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Head of Legal
Head of Legal
Department: Central Location: Edinburgh (UK, Hybrid Remotely across the UK & Ireland, with occasional travel to offices) Employment Type: Permanent Contract: Full-time or part-time
Deadline: 13 March 2026
About the Role
AAB is a leading and fast-growing professional services group operating across the UK, Ireland, and the USA. With over 1,000 team members, we specialise in supporting individuals, family businesses, and mid-market organisations through audit, tax, corporate finance, payroll, consultancy, and wealth management.
As part of a growth-driven expansion, we are establishing AAB’s first in-house legal function. The Head of Legal will lead this stand-alone function, blending external legal support with centralised oversight to support the organisation’s strategic goals.
This role will involve hybrid working (Go to office doors will be accessible for periodic travel across our offices in the UK & Ireland). The Head of Legal will report to the Chief Financial Officer. The role may be structured as full-time or part-time based on business needs and candidate preference.
Key Responsibilities
Establishing the In-House Legal Function
- Establish and develop AAB’s innovative in-house legal function.
- Define the engagement strategy for external law firms, including scope, quality assurance, cost, and pace management.
- Build practical, proportionate legal processes, templates, and playbooks for efficient, lean operations.
- Enhance governance, monitoring, and integration as the team evolves with the company.
Corporate Structure & Governance
- Oversee and maintain Group corporate and legal structures, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
- Provide advice on corporate governance, liaising closely with the CFO and board.
- Urge company secretarial duties, in collaboration with external advisers where needed.
Mergers & Acquisitions
- Lead and support M&A activity, from strategic structuring to post-acquisition integration.
- Actively manage relationships with external legal advisers in M&A transactions.
- Advise on legal and statutory implications of acquisitions and divestments, including transition planning.
Contracts & Commercial Support
- Provide expertise on contract negotiations and commercial agreements.
- Collaborate with:
- Head of Procurement (supplier & third-party contracts)
- Head of Real Estate & Facilities (property, lease, occupancy agreements)
- Business unit heads (client, operational, partnership contracts)
- Review key contracts and escalate where specialist oversight is needed.
- Maintain and develop standard commercially effective contracts and webinars.
- Assess the legal risks within marque services (e.g., risk appetites, audits, insurance requirements).
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Risk, Compliance & Legal Advisory
- Partner with the Risk & Compliance team to proactively identify and mitigate legal risks.
- Influence policy frameworks, compliance programs, and legal advice for consistent, efficient decision-making.
- Provide pragmatic legal input into technology, privacy, and regulatory compliance efforts.
Operational & Financial Management
- Lead the external adviser management, ensuring strategic alignment while retaining cost discipline.
- Foster a stable, cost-effective, and proactive approach to legal spend and contracts.
- Contribute to financial reporting, budgeting, and legal capital forecasting.
What We’d Like to See in You
Qualifications & Experience
- Qualified solicitor with significant post-qualification experience.
- Demonstrated expertise in corporate law (in particular roles involving transactional work).
- Strong M&A expertise and experience managing legal teams or consortiums.
- Preference for candidates with senior advisory experience, either in a fully in-house setting or through private practice.
- Proven track record in outsourcing and managing external law firms.
- Broad commercial experience, including drafting, negotiating, and reviewing a variety of legal documentation.
- Experience working within a efficient, service-led business in an industry where trust and communication is key.
Personal Attributes
- Commercial and pragmatic—able to translate complex legal issues into impactful, actionable business strategies.
- Comfortable operating in a fast-paced environment, handling high-volume projects, deadlines, and rapid growth pressures.
- Strong ability to influence senior stakeholders (CFO, board, operators) when addressing legal and financial challenges.
- Embody multi-tasking and prioritisation skills, juggling conflict resolutions, advising range of voices within the organisation.
- Excellent adaptability and ability to work remotely / flexibly across a distributed team.
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Aspects of the Role as AAB Grows
- You will shape an increasingly critical legal function—balancing lean, pragmatic, and team structures to support AAB’s ambitious expansion plans.
- The scope of the role may expand, including managing hybrid legal and technology risks, ensuring systems are implemented with governance in mind.
- The position will be focused on growth, aligned with raising AAB’s perceived value, ensuring confidence within the ecosystem.
- You will be in a role with high visibility both internally across the business and externally with clients, suppliers, regulators — shaping AAB Legal’s agenda.
What AAB Offers
Every great role deserves a great company behind it. Whether you're looking for opportunity or balance, our benefits are thoughtfully designed for career success and life satisfaction. Here’s what we provide:
Time Off & Family Support
- Public holiday and annual leave, plus the flexibility to carry forward or buy additional holiday.
- Enhanced parental leave (maternity, paternity, and adoption pay).
- Paid volunteering day—support causes you’re passionate about while receiving a day’s pay.
Health & Wellbeing
- Comprehensive private medical insurance, applicable to you and family members.
- Access to a wellbeing-focused Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), including professional mental health counseling.
- Death in service benefit (proceeds granted in the unfortunate event of passing).
Career & Financial Secure
- Competitive pension scheme (transforming employee engagement and peace of mind).
- Life assurance policies (financial security schemes to safeguard both you and dependents).
Flexible Working
- Hybrid residential model (go to office doors available at your discretion).
- An agile working culture with flexible working hours and a smarter, collaborative approach—with modern office spaces tailored to focus, teamwork, and performance.
Note: Only candidates applying through talent acquisition will be considered. Unsolicited CVs sent by recruitment agencies that have not been accessed by our Talent Acquisition team will not be engaged with.
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