Senior Legal Counsel - Commercial Disputes

Gallagher; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A global leader in risk management is seeking a Senior Legal Counsel in London. The ideal candidate will provide expert legal guidance on restrictive covenants, support litigation, and manage relationships with senior stakeholders. A qualified solicitor with significant experience in commercial litigation is crucial. The role offers a competitive salary and extensive benefits including generous holiday and pension contributions.

Benefits

Minimum of 25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Defined contribution pension scheme

Life insurance

Health cash plan or Private medical insurance

Discounted gym membership

Qualifications

• Experience in High Court (England & Wales) litigation and dispute resolution is essential.
• Dealing with litigation and/or pre-action correspondence related to restrictive covenants is preferred.
• Knowledge of insurance broking and employment law is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert advice on restrictive covenants and manage employee competition litigation.
• Collaborate with senior management and HR on risk mitigation strategies.
• Prepare insightful management reports for Gallagher’s Boards.

Skills

High Court litigation experience

Commercial litigation

Ability to develop strong working relationships

Education

Qualified solicitor

Job description

Introduction

At Gallagher Re, we bring clarity to complexity by helping clients around the world make confident, data‑driven decisions in a rapidly evolving risk landscape. Here, you’ll be part of a team that leverages world‑class analytics and deep reinsurance expertise to deliver strategic advisory services and transactional excellence. Together, we transform advanced insights and market intelligence into strategies that protect businesses, drive performance, and shape the future of reinsurance. We’re a community of decision makers, future shapers, and trusted experts working side by side to deliver meaningful impact through innovative thinking and practical solutions. At Gallagher Re, your curiosity is welcomed, your growth is championed, and your work truly matters. This is a place where you'll have the freedom to explore new ideas, take ownership of your career, and collaborate with people who are as driven and inquisitive as you are.

Overview

Are you a skilled legal professional with a passion for providing strategic guidance and resolving complex disputes? Gallagher, a global leader in insurance brokerage and risk management, is seeking a talented Senior Legal Counsel with High Court commercial litigation experience (gained in private practice or in‑house) to join our dynamic legal team. This is a unique opportunity to play a pivotal role in supporting our organic growth objectives by offering expert legal advice and strategic solutions in the realm of employee competition litigation. In this role you will provide support predominantly to our reinsurance business, Gallagher Re, and will act as a trusted senior partner to that division.

Ideally this role would be based in London, but we will consider candidates based in alternative locations in the UK who have the ability to travel to our London office on an occasional basis.

How you'll make an impact

• Provide expert advice on the enforceability and scope of restrictive covenants.
• Offer legal and tactical guidance on breaches of restrictive covenants and employment contractual obligations.
• Draft cease and desist letters and pre‑action correspondence.
• Manage employee competition litigation and draft settlement and release agreements.
• Ensure robust restrictive covenant protection in share purchase agreements.
• Collaborate with HR to enhance processes and mitigate risks.
• Deliver training to HR and business units on risk mitigation strategies.
• Prepare insightful management reports for Gallagher’s Boards and senior managers.
• Engage with outside counsel as needed, ensuring cost‑effectiveness.
• Provide accurate and practical legal advice reflecting English law and other legal systems across EMEA.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with Gallagher’s businesses and senior management.
• Work in a supportive team but under limited supervision, escalating or briefing matters to senior lawyers and delegating where appropriate.

About You

• Qualified solicitor with sound technical knowledge and experience of High Court (England & Wales) litigation and dispute resolution.
• Highly experienced in commercial litigation, either in private practice and/or as a lawyer working in house.
• Experience of dealing with litigation and/or pre‑action correspondence relating to restrictive covenants and team move disputes.
• Knowledge of the insurance broking industry and employment law is helpful but not essential.
• Ability to develop strong working relationships and inspire the trust of senior stakeholders.
• Right to work in the UK.

Compensation and benefits

On top of a competitive salary, great teams and exciting career opportunities, we also offer a wide range of benefits.

Below are the minimum core benefits you’ll get, depending on your job level these benefits may improve:

• Minimum of 25 days holiday, plus bank holidays, and the option to ‘buy’ extra days
• Defined contribution pension scheme, which Gallagher will also contribute to
• Life insurance, which will pay 4x your basic annual salary, which you can top‑up to 10x
• Income protection, we’ll cover up to 50% of your annual income, with options to top up
• Health cash plan or Private medical insurance

Other benefits include:

• Three fully paid volunteering days per year
• Employee Stock Purchase plan, offering company shares at a discount
• Share incentive plan, HMRC approved, tax effective, stock purchase plan
• Critical illness cover
• Discounted gym membership, with over 3,000 gyms nationally
• Season ticket loan
• Access to a discounted voucher portal to save money on your weekly shop or next big purchase
• Emergency back‑up family care
• And many more…

We value inclusion and diversity

Inclusion and diversity (I&D) is a core part of our business, and it’s embedded into the fabric of our organisation. For more than 95 years, Gallagher has led with a commitment to sustainability and to support the communities where we live and work.

Gallagher embraces our employees’ diverse identities, experiences and talents, allowing us to better serve our clients and communities. We see inclusion as a conscious commitment and diversity as a vital strength. By embracing diversity in all its forms, we live out The Gallagher Way to its fullest.

Gallagher is Disability Confident Committed. We have pledged to make sure our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible, in addition to supporting our existing employees with any long‑term health conditions or disabilities.

We understand that applicants may have disabilities, if you do, you may find some parts of the recruitment process more challenging than others. Don’t worry, we’re here to help, however, we can only do this if you let us know.

Should you require reasonable adjustments to your application, please let us know. If you’d prefer to speak on the phone, please request a call back, leaving details, so we get in touch.

Our employing entity, Arthur J. Gallagher Services (UK) Limited, is proud to be accredited as a Living Wage employer with the Living Wage Foundation. We are committed to diversity and opportunity for all and are opposed to any form of less favourable treatment on the grounds of gender or gender identity, marital status, civil partnership status, parental status, race, ethnicity, colour, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, religion/ belief, age and those with caring responsibilities.

Gallagher believes that all persons are entitled to equal employment opportunity and prohibits any form of discrimination by its managers, employees, vendors or customers based on race, colour, religion, creed, gender (including pregnancy status), sexual orientation, gender identity (which includes transgender and other gender non‑conforming individuals), gender expression, hair expression, marital status, parental status, age, national origin, ancestry, disability, medical condition, genetic information, veteran or military status, citizenship status, or any other characteristic protected (herein referred to as “protected characteristics”) by applicable federal, state, or local laws.

Equal employment opportunity will be extended in all aspects of the employer‑employee relationship, including, but not limited to, recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, transfer, demotion, compensation, benefits, layoff, and termination. In addition, Gallagher will make reasonable accommodations to known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified person with a disability, unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operation of our business.