Group Senior Legal Manager / Associate Counsel

SPIRO; Pune District; On-site; INR 3,500,000 - 6,000,000; Full time

Job summary

SPIRO in Pune seeks a Senior Manager – Legal to lead complex M&A and strategic transactions, manage commercial contracts, and oversee regulatory compliance and governance. The role is hands-on and requires coordinating with external counsel across jurisdictions.

The ideal candidate combines Tier-1 law firm training with strong in-house commercial experience, including banking/finance or corporate advisory. Prior leadership in a fast-moving corporate setup is preferred.

Qualifications

• Ideal candidate has 8–14 years post-qualification experience.
• Experience with Tier-1 or highly regarded corporate law firms preferred.
• Strong in-house corporate/M&A and commercial contracting experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex M&A, investments, divestments, JVs and restructurings.
• Draft, review and negotiate transaction documents and term sheets.
• Manage external law firms and provide practical mitigation strategies.
• Advise on commercial contracts, governance, and regulatory matters.
• Oversee litigation, arbitration and regulatory disputes and costs.

Skills

Tier-1 law firm training

In-house commercial experience

M&A experience

Litigation management

Education

LL.B. from a reputed university/law school

Qualified to practice law in India

Postgraduate qualifications advantageous

Job description

We are looking for an accomplished and commercially oriented legal professional to join the Group Legal function as Senior Manager – Legal, based in Pune.

The role will report directly to the Group General Counsel in Dubai and will have a broad mandate covering commercial contracts, mergers & acquisitions, strategic transactions, litigation and dispute management, corporate and regulatory compliance, governance, financing and general corporate advisory.

This is intended to be a hands-on senior legal role for an individual who can independently manage complex and high-stakes matters, partner closely with senior business stakeholders, and coordinate effectively with external counsel across multiple jurisdictions.

The ideal candidate will bring a combination of Tier-1 law firm training and strong in-house commercial experience. Previous experience with a leading corporate law firm, particularly in M&A, corporate transactions, banking/finance or commercial advisory, will be strongly preferred.

Key Responsibilities

1. Mergers & Acquisitions / Strategic Transactions

• Lead and support complex M&A, investments, acquisitions, divestments, joint ventures, strategic partnerships and corporate restructuring transactions.
• Manage the complete legal lifecycle of transactions, including structuring, legal due diligence, risk identification, negotiation, documentation, signing and closing.
• Draft, review and negotiate transaction documentation including:
• Share Purchase Agreements
• Share Subscription Agreements
• Shareholders' Agreements
• Joint Venture Agreements
• Business/Asset Transfer Agreements
• Investment Agreements
• Term Sheets and Letters of Intent
• Ancillary transaction and closing documentation
• Work closely with senior management, finance, tax and other stakeholders on transaction structuring and execution.
• Identify significant legal and contractual risks and provide practical mitigation strategies.
• Manage external law firms and specialist counsel involved in transactions.

2. Commercial Contracts & Business Advisory

• Draft, review, negotiate and finalize sophisticated commercial and corporate agreements.
• Independently handle high-value and high-risk contractual negotiations.
• Advise business teams on contractual rights, obligations, liabilities, indemnities, warranties, termination provisions, limitation of liability and other material commercial terms.
• Support contracts involving procurement, services, technology, licensing, partnerships, vendors, customers, consultants and other commercial arrangements.
• Develop practical positions that appropriately balance legal protection with commercial objectives.
• Establish and continuously improve templates, contracting standards and legal playbooks.
• Support stakeholders throughout the contract lifecycle, including amendments, renewals, disputes and exits.
• Manage significant commercial litigation, arbitration, regulatory disputes and other contentious matters.
• Develop litigation and dispute strategy in consultation with the Group General Counsel and relevant business stakeholders.
• Appoint, brief and manage external advocates and law firms.
• Review pleadings, notices, claims, responses, settlement proposals and other legal documentation.
• Monitor material litigation and provide clear assessments of legal exposure and potential business impact.
• Drive commercially sensible dispute resolution strategies and settlements where appropriate.
• Maintain effective oversight of external legal costs and case progress.

4. Compliance & Regulatory Advisory

• Advise the organization on applicable laws, regulations and compliance requirements.
• Partner with relevant stakeholders to strengthen legal and regulatory compliance frameworks.
• Identify emerging legal or regulatory risks affecting the business.
• Support internal policies, legal controls and governance mechanisms.
• Provide advice on regulatory matters arising from business operations and strategic initiatives.
• Coordinate with specialist counsel where regulatory complexity requires external expertise.

5. Corporate Governance

• Support corporate restructuring, entity-related transactions and significant corporate actions.
• Review resolutions, authorizations and other corporate documentation where required.Work closely with Finance, Tax, Compliance, Company Secretarial and senior leadership teams on matters involving governance or corporate legal risk.
• Support the Group General Counsel in maintaining appropriate governance standards across the organization.

6. Financing & Corporate Transactions

• Provide legal support for financing and investment transactions when required.
• Review and negotiate financing agreements and related security documentation.
• Advise on legal aspects of corporate funding, debt arrangements, guarantees and other financing structures.
• Coordinate with financial institutions, investors and external legal advisors.
• Support complex restructuring or special-situation transactions as required.

7. Legal Risk Management

• Proactively identify material legal risks across business activities and transactions.
• Provide clear, concise and commercially relevant legal advice to senior stakeholders.
• Escalate material legal exposure appropriately to the Group General Counsel.
• Develop practical mitigation plans rather than limiting advice to identification of legal issues.
• Support improvements in legal processes, controls, documentation and risk management.

8. External Counsel Management

• Select and coordinate with external law firms, advocates and specialist legal advisors.
• Establish clear scopes, timelines and expected deliverables.
• Challenge external legal advice where necessary and ensure recommendations remain commercially practical.
• Monitor legal spend and drive appropriate cost discipline.
• Reduce dependency on external counsel by independently handling matters where sufficient internal capability exists.

9. Business Partnering

• Act as a trusted legal advisor to senior management and functional leaders.
• Translate complex legal issues into clear business implications and actionable recommendations.
• Work effectively across geographies, functions and seniority levels.
• Participate in strategic discussions where significant contractual, transactional, regulatory or litigation exposure exists.
• Develop strong relationships while maintaining independence of legal judgment.

Candidate Profile

Education & Professional Qualification

• LL.B. from a reputed university/law school.
• Qualified to practice law in India.
• Additional professional or postgraduate qualifications will be advantageous.

Experience

• Ideally 8–14 years of relevant post-qualification experience, with flexibility for exceptional candidates.
• Significant experience with a Tier-1 or highly regarded corporate law firm is strongly preferred.
• Candidates who began their careers in leading law firms and subsequently transitioned into sophisticated in-house roles would be particularly relevant.
• Strong experience in corporate/M&A and complex commercial contracting is essential.
• Meaningful experience managing litigation, disputes and compliance/regulatory matters.
• Experience advising senior management on high-value or high-risk legal matters.
• Experience operating in a complex, fast-growing or multi-entity organization would be advantageous.
• Cross-border transaction or multi-jurisdictional experience would be highly desirable.

Core Technical Competencies

The successful candidate should demonstrate strong capability across: