Senior Legal Counsel

Job Title: Senior Legal Counsel

Location: Luton

Salary: up to £100,000, plus car allowance and bonus

Role: Permanent – Full time

An established international business is seeking an experienced Senior Legal Counsel to take ownership of legal matters across the UK and Ireland region.

This is a highly visible and influential role where you will serve as the lead legal advisor to the business, providing pragmatic commercial guidance while helping to shape business strategy and manage risk. Working closely with senior leadership,

you will play a key role in supporting commercial growth, ensuring compliance, and protecting the organisation's interests across a diverse range of legal and regulatory matters.

This opportunity is ideally suited to a commercially minded legal professional who enjoys operating autonomously, influencing stakeholders at all levels, and working within a fast-paced international environment.

Key Responsibilities

Acting as the primary legal advisor for UK and Ireland operations, providing commercially focused legal guidance across multiple business functions

Advising on a broad range of commercial agreements including distribution, supply, procurement, logistics, customer service, dealership and marketing contracts

Supporting business leaders with legal risk assessment and the development of practical risk mitigation strategies

Leading compliance initiatives across areas such as anti-bribery, anti-corruption and competition law

Delivering legal and compliance training to managers and stakeholders across the business

Managing litigation and disputes, working closely with external legal partners where required

Building strong relationships with senior stakeholders and acting as a trusted business partner

Collaborating with international legal teams and supporting cross-border legal matters

Contributing to strategic decision-making as part of the wider commercial leadership team

Ensuring the business remains compliant with relevant legal and regulatory

requirements 

What We're Looking For:

Qualified legal professional with an English law degree and significant post-qualification experience

Strong background gained within a reputable law firm, multinational organisation, or a combination of both

Proven experience advising on commercial, legal, governance and compliance matters

Excellent knowledge of contract law and commercial legal frameworks

Strong commercial awareness with the ability to balance legal risk against business objectives

Experience managing disputes, litigation and external legal counsel

Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills

Ability to translate complex legal concepts into clear, practical business advice

Strong analytical, problem-solving and decision-making capabilities

Comfortable operating independently while collaborating effectively across international teams 

The Ideal Candidate Will Be:

Commercially minded and solutions focused

Confident influencing senior stakeholders and business leaders

Pragmatic, adaptable and comfortable working within a changing environment

Capable of balancing multiple priorities while maintaining attention to detail

A credible and trusted adviser with strong professional integrity

Collaborative in approach while remaining confident making autonomous decisions

Proactive in identifying risks and opportunities for the wider business

Passionate about driving best practice and continuous improvement 

Commutable Locations: Luton, St Albans, Milton Keynes, Hemel Hempstead, Stevenage, Bedford, Watford, Hitchin

If you're an experienced Legal Counsel, Commercial Solicitor, Corporate Counsel or Senior In-House Lawyer seeking an opportunity to take on a broad and commercially influential position within an international organisation, this could be the ideal next step in your career.

This role is handled by McCarthy Recruitment, an award‑winning multi‑sector recruiter. We believe that you matter and care about unlocking your full potential.

Work with us to find your perfect role and start your journey today.

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The Legal Bit:

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age. By applying for this role, you are explicitly consenting for McCarthy Recruitment to hold and process your data in compliance with GDPR