Senior Contracts Lawyer
Leads complex pre-M&A contract negotiations, manages sophisticated investment fund and asset manager clients, and oversees external counsel. The role requires UK, European, US, or Canadian legal licensure, 5+ years of PQE, strong commercial judgment, and expertise in legal technology.
About the job
Responsibilities
- Lead the negotiation of high-value, complex pre-M&A contracts and multi-party agreements across the client portfolio.
- Independently manage key client relationships with sophisticated investment fund and asset manager clients.
- Manage external counsel instructions and supervision across relevant matters.
- Drive continuous improvement of the legal technology suite, including Carta Ava, by identifying, piloting, and embedding new capabilities.
- Mentor and develop contract lawyers and senior paralegals through work review and structured feedback.
- Own and evolve the firm-wide standard clause library and cross-client playbook framework.
Requirements
- Licensed to practise law in the UK, Europe, US, or Canada.
- 5+ years of post-qualification experience (PQE).
- Track record of independently leading complex pre-M&A negotiations, including cross-border and multi-jurisdictional matters.
- Experience building trusted-advisor relationships with sophisticated financial services clients and leading senior stakeholder engagement.
- Expert user of Carta Ava, HighQ, and CLM/e-signature platforms.
- Experience driving AI and legal technology adoption across a team.
- Experience developing junior team members through structured feedback.
- Ability to align legal advice with business objectives and manage external counsel spend effectively.
Skills
Contract Law, Pre-M&A Negotiations, Cross-Border Transactions, Multi-Jurisdictional Matters, Client Relationship Management, External Counsel Management, Carta Ava, Highq, Clm Platforms, E-Signature Platforms, Legal Technology, Clause Libraries, Legal Playbooks, Stakeholder Engagement, Financial Services
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