Commercial Legal Counsel (EMEA) - 3-4 Month Assignment (GVA)

Michael Page; Genf; On-site; CHF 167,000 - 234,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Temporary assignment (3-4 months)

Job summary

Michael Page is seeking an interim Commercial Legal Counsel in Geneva to provide day-to-day legal support across the EMEA region. You will draft, review and negotiate a broad range of commercial agreements, advise on contract-related risks, and support cross-functional teams including procurement, IT, marketing and operations.

The role requires a law degree, qualification as a lawyer, and 3–5 years PQE with multi-jurisdictional European experience.

Qualifications

• Law degree from a recognised university.
• Qualified lawyer or in-house counsel with 3–5 years PQE.
• Experience in commercial contracting and general business law.
• Experience supporting multi-jurisdictional operations in Europe/EMEA.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review and negotiate a wide range of commercial agreements.
• Advise stakeholders on contract risks and legal issues.
• Support commercial, procurement, IT, digital, marketing and operations teams.
• Review and negotiate channel partner agreements and service agreements.

Skills

French (native/near-native)

English (professional)

Education

Law degree

Job description

• Commercial Legal Counsel with 3-5+ PQE in contracts and EMEA legal matters.
• Lead contract negotiations across Europe.

About Our Client

Our client is a well-established international company operating across the EMEA region through a combination of direct-to-consumer and business-to-business channels.

The organisation markets and distributes its products through physical retail networks, e-commerce platforms, distributors, wholesalers and various commercial partners. With operations spanning multiple jurisdictions, the legal team provides pragmatic and business-oriented support across a broad range of contractual, commercial and regulatory matters.

To support the legal department during a period of increased activity, our client is looking to appoint an experienced Legal Counsel on an interim basis for approximately 3 to 4 months.

Job Description

Reporting to the Legal Director, you will provide day-to-day legal support on a broad range of commercial and contractual matters across the EMEA region.

Your Responsibilities Will Include

• Drafting, reviewing and negotiating a wide variety of commercial agreements.
• Advising internal stakeholders on contract-related risks and legal issues.
• Supporting commercial, procurement, IT, digital, marketing and operational teams on legal matters.
• Reviewing and negotiating distribution, reseller, agency and other channel partner agreements.
• Drafting and negotiating service agreements covering areas such as marketing, digital services, consulting, logistics, technology and software.
• Reviewing supplier, purchasing and procurement contracts.
• Supporting legal matters relating to both B2B and B2C activities.
• Advising on consumer law matters in relation to retail and e-commerce activities across Europe.
• Ensuring contractual documentation complies with applicable European legal and regulatory requirements.
• Coordinating with various internal and external stakeholders across multiple jurisdictions.
• Contributing to the management of legal templates and contract processes.

The Successful Applicant

• Law degree from a recognised university.
• Qualified lawyer or in-house legal counsel with at least 3 to 5 years of relevant post-qualification experience.
• Strong background in commercial contracts and general business law.
• Proven experience supporting multi-jurisdictional operations within Europe or the broader EMEA region.
• Experience drafting and negotiating a wide range of commercial agreements independently.
• Exposure to consumer law and retail/e-commerce environments would be highly advantageous.
• Experience supporting both B2B and B2C business models is preferred.
• Ability to balance legal risks with commercial realities and provide pragmatic business-focused advice.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Fluent French and English are essential.
• French at native or near-native level (C2 preferred).
• English at professional working proficiency level (minimum C1).
• Immediately available or available at short notice.

What's On Offer

• 3 to 4-month temporary assignment with immediate impact.
• Opportunity to join an international organisation operating across numerous EMEA markets.
• Broad exposure to commercial, contractual, consumer law and cross-border legal matters.
• Dynamic and collaborative legal environment.
• High level of interaction with senior business stakeholders.
• International working environment.
• Possibility of extension depending on business needs.

Quote job ref: JN-112026-7141660