Senior Legal Counsel (Corporate & Governance)

Helping over ten million people around the world manage their savings, retirement plans and life insurance requires a lot of people behind-the-scenes.  It’s up to us in L&G Group functions – which includes our tech and digital teams, Group Finance, HR, Risk and Corporate Comms to provide the essential support services that all areas of the business need, here in the UK and overseas. Simply put, we enable everyone at Legal & General to do what they do best. That means we’re helping to improve our customers’ lives, and contributing to the success of the business every day.

Your role at a glance

To support the Assistant General Counsel (Corporate) and Deputy Group Company Secretary in providing a first class corporate legal and governance service to the Group.

The role holder will be responsible for providing robust corporate legal advice to the Group, including assisting with the management and negotiation of transactions as required from a legal perspective, as well as day-to-day governance support to the Group Board and its committees, to ensure that practice equates to that required by statute, the UK Corporate Governance Code and regulatory requirements, and in a way in which allows the business to achieve its aims and which ensures consistent corporate approach is taken across the Group while minimising legal and reputational risk. 

What you'll be doing

To support the Assistant General Counsel (Corporate) and Deputy Group Company Secretary in providing corporate legal advice to the Group (and as required to the business divisions), including assisting with managing and negotiating transactions as required from a legal perspective, to ensure:
a)    the Group’s strategic and commercial objectives are, where possible, furthered;
b)    a proper account is taken of material legal risks identified and the Group’s position is mitigated and protected;
c)    compliance with relevant legislation and regulation; and
d)    adherence to the highest standards of governance and compliance to build and protect the Group’s reputation; 
e)    advice is delivered to a high standard in a timely manner that meets commercial needs; and 
f)    all corporate governance aspects are considered.

To support the Assistant General Counsel (Corporate) and Deputy Group Company Secretary in:
a)    providing governance support to Legal & General Group Plc and its committees and other subsidiary companies and committees where relevant to ensure that practice equates to that required by statute, the UK Corporate Governance Code and regulatory requirements and in a way in which allows the business to achieve its aims and which ensures consistent corporate approach is taken across the Group while minimising legal and reputational risk;
b)    providing company secretarial support to such of the Group’s boards or committees as required, including, where appropriate:
•    agenda-setting, ensuring that the relevant Boards and Committees are complying with internal governance requirements and being informed of and/ or approving such matters as would be expected from a robust corporate governance process;
•    minute-taking; and
•    collation and checking of papers to ensure that they are of a sufficiently high quality to be presented to the board/committee, and cover the correct topics;
c)    preparing the relevant sections of the annual report and accounts and ensuring that the AGM and other Legal & General Group Plc meetings, notices, circulars and announcements comply with all relevant statutory, regulatory and accepted corporate governance codes; and
d)    the on-going development of L&G standard form documentation.
To work with the other Legal and Governance teams to ensure that there is a coherent and seamless delivery of legal and governance advice to the Group.
To assist the Assistant General Counsel (Corporate) and Deputy Company Secretary in identifying and reporting any matters which are of strategic, reputational or material financial value to the Group General Counsel. 
To manage external legal fees to ensure business costs are kept to a minimum and manage external legal advice to ensure sound and commercially useful advice is provided to the business.
To ensure there is appropriate horizon scanning of legal regulatory developments and ensure that the Group is advised in a timely and appropriate manner.
 

- 2:1 degree (or higher) in LLB or via appropriate conversion course
- LPC (post graduate qualification)
- Qualified lawyer  
- 3+ years post qualification experience with a leading law firm with a specialism in corporate law, M&A and corporate governance 
- Knowledge of the relevant statutory, regulatory and common law applicable to the field of corporate law
 

When you commit to Legal & General, we’ll commit to you too. That means we’ll recognise and reward your hard work, your performance and your contribution.

If you join us, you’ll get access to some great benefits, including private medical insurance, 30 days holiday (excluding bank holidays), a generous pension scheme, life assurance, and Income Protection. You'll receive a car allowance of 12% of your annual salary, and you can participate in our electric car scheme, which offers employees the option to hire a brand new electric car through tax efficient salary sacrifice. We’re also proud to offer competitive family leave. 

You’ll have the opportunity to participate in our annual, performance-related bonus plan and valuable share schemes. And then there are the many discounts we offer that you can take advantage of – both for our own products and at a range of high street stores and online offerings. 

The brand with the brolly is choosing today to change tomorrow.

Since 1836, we’ve grown to become one of the world's largest asset managers, homebuilders, pension providers and insurance brands. 

We’re all here to improve the lives of our customers, build a better society for the long term, and create value for our shareholders - helping to shape a better future for society and the planet.

We need people who share our ambitions, agility and entrepreneurial spirit to help us do it.

At L&G, you’ll find a balance that helps you be your best. Empowered by hybrid working, we’re supported by technology and workplaces that enable us to work effectively wherever we are. We come together in offices to collaborate and connect, and use time at home for individual, focused activities. And, when we achieve great things, we celebrate our success and reward strong performance.

Today, there’s over 10,000 of us, working towards our mission, with plenty of opportunities to grow your career as we grow L&G. Will you join us?

Great minds don’t have to think alike, so we welcome voices from all backgrounds. Bringing together people with different life experiences helps us build empathy with our customers and drive innovation.

We don’t just talk about it, we actively promote diversity and equitable opportunities for all. That means our employment decisions are made without regard to race, colour, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability or protected veteran status. In fact, we embrace every dimension of diversity to reflect the customers and communities we serve.

We think it’s important to create an inclusive environment where we can all belong, contribute and drive progress, where you can develop and grow, and be empowered. We want you to use your voice to help us build a better tomorrow.

We all work differently, and have different needs, which is why. we’re always open to discussing flexible working arrangements. Likewise, we’re committed to finding reasonable accommodations for candidates with specific needs during our recruiting process.

So whoever you are, wherever you are, whatever your story, we'd love to hear from you.