We are trusted investment banking advisors to business owners and senior executives of leading private equity firms and public and privately held companies around the world. Our services include mergers and acquisitions advisory, private funds and capital markets advisory, and valuation and fairness opinions. As one tightly integrated team of more than 1,000 professionals across 15 countries, we offer an unmatched perspective on the global private capital markets, backed by superb execution and a deep commitment to client success. With extensive industry knowledge and relationships, timely market intelligence and strategic insights, we forge deep, productive client relationships that endure for decades. Learn more at www.lincolninternational.com.

At Lincoln International, we know that the success of our global organization is a direct outcome of the strength of our people. We encourage diversity of thought and create talent density by attracting, retaining and engaging high performers from all demographics, backgrounds and perspectives. We value diversity, equity and inclusion as a catalyst to foster innovation and creative problem solving, access the best candidates and adapt to a highly dynamic, competitive environment. We know that employing a diverse team and valuing the unique perspectives of our people allows us to better understand and serve the needs of our clients.

Lincoln International is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We encourage you to read more about our commitment to diversity and Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) efforts.

Lincoln International (LI) is seeking a Deputy General Counsel to lead the company’s UK and European legal operations. This position is located in LI’s London office and will be responsible for providing day-to-day legal support and ongoing strategic advice on a comprehensive range of legal and business matters.  LI currently has European offices in Amsterdam, Brussels, Paris, Frankfurt, Munich, Milan, Stockholm, Madrid, Zurich and Vienna.  These offices, together with LI’s US operations, London and São Paulo offices and Asian and Australian operations comprise its global operations.

This position will be a key member of LI’s global legal team, reporting to LI’s General Counsel located in the company’s Chicago headquarters. The Deputy General Counsel will work closely with LI’s UK CEO, European CFO and Chief Administrative Officer, Co-Heads of Europe, and Senior Counsel (European Compliance), most of whom are located in LI’s London office, while also regularly collaborating with other members of LI’s Legal and Compliance teams, most of whom are located in Chicago.   

As part of their day-to-day role, this person will have significant interaction with LI’s senior bankers, senior management, clients, and outside counsel. Successful candidates should be committed to excellence, able to operate effectively without significant oversight, and excited by the opportunity to further develop high quality legal operations for LI in the UK and Europe.

The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 10-12 years post-qualification experience in handling general corporate and/or M&A legal matters in both the U.K. and Europe in a law firm setting or an in-house legal department or a combination of the two. Specific knowledge of the legal frameworks in the U.K. and either France or Germany is highly preferred.

Role & Responsibilities:

The primary duties of the Deputy General Counsel are as follows:

• General Legal Support, Advice, and Oversight; Strategic Input; Special Projects
  • Handle directly, or manage others in handling, all legal matters for the UK and European operations.
  • Provide strategic advice to the business operations, the General Counsel, and the executive leadership team on a variety of legal and business matters affecting the UK and European operations.
  • Keep the General Counsel abreast of UK and European laws applicable to the business.
  • Work with the General Counsel on special corporate-wide legal projects.
  • Work cross-functionally with other departments such as HR, finance, tax, marketing and IT on projects to contribute to the organization’s financial and operational success.
  • Identify and drive process change/improvements within the legal team operations and wider business operations as appropriate.
  • Assist with corporate governance matters, including local board management.
  • Manage outside legal counsel and outside counsel spend.

• FCA Regulatory and Other Regulatory and Compliance Matters
  • Work with the Senior Counsel (European Compliance) to provide legal support on FINRA, FCA and broker-dealer related compliance matters as they arise, including ongoing review of the company’s legal documentation, framework and policies to ensure compliance with applicable regulations.
  • Proactively identify and ensure the company’s compliance with laws and regulations applicable to the business within the UK and across Europe.
  • Assist the Senior Counsel (European Compliance) with data protection and data privacy matters.
  • Provide additional support, as and when needed, for other policy and compliance-related matters within the UK, European, and company-wide operations.

• General Contracting; Training
  • Draft and negotiate, or manage others in drafting and negotiating, the full spectrum of contracts applicable to the UK and European operations including client engagement letters, non-disclosure agreements, inter-company agreements, vendor contracts, employee-related contracts, IT-related agreements.
  • In collaboration with other members of the LI legal team, create, review and regularly update templates applicable to LI’s UK and European operations to reflect best practices including engagement letter templates, non-disclosure agreement templates, and employment contract templates.
  • Prepare and regularly update training materials on various legal and compliance-related topics and lead training sessions.

• Employee-Related Matters; Disputes; M&A Transactions
  • Provide legal support to HR, and manage outside counsel, on employee-related matters throughout the UK and Europe including employee contracts, employee claims and investigations, disciplinary procedures, employee manuals and ancillary documentation and procedures.
  • Provide legal support, and manage outside counsel, in all company-related disputes involving the UK and/or European business operations.
  • Provide legal support for M&A transactions involving the UK and/or European operations, including collaborating with others on the legal team and external counsel in due diligence activities, drafting and negotiating contracts, and supporting integration activities as needed.
• Miscellaneous
  • Work with other members of the Legal and Compliance teams to manage LI’s insurance policies across UK/Europe.
  • Work with outside counsel and the General Counsel to protect Lincoln International’s intellectual property globally.
  • Organize and maintain corporate records for various UK and European legal entities, including drafting and amending corporate governance documentation across UK/Europe.
  • Work with General Counsel to prepare and manage budgets for UK/European legal operations

Qualifications:

Interested candidates should meet the following requirements:

• Admission:
  • Must be a qualified lawyer and admitted to practice law in England and Wales with a strong academic record. 
  • Additional legal qualification in France or Germany preferred but not essential.
• Languages:
  • Fluent or native English speaker required.
  • Ability to speak French or German preferred but not essential.
• Legal experience
  • A minimum of 10-12 years post-qualification experience at a top tier corporate law firm or as in-house counsel in a multinational firm
• Technical knowledge:
  • Knowledge of the relevant statutory, regulatory and common law of England and Wales applicable to the field of corporate law required.  Must have extensive experience in drafting and negotiating a wide variety of commercial contracts. 
  • Highly desirable: Specific knowledge of the legal frameworks in the U.K. and either France or Germany is highly preferred. In addition, prior experience working within a legal department of an FCA regulated firm or other multinational firm; M&A legal experience; data privacy experience; ESG reporting.
• Other skills:
  • Must be able to effectively liaise with all levels of the organisation up to senior management of the company and demonstrate strong written and oral communication skills.
  • Must be able to work both independently and collaboratively, effectively multi-task and balance a variety of projects simultaneously across multiple time-zones.
  • Desire and willingness to take ownership of wide range of legal areas and develop new areas of expertise in consultation with outside counsel and the General Counsel.
  • Self-starter; proactive; responsive; exercises good judgment as to when and how to communicate with direct supervisor, other members of senior management, peers, and clients (internal and external).
  • Confidence to exercise judgment on complex matters with strong critical thinking, creative problem-solving, and effective decision-making abilities.

Additional Information:

Lincoln International is not currently hiring individuals for this position who now or in the future require sponsorship for employment visa status.

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