Group Legal Counsel

Connells Group; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Connells Group is seeking a Group Legal Counsel to join the Group Legal team. You will provide practical, commercially focused legal advice across a diverse group of businesses and brands, with a focus on contentious matters.

You will manage a varied caseload of disputes and litigation, advise on legal and regulatory issues, and work closely with operational stakeholders to identify risk and achieve pragmatic commercial outcomes.

Qualifications

• Litigation or dispute resolution experience.
• Experience managing own caseload with supervision.
• Strong drafting and legal research skills.
• Good knowledge of Civil Procedure Rules.
• Ability to identify key legal and commercial issues.
• Sound judgment separating legal and commercial risk.
• Excellent organisational skills and deadline management.
• Ability to explain complex issues to non-lawyers.

Skills

Litigation experience

Caseload management

Civil Procedure Rules knowledge

Drafting and legal research

Evidence review and issue ID

Risk assessment (legal vs commercial)

Organisational skills

Clear communication with non-lawyers

Education

Solicitor

Barrister

CILEX with litigation rights

Job description

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Group Legal Counsel to join the Group Legal team. Reporting directly to the Group Head of Legal – Professional Indemnity Insurance & Group Litigation, the successful candidate will provide practical, commercially focused legal advice across a diverse group of businesses and brands.

This is a broad, hands-on in-house role with a particular focus on contentious matters. The role will involve managing a varied caseload of disputes and litigation, advising the business on legal and regulatory issues, and working closely with operational stakeholders to identify risk, protect the Group’s position and achieve pragmatic commercial outcomes.

About You

Be a qualified solicitor or barrister with a minimum of 1 year's post-qualification experience, or an appropriately authorised CILEX Lawyer holding the relevant litigation practice rights enabling you to conduct litigation in your own right and a genuine interest in contentious legal work.

• Litigation and/or dispute resolution experience.
• Experience of managing your own caseload with appropriate supervision.
• A good working knowledge of the Civil Procedure Rules and the litigation process.
• Strong drafting, analytical and legal research skills.
• Experience reviewing evidence and identifying the key legal and commercial issues.
• Sound judgment and the ability to distinguish between legal risk and commercial risk.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing deadlines.
• The ability to explain complex legal issues clearly and concisely to non-lawyers.

What We Are Looking For

• Commercial: Able to balance legal merits against cost, proportionality and business objectives.
• Pragmatic: Focused on achieving sensible outcomes rather than litigating for the sake of principle.
• Confident: Willing to form and communicate a view while recognising when a matter needs escalation.
• Independent: Capable of progressing your own matters and taking ownership of deadlines.
• Collaborative: Comfortable working with colleagues across Legal, Compliance, Data Protection, People, operational businesses and other Group functions.
• Adaptable: Able to move between litigation, advisory and regulatory work and quickly understand unfamiliar issues.
• Clear and concise: Able to provide straightforward legal advice that operational colleagues can readily understand and act upon.

Commitment to Inclusion

Connells Group is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates, regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, or belief, marital status, or pregnancy and maternity status.

CF00972

Job Reference: CF00972

QWE

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