Senior Lawyer - Corporate & M&A Legal

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Corporate and M&A legal team as a senior lawyer. The team provides corporate legal support on a range of matters including acquisitions and disposals, equity investments, joint ventures, intra-group reorganisations and other transactions, company secretarial and corporate governance matters, corporate disclosure and financial reporting requirements. Our role is to advise on a range of issues and documentation related to the above with a focus on identifying key legal risks, advising on their implications for Lloyds Banking Group and supporting the business by providing pragmatic, solution-focused advice, often in conjunction with external law firms.

Our new team member will be someone who delivers influential insight, engages proactively with senior stakeholders and the Legal & Secretariat Community and operates as a subject matter specialist.

You'll operate as a specialist lawyer in relation to corporate and company law matters to support delivery of a range of strategic transactions and projects.

Your key accountabilities will include:

• Providing legal advice to internal clients which ensures compliance with legal and regulatory requirements and balances legal risk with commercial need.  Key areas include the Listing Rules, Market Abuse Regulations, Companies Act, Ring-fencing, Disclosure and Transparency Regulations and the Takeover Code.
• Drafting (or be responsible for supervising the external drafting of) documentation which is legally compliant and protects the Group’s interests.
• Assisting with the instruction and management of panel law firms and development of strong relationships with external lawyers.
• Negotiating the terms of transaction documentation in conjunction with internal stakeholders such as Group Corporate Development, Finance, Tax and Risk, to ensure legal risk in relation to such transactions is appropriately managed and mitigated.
• Challenging, advising and influencing the business on legal issues and developments in order to protect the interests of the Group and develop its business.
• Reporting and escalating legal and governance risks and inputting to recommended solutions as required.
• Assisting with coordination of legal workstream activity on projects and collaborating effectively with colleagues in other teams on relevant legal, regulatory and governance issues.
• Participating in legal and commercial negotiations with third parties to help deliver commercially and legally advantageous outcomes.
• Developing relationships with key internal clients and colleagues.

The place to be!

This is an opportunity to join a truly supportive team working to find legal solutions that support our strategy. We like to challenge the status quo and help drive continuous improvement activity.

You will need to develop a strong understanding of the applicable legal, regulatory and industry framework. You should be confident in coaching colleagues and supporting them in embedding effective legal risk management.

You will be expected and encouraged to think strategically about the operation of the team and how we use and deliver legal services including exploring legal tech solutions, our operating model and resource utilisation.

Seeking a positive and versatile individual who can:

• Build strong collaborative relationships across Legal & Secretariat and our business to support delivery of strategy.
• Be confident in using your experience and insights to influence, inform and challenge business stakeholders.
• Help identify, mitigate and control legal risk weakness.
• Handle your own workload priorities and support more junior colleagues to do the same.
• Stay on top of and share regulatory, industry and legal change.
• Demonstrate dedication to self-development and the development of colleagues.
• Bring passion and curiosity to the role.

Skills/background:

• At least 10 years' post-qualification experience as a solicitor in the UK (or equivalent qualification).
• In-house legal experience, preferably in a financial services organisation.    
• Strong corporate and M&A experience.
• Experience in developing and coaching others.
• People orientated.

We also offer a wide-ranging benefits package, which includes:

• A generous pension contribution of up to 15%
• An annual bonus award, subject to Group performance
• Share schemes including free shares
• Benefits you can adapt to your lifestyle, such as discounted shopping
• 30 days’ holiday, with bank holidays on top
• A range of wellbeing initiatives and generous parental leave policies

We're focused on creating a purpose driven culture and are committed to building a workforce which reflects the diversity of the customers and communities we serve. Together we’re building a truly inclusive workplace where all colleagues can make a real difference.  We'll ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process and to perform essential job functions.  Please contact us to request accommodation. We align with the Disability Confident Scheme.

If you're excited by the thought of becoming part of our team, please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.