In house Legal jobs in United Kingdom

In-house legal teams are not just simply advisers to a firm, c-suite members within the team will often have a seat at the decision-making table. You can find in-house legal teams in a wide scope of organisations from private equity, hedge funds, asset managers and alternative FS businesses. 

Financial services is an extremely highly regulated industry meaning legal counsels are needed in-house to provide reliable, accurate, time sensitive advice to the firm. 

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Private Practice v In-house

The difference between in-house legal teams and private practice firms is simple, in-house teams sit within an organisation managing the internal legal function whereas private practice professionals belong to an external firm, working with a variety of clients within particular areas of law.

We have seen a trend emerge, where private practice candidates are considering appealing in-house opportunities. Top firm lawyers contemplate a move in-house as long as the new working environment is considered equal to their practice and matches their career trajectory.

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What do in-house legal teams do? 

In-house legal counsels should be viewed as the heart of your organisation, sitting amongst company operations, acting as a resource and valued business function. It is therefore imperative that your in-house counsels understand your business and your clients. 

The key function within an in-house legal job is to ensure that accountable decisions are made and the business is aware of the potential legal risk. Specific duties may differ from firm to firm but the overarching theme of an in-house legal counsel is to handle company litigation and compliance. 

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In-house legal teams

In-house legal jobs can vary depending on the firm, and level of experience needed but can be comprised with the following:

• Managing Director

• Director

• Senior Vice President

• Vice President

• Head of Legal & Compliance

• General Counsel

• Head of Compliance

• Chief Compliance Officer

• Senior Legal Counsel

• Legal Counsel

• Interim

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United Kingdom

​The United Kingdom is the amalgam of Great Britain (which comprises England, Wales and Scotland) and the northern portion of Ireland. Its capital, London, is known as Europe's financial hub, and one of the world's most cosmopolitan cities. The United Kingdom is also known for other major cities, like Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Cardiff.

The UK has made significant contributions to the world, most of them being cultural. Literature, theatre, musicals, film, television, music - many big names in these fields are from the United Kingdom.

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Financial Services Sector in the UK

The United Kingdom - and more specifically, its capital London - has always been considered a world financial hub. Its financial services sector is quite massive: in 2018, it contributed £132 billion to the overall UK economy. It is known to be London's largest sector, with 1.1. million jobs in 2018. The city is also known for its huge amount of foreign banks: in the beginning of the 20th century, London had more foreign banks that any other city in the world.

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Getting around

Traveling and getting around the UK is easy for anyone, thanks to its extensive and efficient public transport system, which allows you to go anywhere in the blink of an eye. Because the country is relatively small, journey times are always reasonable: for example, getting from London to Edinburgh is a 4-hour journey if you decide to take the train.

In major cities like London or Manchester, you will also find an extensive public transport system, which includes bus, tube, train, boats, and other alternatives. Getting from one point to another is extremely easy, especially if you have a traveling application like Citymapper or Google Maps on your phone to help you find the fastest - or cheapest! - journey.