Legal Director / General Counsel (In-House)

Job Specification: Legal Director / General Counsel (In-House) Company: A leading UK-based litigation finance provider Location: Hybrid (London-based with flexibility) Reporting to: CEO Type: Full-time, permanent Role Overview The company is seeking an experienced Legal Director / General Counsel to lead all legal, regulatory, and governance matters across a rapidly scaling litigation funding business. This is a senior strategic role responsible for overseeing legal risk, structuring funding arrangements, ensuring regulatory compliance, and supporting investment, underwriting, and operational teams. The ideal candidate brings deep experience in financial services, litigation funding, insolvency, corporate/commercial law, or secured lending, and is comfortable operating in a fast-paced, high-growth environment. Key Responsibilities Act as the principal legal advisor to the board and senior leadership. Maintain and enhance internal legal frameworks, governance structures, and group policies. Oversee legal risk management across SPVs, borrower agreements, investor documents, and funding structures. 2. Commercial & Corporate Draft, negotiate, and manage complex commercial contracts, including: Loan agreements Debentures and security packages Intercreditor agreements SPV documentation Servicing and assignment agreements Lead on corporate structuring, shareholder arrangements, group reorganisations, and new entity setups (UK and offshore). 3. Litigation Funding & Case-Level Support Provide legal guidance on case types funded (e.g., housing disrepair, motor finance, financial mis-selling, PI, BI, IVA). Support underwriting with legal analysis on borrower risk, case viability, insurance structures, and ATE/PG policy terms. Advise on audits, monitoring reviews, and enforcement decisions. 4. Regulatory & Compliance Oversee compliance with relevant regulations (FCA, Companies House, data protection, AML). Support applications for new licences and future regulated activities. Lead on legal aspects of investor documentation, IMs, and disclosures. 5. Security Enforcement & Borrower Management Enforcement of debentures Administrations / pre-packs Appointment of IPs Assignment or transfer of cases Liaise with external legal counsel, case auditors, and administrators. 6. Investor & Transactional Support Review and approve investor-facing agreements, loan note documents, subscription documents, term sheets, and data room materials. Ensure legal accuracy and strong investor protections across all capital-raising activities. 7. Insurance Oversight Oversee legal negotiation of ATE insurance, Surety Bonds, and Performance Guarantee structures. Engage with insurers, brokers, and claims handlers on coverage, recoveries, and disputes. Experience Required 8–12+ years PQE (solicitor or barrister) with strong background in at least two of: Litigation funding Insolvency & restructuring Insurance law / ATE Experience working in-house or within a fast-growth business preferred. Experience negotiating debt instruments, security packages, and complex commercial contracts. Comfortable interacting with external counsel, regulators, auditors, and senior investors. Skills & Attributes Strong commercial awareness and ability to balance legal accuracy with business practicality. Exceptional drafting and negotiation skills. Highly organised, decisive, and able to operate autonomously. Ability to lead legal strategy while also handling hands‑on execution. Comfortable in a data‑driven, operationally intensive environment. Team‑oriented, collaborative, and proactive. Package £90-110k + performance‑based bonus. Opportunities for long‑term incentives as part of senior leadership. Fast career progression within a scaling business. #J-18808-Ljbffr