Senior Legal Counsel

Van Leeuwen Netherlands; Zwijndrecht; Hybrid; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

One fixed work-from-home day per week

27 days of annual leave

Competitive salary

PME pension scheme

Job summary

Royal Van Leeuwen is seeking a strategic in-house Counsel to advise management on complex legal and commercial challenges in a global, family-owned industrial group. You will drive governance, compliance, M&A due diligence, and contract management across procurement, sales, financing, and partnerships.

You will report to the General Counsel, collaborate with international teams, and help digitalise the function with AI-enabled tools while balancing strategic thinking with practical execution.

Qualifications

• University degree in law and expertise in corporate & commercial law.
• At least five years as in-house counsel or lawyer with independent matter management.
• Ability to translate legal complexity into clear, practical business advice.
• Strong business partner with effective stakeholder engagement across the organisation.
• Initiative, ownership and balance of strategic thinking with hands-on execution.
• Excellent Dutch and English, both spoken and written.

Responsibilities

• Act as a strategic legal advisor to management and business leaders, providing pragmatic and commercially focused solutions to complex legal matters and business challenges.
• Lead and support corporate governance, compliance, and decision-making processes, including mergers and acquisitions and due diligence activities.
• Manage disputes, claims, and litigation matters, coordinating internal and external stakeholders to protect the company's interests.
• Draft, review, negotiate, and manage a broad range of commercial agreements, including procurement, sales, financing, and strategic partnership contracts.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate legal and business risks while supporting operational and strategic objectives.
• Promote legal awareness throughout the organisation through training, workshops, and practical guidance.
• Drive digitalisation of the legal function, including process optimisation and the implementation of legal technology and AI-enabled solutions.
• Report directly to the General Counsel and play an active role in supporting the international business.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Commercial acumen

Stakeholder engagement

Legal judgement

Hands-on execution

Education

Law degree

Tools

Legal technology

AI-enabled solutions

Job description

• Act as a strategic legal advisor to management and business leaders, providing pragmatic and commercially focused solutions to complex legal matters and business challenges;
• Lead and support corporate governance, compliance, and decision-making processes, including mergers and acquisitions and due diligence activities;
• Manage disputes, claims, and litigation matters, coordinating internal and external stakeholders to protect the company's interests;
• Draft, review, negotiate, and manage a broad range of commercial agreements, including procurement, sales, financing, and strategic partnership contracts;
• Identify, assess, and mitigate legal and business risks while supporting operational and strategic objectives;
• Promote legal awareness throughout the organisation through training, workshops, and practical guidance;
• Drive digitalisation of the legal function, including process optimisation and the implementation of legal technology and AI-enabled solutions;
• Report directly to the General Counsel and play an active role in supporting the international business.

What will you do?

• Act as a strategic legal advisor to management and business leaders, providing pragmatic and commercially focused solutions to complex legal matters and business challenges;
• Lead and support corporate governance, compliance, and decision-making processes, including mergers and acquisitions and due diligence activities;
• Manage disputes, claims, and litigation matters, coordinating internal and external stakeholders to protect the company's interests;
• Draft, review, negotiate, and manage a broad range of commercial agreements, including procurement, sales, financing, and strategic partnership contracts;
• Identify, assess, and mitigate legal and business risks while supporting operational and strategic objectives;
• Promote legal awareness throughout the organisation through training, workshops, and practical guidance;
• Drive digitalisation of the legal function, including process optimisation and the implementation of legal technology and AI-enabled solutions;
• Report directly to the General Counsel and play an active role in supporting the international business.

Your profile

• You hold a university degree in law and possess strong expertise in corporate and commercial law;
• You have at least five years of relevant experience as an in-house counsel and/or lawyer and are accustomed to independently managing complex legal matters;
• You combine strong legal judgement with commercial acumen and can translate legal complexity into clear, practical business advice;
• You are a confident and credible business partner who can engage effectively with stakeholders at all levels of the organisation;
• You demonstrate initiative, ownership, and the ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution;
• You work accurately and pragmatically, are able to prioritise effectively, and maintain oversight in a dynamic international environment;
• You have an interest in legal technology, AI-enabled solutions, and digital transformation, and understand how these can enhance the effectiveness of legal services and business processes;
• You have an excellent command of Dutch and English, both spoken and written.

What do we offer?

• Senior legal role with broad responsibility within a leading industrial family-owned business;
• Direct involvement in strategic and operational matters across an international organisation;
• The opportunity to work closely with senior management and contribute to key business opportunities;
• Significant scope for personal initiative and growth;
• Being part of a professional legal team in an international environment at our modern head office;
• A full-time position (40 hours per week)
• One fixed work-from-home day per week;
• 27 days of annual leave;
• A competitive salary;
• Participation in the PME pension scheme.

About Royal Van Leeuwen

Royal Van Leeuwen is a leading international trading company and specialist in steel pipes, pipe applications, and value-added services. With offices in 32 countries and more than 2,250 employees worldwide, we serve customers across virtually every industrial sector. From our headquarters in Zwijndrecht, we work together every day to deliver innovative solutions, build long-term customer relationships, and support the development of sustainable industry worldwide. Please visit our website: Distributeur stalen buizen | Koninklijke Van Leeuwen - Dutch

We do not accept unsolicited approaches from recruitment agencies in relation to this vacancy.