility and how decisions are escalated to the Head of Legal or exec team.
What types of matters will I handle day-to-day?
Candidates expect clear examples of regular work — e.g. commercial negotiations, regulatory filings, litigation management or M&A support.
What are the expectations on working hours and hybrid working?
Be clear about core hours, remote working allowances and any need for occasional travel or out-of-hours availability.
Where to post a Legal Counsel job
For Legal Counsel roles, combine broad UK job boards and LinkedIn with specialist legal channels and professional networks to reach qualified candidates. Target in-house legal communities, legal-sector job boards and recruitment agencies that specialise in legal appointments; use local advertising when the role requires on-site presence.
Related legal / corporate job descriptions
Recruiting for a slightly different role? These templates may be a closer fit.
Legal Counsel job description FAQs
Do I have to require a solicitor qualification?
Not always. Many employers prefer a qualified solicitor or equivalent, but candidates with substantial in-house experience or equivalent UK-recognised qualifications can be suitable. Specify your requirement clearly in the advert if admission to the roll is essential.
Should I include a salary range in the advert?
Yes. Publishing a salary range improves application quality and increases response rates. If you cannot publish an exact figure, describe the seniority and total reward package instead.
How should I assess technical ability during recruitment?
Use a combination of CV screening for relevant experience, competency-based interview questions and a short practical exercise or case study that reflects the type of work the role will handle.
Is it important to state the sector specialism?
Yes. If the role requires sector-specific regulatory knowledge (for example financial services or healthcare), make this clear, as it materially affects the applicant pool and remuneration expectations.
Ready to hire a Legal Counsel?
Use this template to create your advert, target it at legal networks and specialist job boards, and assess candidates with practical scenarios to find the best commercial legal advisor for your business.
