ACA Executive Search
Corporate Counsel (in house) London Life Sciences sector £150,000 plus bonus plus stock
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My client is a private equity backed, incredibly exciting, with world-class science company based in London with a current opening for an in-house legal counsel.
Role Overview
As Corporate Counsel, you will act as a broad corporate and commercial generalist, taking ownership of legal matters across a global growth-stage business. The role works closely with senior management, the Board, investors, commercial partners, and external advisers, with particular responsibility for corporate and commercial matters, transaction support, governance, compliance, and cross-border legal matters. This is not primarily a regulatory, litigation, or intellectual property role; specialist matters in those areas are supported by internal and external advisers.
Key Responsibilities
Corporate
Provide practical legal support for the commercial, operational, and strategic relationships that underpin the business and maintain an effective governance framework across the company and its international group.
Responsibilities:
- Draft, review, and negotiate services, consultancy, confidentiality, supplier, technology, R&D, collaboration, clinical, manufacturing, and strategic partnership agreements.
- Structure agreements to balance legal protection with commercial objectives, and develop practical templates, contracting standards, and approval processes.
- Support Board and shareholder processes, delegated authorities, corporate records, and governance requirements across group entities.
- Advise on subsidiary governance, intercompany arrangements, and multi-jurisdictional corporate matters, coordinating company secretarial providers and local counsel.
- Coordinate local counsel on jurisdiction-specific matters while maintaining consistency across the group’s corporate and commercial arrangements.
- Advise on employment, consultancy, and executive arrangements, including appointments, terminations, settlements, confidentiality, and restrictive covenants, coordinating specialist employment and tax advice where appropriate.
Financing and Strategic Transactions
Own the core corporate legal work supporting the company’s financing and strategic development.
Responsibilities:
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- Support equity financings, investor and shareholder matters, strategic transactions, and other corporate development initiatives as the company grows.
- Support due diligence, Board and shareholder approvals, and transaction execution, coordinating external counsel where specialist support is required.
Intellectual Property and Technology
Ensure that commercial and employment arrangements appropriately protect the company’s technology and intellectual property.
Responsibilities:
- Advise on IP ownership, employee and consultant IP assignments, confidentiality, licensing, and technology-related provisions in commercial agreements in collaboration with internal IP counsel.
- Support technology collaborations and development arrangements, working with internal and external IP specialists on ownership, protection, and commercialization issues.
Compliance, Privacy, and Internal Policies
Help maintain a proportionate legal and compliance framework suited to a rapidly scaling international company.
Responsibilities:
- Support internal policies and advise on privacy, data protection, confidentiality, anti-bribery, and other general corporate compliance matters.
- Work with operational, IT, and security teams to translate legal requirements into practical business processes, coordinating specialist advice where required.
What We Are Looking For
The successful candidate will have the legal training, judgment, and autonomy required to operate as a broad in-house corporate and commercial lawyer.
- Qualified lawyer with approximately 6–11 years of post-qualification experience gained at a strong law firm, in-house legal department, or a combination of the two.
- Strong grounding in corporate, contracts, technology transactions, or general corporate advisory work.
- Strong drafting and negotiation skills, with the ability to identify material legal risk and provide pragmatic, commercially focused advice.
- Very high attention to detail, ability to think proactively, and drive to a solutions-based approach.
- Comfort operating independently and working directly with senior executives, Board members, investors, and external advisers.
- Ability to manage multiple workstreams across jurisdictions and subject areas in a fast-moving growth-stage environment.
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Experiences We Value
The following experience would strengthen a candidate but is not essential:
- Experience working with venture-backed, growth-stage, or technology businesses.
- Experience in healthcare, medical devices, life sciences, or another regulated industry.
- International experience and familiarity with coordinating legal matters across multiple jurisdictions.
- Prior in-house experience, particularly in a role requiring broad ownership beyond a single legal specialty.
Why Join Us?
This role offers the opportunity to take meaningful ownership of the legal function within a global growth-stage medical technology company at a significant point in its development. The successful candidate will work closely with both the team, senior management, and the Board on a variety of matters, including strategic transactions, commercial partnerships, international expansion, and the legal infrastructure required to scale the business.
Equally important, we believe that technology must serve people responsibly. Here, we value human-centered innovation, moral integrity, and long-term responsibility. This applies not only to how we design our products but also to how we treat our employees—with respect, care, and a commitment to their well-being, professional growth, and long-term success.
What We Offer
- Professional growth within a fast-growing international company where your contributions have a direct and lasting impact.
- A collaborative, inclusive, and entrepreneurial culture that values initiative, innovation, and continuous learning.
- An international and multidisciplinary team with operations in Central London and the Netherlands, offering a collaborative work environment.
Please provide your current residential location when applying.
Please note:
At Alexander Charles, we take the protection of your data very seriously, and I would draw your attention to our GDPR statement, which can be found on our website under the heading “legal.” By sending us your details, you will have deemed to have considered and accepted these terms.
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