Senior Legal Counsel

Gowling WLG; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading international law firm in Birmingham seeks a Senior Legal Counsel to join their General Counsel team. The role involves advising on complex legal issues, mentoring colleagues, and collaborating on compliance projects. Ideal candidates are qualified lawyers with significant regulatory experience, strong communication skills, and a commercial mindset. The firm promotes a supportive environment and offers a hybrid work model along with excellent benefits like private medical insurance, a generous pension plan, and training opportunities.

Benefits

Hybrid working model

25 days annual leave

Private medical insurance

Generous pension allowance

Life assurance

Three-month sabbatical every five years

Health and wellbeing programmes

Training and personal development opportunities

Qualifications

• Significant experience in a regulatory role (in-house, private practice or regulatory authority).
• Strong track record in advising on complex legal issues.
• Confidence in managing and mentoring colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Advise on regulatory and legal issues including data protection and anti-money laundering compliance.
• Support and mentor colleagues on various legal matters.
• Collaborate on compliance projects with business support teams.

Skills

Strong communication skills

Ability to advise senior lawyers

Understanding of business issues

IT skills

Commercial mindset

Education

Qualified lawyer

Job description

Overview

We have a great opportunity for an individual to join our General Counsel team as a Senior Legal Counsel in Birmingham.

Within this role no two days are the same as you’ll be involved in a wide range of work including:

• Advising on complex regulatory and legal issues including SRA regulation, data protection and anti-money laundering sanctions and compliance obligations.
• Supporting and mentoring colleagues on conflicts of interest and confidentiality matters.
• Involvement in firm-wide projects and collaborating with business support teams to ensure compliance is embedded in everything we do.
• Working with overseas offices to navigate cross-border regulations and maintain our global licences.
• Designing and delivering training both in-person and online to keep our teams ahead of regulatory expectations.
• Advising on commercial tenders, client engagement terms and responding to client complaints.
• Supporting our internal audit function and helping shape our data protection programme.
• Representing the firm at events and staying at the forefront of regulatory developments.

About the team

Join a team where you’ll thrive. Are you ready to take your compliance expertise to the next level in a collaborative forward‑thinking environment? At Gowling WLG we believe our people are the cornerstone of our success. We foster a culture that’s supportive, ambitious and innovative where teamwork and respect empower everyone to flourish.

Why you’ll love working with us

• Supportive & Friendly Team: Our General Counsel Team is known for its approachable inclusive atmosphere where mentoring and personal development are at the heart of what we do.
• Global Impact: As part of an international law firm with a presence across Canada, the UK, Europe, the Middle East and Asia you’ll collaborate with colleagues and clients worldwide tackling challenges that span jurisdictions and sectors.

About you

• A qualified lawyer with significant experience in a regulatory role (in‑house, private practice or regulatory authority).
• Strong communication skills and confidence in advising senior lawyers.
• A broad understanding of business issues and the drive to find practical compliant solutions.
• Excellent IT skills and a commercial mindset.

What we can offer you

The opportunity to work for a firm that has been recognised as one of the best places to work in the UK and has been ranked by Great Place to Work for 25 consecutive years.

Excellent benefits

• A hybrid approach to office and remote working.
• 25 days annual leave with the option to buy up to a week’s extra annual leave.
• Private medical insurance and the option to add family members.
• A generous pension allowance.
• Life assurance covering four times your annual salary.
• The chance of a three-month sabbatical every five years.
• Maternity, paternity and adoption leave schemes.
• A range of health and wellbeing programmes.
• State‑of‑the‑art offices in the heart of Birmingham City Centre with an onsite restaurant.
• Opportunities to flourish in your role through training and personal development.

Equal Opportunities

Gowling WLG is committed to promoting equality and diversity in the firm and to equal opportunities in employment. The firm believes in equality of opportunity regardless of race or racial group (including colour, nationality, ethnicity, national origins), religion or belief, age, disability, sexual orientation, sex, gender re‑assignment and gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy, maternity and paternity. This also includes any incidents of perceived or associative discrimination and harassment.

At Gowling WLG we seek to attract and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures to create an exciting and rewarding place to work. Our aim is to fulfil everyone’s potential and together to achieve personal and business goals.

Contact

If you have any queries in relation to this position or would like to see a full job description please contact Meg Astley at