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.

Job Description:

Lincoln International (LI) is seeking a Legal Counsel to join LI’s global legal team with a focus on 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 report directly to LI’s Deputy General Counsel – Head of Legal, Europe located in the company’s London office. The Legal Counsel will also work closely with LI’s European CFO and Chief Administrative Officer and Head of Compliance, Europe, both of whom are located in LI’s London office, while also regularly collaborating with LI’s General Counsel and 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 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 4 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.

Key Responsibilities:

The primary duties of the Legal Counsel are as follows:

• Engagement Letters and other contracts
  • Assist Lincoln’s partners and officers with preparing and negotiating engagement letters with potential clients, and ancillary documents such as non-disclosure agreements, fee-sharing agreements and non-reliance letters.
  • Draft and negotiate other contracts such as vendor contracts, consultant agreements and IT-related agreements.
  • Together with the Deputy General Counsel, responsible for maintaining, reviewing and updating Lincoln’s engagement letter templates and assist on provision of training on common issues regarding engagement letters.
• Other items (Employee-Related Matters; Disputes; M&A Transactions)
  • Provide legal support to the Deputy General Counsel and HR on employee-related matters throughout the UK and Europe.
  • Provide legal support to the Deputy General Counsel on company-related disputes involving the UK and/or European business operations.
  • Provide legal support to the Deputy General Counsel for M&A transactions involving the UK and/or European operations, including drafting and negotiating contracts, and supporting integration activities as needed.
• General Legal Support, Advice, and Oversight
  • Handle directly a variety of legal and business matters for the UK and European operations as directed by the Deputy General Counsel which may include managing outside counsel as needed.
  • Work cross-functionally with other departments such as HR, finance, tax, marketing and IT to contribute to the organization’s financial and operational success.
  • Assist with general corporate governance matters including maintaining corporate documentation.
  • Assist the Deputy General Counsel with the rollout of a new LI contract management system.
• FCA Regulatory and Other Regulatory and Compliance Matters
  • Assist 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.
  • Assist the Deputy General Counsel and Head of Compliance, Europe 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.

Education/Background:

Interested candidates should meet the following requirements:

• Must be a qualified lawyer and admitted to practice law in England and Wales with a strong academic record. 
• Fluent or native English speaker required. Ability to speak French or German preferred but not required.
• A minimum of 4 years post-qualification experience at a top tier corporate law firm or as in-house counsel in a multinational firm
• 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.
• 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 is also highly desirable.

Additional skills include:

• 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 Deputy 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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