Senior Commercial Lawyer

Western Union; London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading global financial services company is seeking a Senior Commercial Lawyer to provide legal guidance and support. This role involves handling commercial contracts and regulatory compliance while collaborating with various stakeholders. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in corporate law, strong negotiation skills, and the ability to thrive under pressure.

Benefits

25 days annual leave plus 8 public holidays

Contributory pension plan

Health insurance options

Short-term incentives

Access to development platforms

Qualifications

• Qualified solicitor with a law degree.
• 6-9+ years of experience in corporate/commercial law.
• Knowledge of UK legal and regulatory environment.

Responsibilities

• Provide business-minded legal advice for commercial contracts.
• Draft and negotiate contracts for various business lines.
• Collaborate with business leaders to shape strategic direction.

Skills

Negotiation

Communication

Analytical

Problem-Solving

Organizational Skills

Education

Law degree

Job description

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Are you passionate about providing legal advice and direction to drive strategic initiatives forward in a truly global financial services company?

Would you like to play a key role in helping a publicly (NYSE) listed global financial services company navigate the legal and financial regulatory landscape? Are you ready to expand your potential in a dynamic organization that is evolving into the next phase of its 174-year history? Join Western Union as a Senior Commercial Lawyer for the UK.

Western Union powers your pursuit.

Be motivated by our values: Integrity, Respect, Trust & Innovation.

Role Responsibilities

As a Counsel on our Business Legal team, you will be a senior member of Western Union’s UK business team and drive impact and results by providing business-minded legal advice, guidance and direction to deliver on the company’s strategy. In this role your areas of support will include, legal support for commercial contracts, as well as broad legal and regulatory support for business operations and new initiatives. You will also have a chance to partner with local, regional and global business leaders to help shape the future strategic direction of the company.

You will:

• Be impact driven, proactive and engaged with a bias towards action.
• Demonstrate a customer-first mindset, have a passion for our customers and work to put them at the center of everything you do.
• Develop trusted relationships across Western Union, with a specific focus on business partners in the UK.
• Have strong negotiation, communication, and analytical skills, along with commercial awareness, problem-solving abilities, and the ability to effectively evaluate and manage risk and regulatory compliance.
• Have demonstrated proficiency to:Review, draft and negotiate contracts in support of Western Union’s various business lines (including retail and digital money transfer, FX services, ATMs and other financial services) and other projects and initiatives.Research and analyze laws and regulations. Review and advise on existing and new product requirements.Advise business and compliance on licensing and other regulatory requirements relating to Western Union activities and products, independently and in collaboration with our global regulatory team.Support with the investigation of complaints, claims and disputes, as necessary.Lead projects and coordinate the work of others, including outside counsel.
• Collaborate with other Western Union lawyers, compliance professionals, and other functional and business leads on global and pan-regional initiatives.
• Make the complex simple, and be able to provide clear, concise and practical legal advice to business partners and stakeholders across the organization.
• Be a constant learner, and stay abreast of current legal and market issues related to our business.
• Contribute to the development and growth of the broader legal team.
• Work independently as well as cooperatively, as part of a cohesive regional and global legal team.
• Be forward-thinking, adaptable and be able to thrive in a dynamic and high-pressure environment.

Role Requirements

Education

• Law degree and qualified as a solicitor.

Experience

• 6-9+ years of legal work experience as a corporate/commercial lawyer in an international law firm and/or international corporate legal department; experience in financial services and/or payments industries.
• Substantial experience in drafting legal documents and negotiating contracts in English. Knowledge of other languages is an asset.
• Knowledge of the UK legal and regulatory environment, prior experience in engaging with regulators is preferred.
• Litigation experience is not required, but preferred.

Skills

• Commercial savviness and ability to tailor legal advice to the audience and assess risks.
• Able to interact and communicate effectively, orally & in writing, with all levels of management.
• Proactive attitude and positive mindset, high degree of emotional intelligence, and demonstrated aptitude for resilience, flexibility, and ability to adapt to changing circumstances and dynamics.
• Strong leader and team player with excellent negotiation and communication skills and cultural awareness. Interest and ability to collaborate effectively across geographic locations.
• Able to perform independently under general supervision and in a team environment when required.
• Able to manage more junior members of the team when required.
• Strong organizational skills.

You will also have access to short-term incentives, multiple health insurance options, accident and life insurance, and access to best-in-class development platforms, to name a few
(). Please see the location-specific benefits below and note that your Recruiter may share additional role-specific benefits during your interview process or in an offer of employment.

Your United Kingdom specific benefits include:

• 25 days annual leave – plus 8 public holidays
• Contributory pension plan

Western Union values in-person collaboration, learning, and ideation whenever possible. We believe this creates value through common ways of working and supports the execution of enterprise objectives which will ultimately help us achieve our strategic goals. By connecting face-to-face, we are better able to learn from our peers, problem-solve together, and innovate.

Our Hybrid Work Model categorizes each role into one of three categories. Western Union has determined the category of this role to be Hybrid. This is defined as a flexible working arrangement that enables employees to divide their time between working from home and working from an office location. The expectation is to work from the office a minimum of three days a week.