Membership Bespoke
General Counsel
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Fractional General Counsel
International Trade Association
£100,000–£120,000 FTE, pro rata
Permanent, part-time – initially 10–12 days per month
An established international trade association is seeking a commercially minded and governance-focused qualified lawyer to become its trusted legal adviser.
Reporting directly to the Chief Executive, with access to the Chair and Board where independent advice is required, the Fractional General Counsel will provide strategic legal, governance and risk advice across the organisation.
The appointment comes at an important point in the organisation’s development. An immediate priority will be supporting a comprehensive governance review, including the modernisation of its Articles of Association, By-laws and wider governance framework. Alongside this project, you will advise on a varied portfolio of legal matters, including competition law, commercial contracts, intellectual property, data protection, membership issues and regulatory matters affecting an international trade association.
This is an advisory rather than operational-management role. It will initially require approximately 10–12 days per month, with the longer-term commitment agreed following completion of the governance review.
Key Responsibilities
- Acting as the principal legal adviser to the Chief Executive, Chair, Board and senior leadership team.
- Providing practical, commercially focused advice on constitutional and membership matters.
- Advising on competition law, commercial contracts, intellectual property, data protection and regulatory issues.
- Reviewing organisational documents and published materials to identify and mitigate legal risk.
- Supporting the review and modernisation of the Articles of Association, By-laws and governance framework.
- Advising the Board on governance best practice and the legal implications of strategic decisions.
- Reviewing delegated authorities, decision-making responsibilities and escalation arrangements.
- Providing legal and governance input into Board and committee papers, resolutions and minutes.
- Advising on Companies Act requirements and statutory compliance.
- Managing external legal advisers, determining when specialist advice is required and controlling legal expenditure.
- Supporting the organisation’s risk, compliance and conflicts-of-interest frameworks.
- Providing independent advice while maintaining a clear distinction between the Board’s governance responsibilities and the executive team’s operational responsibilities.
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The Successful Candidate Will Be:
- A UK-qualified lawyer with substantial post-qualification experience.
- An experienced senior legal adviser, General Counsel, Legal Director or senior in-house counsel.
- Able to advise Boards, Chairs, Chief Executives and senior leadership teams with authority and sound judgement.
- Experienced in corporate governance, company law and constitutional matters.
- Commercially astute, pragmatic and able to translate complex legal issues into clear, actionable advice.
- Experienced in reviewing and negotiating commercial contracts.
- Knowledgeable in relevant areas such as competition law, intellectual property, data protection and regulatory compliance.
- Confident managing external legal advisers and legal budgets.
- An excellent drafter with strong analytical, influencing and stakeholder-management skills.
- Comfortable operating independently in a fractional senior advisory role.
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Experience of governance transformation, constitutional reform or the modernisation of Articles and By-laws would be particularly valuable. Experience gained within a trade association, membership organisation, professional body or not-for-profit organisation would also be advantageous.
This is a rare opportunity for an experienced General Counsel to combine strategic legal leadership with a significant governance transformation programme, working directly with the Chief Executive and Board of an international organisation.
To Apply
Please send your CV. Due to the volume of applications, only candidates selected for interview will be contacted.
Membership Bespoke remains the only specialist recruitment organisation in the UK dedicated exclusively to membership-focused roles within professional bodies, trade associations, regulatory bodies and political parties.
Membership Bespoke is acting as a recruitment business in relation to this role. Membership Bespoke positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status or pregnancy and maternity.
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