Group Legal Counsel

JR United Kingdom; Bristol; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A well-established advisory group in Bristol seeks a Group Legal Counsel to lead legal operations in a high-growth environment. This role involves serving as the primary legal advisor, ensuring compliance with English law, negotiating agreements, and supporting international expansion. Ideal candidates will have around 10 years of experience in both law firm and in-house roles, particularly in startup settings, with strong skills in contract negotiation and commercial strategy.

Qualifications

• Experience in law firm and in-house roles over ~10 years.
• Strong knowledge of English law and EU corporate law exposure.
• Startup experience preferred; ability to work in fast-paced, high-growth environments.

Responsibilities

• Primary legal advisor across all operational and service entities.
• Ensure compliance with English law and support legal matters across EU jurisdictions.
• Draft, review, and negotiate commercial agreements, including SaaS and partnerships.

Skills

Contract negotiation

Cross-border legal matters

Commercial legal strategy

Education

Qualified lawyer

Job description

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Soda is proud to partner with a UK-headquartered advisory group supporting a dynamic and fast-scaling international network of operational and service companies. As we continue to grow, we’re looking for a seasoned Group Legal Counsel to become a trusted legal leader across the group—shaping strategy, enabling compliance, and driving scale across jurisdictions.

This is a unique opportunity for a pragmatic, entrepreneurial lawyer to step into a strategic in-house role at the heart of a founder-led, high-growth environment. You'll be the group's first dedicated legal hire, building scalable processes from the ground up, advising on key legal issues, and partnering closely with leadership through the next phase of international expansion.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary legal advisor across all operational and service entities
• Ensure compliance with English law (mandatory) and support legal matters across EU jurisdictions
• Draft, review, and negotiate a range of agreements (commercial, SaaS, IP, NDAs, partnerships)
• Lead corporate governance, board documentation, and legal housekeeping
• Advise on cross-border contractor/employment arrangements and entity structuring
• Help design legal frameworks and tools to support rapid, scalable growth
• Contribute to M&A, global expansion initiatives, and regulatory/legal strategy
• Build and maintain internal templates, compliance workflows, and policies

What We’re Looking For

• Qualified lawyer with around 10 years’ experience across both law firm and in-house roles
• Strong knowledge of English law (essential), with EU corporate law exposure
• Startup experience is strongly preferred—comfortable navigating ambiguity and helping to build from scratch
• Track record of working in fast-paced, high-growth environments or founder-led organisations
• Skilled in contract negotiation, cross-border legal matters, and commercial legal strategy
• Comfortable managing legal priorities independently and collaborating across senior leadership
• Bonus: exposure to fintech, digital platforms, or e-commerce regulatory frameworks

If you thrive in entrepreneurial environments and want to play a pivotal legal role in a global, scaling business—we’d love to hear from you. Apply now!