Legal Counsel (m/f/d) – DACH

IVC Evidensia DACH; München; Remote; EUR 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

IVC Evidensia DACH is seeking a Legal Counsel in Munich to manage all local legal and compliance matters across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The ideal candidate will have over 10 years of experience in a complex B2C legal environment, providing guidance on commercial contracts, employment law, and compliance issues. The role is primarily remote, offering a collaborative environment with the DACH leadership team. Applicants should have exceptional communication skills and a strong commercial mindset.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in an in-house legal function in a B2C organization.
• Strong knowledge in corporate, commercial, and employment law.
• Experience managing external counsel effectively.

Responsibilities

• Manage all legal, compliance and governance matters for DACH.
• Draft and review commercial and supplier agreements.
• Advise on employment law and HR-related matters.

Skills

Legal advisory

Commercial contracts

Dispute resolution

Compliance

Employment law

Stakeholder engagement

Communication skills

Education

Qualified lawyer with strong academic credentials

Job description

IVC Evidensia is one of the world’s leading veterinary care providers, bringing together a global community of more than 41,000 dedicated professionals across 20 countries. We care for over 8.5 million animals each year, spanning first‑opinion clinics, state‑of‑the‑art referral hospitals, farm and equine practices, and a wide range of supporting services. Our organization is built on a simple but powerful purpose: healthy animals and happy owners, delivered through industry‑leading clinical excellence and local empowerment.

As a fast‑growing international organization, we combine the strength of a global platform with the agility and local decision‑making that allow our businesses to thrive in their markets.

To strengthen our rapidly growing team, we are looking for a

Legal Counsel (m/f/d) – DACH

Role Purpose

The Legal Counsel (m/f/d) – DACH is responsible for managing all local legal, compliance and governance matters, ensuring the business operates within a robust legal framework. Reporting to the Deputy General Counsel - Europe with a regional reporting line to the CEO DACH, this role will act as a trusted advisor to the DACH Leadership team, providing legal support and pragmatic counsel across a wide range of matters, including commercial contracts, disputes, regulatory matters and in collaboration with the HR Function in employment law.

Based in Munich, but working mainly remote, this role acts as the key legal contact for DACH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) balancing day‑to‑day business needs with Group policies and global standards and ensuring alignment with the Group Legal team and requirements. The role is responsible for advising on legal matters and managing risk proactively, representing the company with credibility to internal stakeholders, and external parties, including outside counsel.

Key Responsibilities

Primary Legal Contact

• Act as the first point of contact for all day‑to‑day legal matters in DACH, providing pragmatic and commercially aware advice to the local leadership teams.
• Ensure consistency and alignment with Group Legal team, frameworks, policies, and risk appetite.

Contracts & Commercial Matters

• Draft and review commercial, property, customer and supplier agreements to support business operations.
• Provide input on contractual risk, ensuring agreements are legally sound and commercially viable.
• Manage commercial and property‑related claims and disputes, including strategy development and coordination with external counsel where required.
• Ensure efficient resolution of disputes in line with business objectives and legal obligations.

Employment & Labour Relations

• Advise on employment law and HR‑related matters, including policies, employee relations, and dispute resolution in close collaboration with the HR Function

Regulatory & Compliance

• Monitor and advise on regulatory requirements, including EU and local obligations.
• Support the implementation of compliance initiatives and Group Legal policies in DACH.
• Support the Group Legal team in discussions and interactions with competition authorities.
• Assist with internal investigations and escalation of compliance issues to Group Legal as appropriate.

Insurance & Governance

• Support the business on insurance‑related matters in coordination with finance and risk teams.
• Contribute to governance processes, including board or statutory requirements, in alignment with Group Legal.

External Counsel Management

• Instruct, manage, and oversee external Group‑approved legal advisors, including our Medical Legal Advisor, ensuring high‑quality, cost‑effective advice.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Build strong working relationships across business functions, acting as a collaborative and trusted business partner.
• Represent the DACH businesses effectively to external stakeholders as needed.

Key Skills and Experience

Education & Qualifications

• Qualified lawyer with strong academic credentials.
• Licensed to practice within the relevant jurisdiction in DACH

Experience

• 10+ years of experience working in an in‑house legal function in a complex B2C organization, ideally with a global parent or related considerations.
• Strong knowledge in all areas of law, particularly within a corporate, M&A or other transactional practice group.
• Exposure to a wide range of legal issues and disciplines, including corporate, commercial, transactional, employment, human resources, governance, and compliance.
• Experience managing, evaluating and retaining external counsel.
• Experience working in a fast‑paced, high‑growth setting.
• Exceptional communication skills — able to distil complex legal issues into business‑relevant insights.
• Commercial mindset with a firm grasp of legal, operational, and reputational risk.
• Strategic understanding of business management and ability to contribute to commercial issues.
• Ability to anticipate and address legal and risk considerations.
• High emotional intelligence and political acumen.
• Ability to manage ambiguity and motivate through influence.

Have we sparked your interest?

Then we look forward to receiving your application, including details of your salary expectations and availability!

We look forward to getting to know you personally.