Senior Legal Counsel - Corporate and Commercial Law

About the Role

CMC Markets is seeking an experienced, commercially minded and highly capable Director of Corporate and Commercial Law to join its EMEA Legal team in London.

The successful candidate will take a leading role in providing strategic and practical legal advice across the Group's corporate and commercial activities, with particular emphasis on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, intellectual property, commercial contracts, data protection, and other strategic business initiatives.

The role requires a senior lawyer with broad technical expertise, excellent drafting and negotiation skills, strong commercial judgement and proven experience managing and developing other lawyers.

The successful candidate will be comfortable acting as a subject-matter expert on complex legal matters, advising senior management and working collaboratively with colleagues across the business. They will also be expected to demonstrate flexibility, taking responsibility for legal matters outside their principal areas of expertise as business requirements evolve.

This is a senior position within the EMEA Legal function, combining significant legal advisory responsibilities with leadership and management of a team of senior and junior lawyers.

Key Responsibilities

Corporate Law and Strategic Transactions

- Lead the provision of legal advice on corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, disposals, joint ventures, strategic investments, corporate reorganisations, and other significant corporate initiatives.

- Draft, review and negotiate complex corporate transaction documents, including share purchase agreements, shareholders' agreements, joint venture agreements, and related contractual arrangements.

- Advise on corporate governance matters, corporate structures and the legal implications of strategic business decisions.

- Support transaction structuring, due diligence, negotiation, execution and post-completion implementation.

- Work closely with senior management, Finance, Strategy and other business functions on corporate projects and strategic initiatives.

- Identify and manage legal and commercial risks arising from corporate transactions and business structures.

Commercial Law and Contracts

- Lead the drafting, review and negotiation of complex and commercially significant contracts across the business.

- Advise on commercial arrangements, including strategic partnerships, outsourcing, technology, licensing, procurement, distribution and services agreements.

- Provide practical advice on contractual risk allocation, liability, indemnities, warranties, termination rights and dispute resolution provisions.

- Develop and maintain contractual standards, precedents and negotiation positions to support consistent and efficient legal risk management.

- Support business stakeholders in structuring and negotiating commercial arrangements that achieve business objectives while appropriately protecting CMC Markets' interests.

Intellectual Property

- Oversee legal matters relating to the Group's intellectual property, with particular emphasis on trademarks, brand protection and trademark portfolio management.

- Advise on trademark registration, protection, enforcement, licensing and related intellectual property matters across relevant jurisdictions.

- Work with external intellectual property advisers to manage trademark applications, oppositions, disputes and enforcement activity.

- Support the protection and commercial exploitation of the Group's intellectual property rights, including those relating to technology, software, brands and proprietary business assets.

- Advise on intellectual property ownership, licensing and protection in commercial contracts, corporate transactions and strategic partnerships.

Financial Services Regulation

- Advise on corporate and commercial matters arising in a regulated financial services environment, taking account of applicable UK financial services legislation and regulatory requirements.

- Work closely with Compliance, Risk, Information Security and other specialist functions to address legal issues arising from new products, services and business initiatives.

- Support the assessment of legal risks associated with emerging technologies, digital assets and developing financial markets business models.

Data Protection

- Provide legal advice on data protection and privacy matters, including the contractual and commercial implications of UK GDPR, EU GDPR and related legislation. Support the Data Privacy Officer in the interpretation of data protection legislation and rules.

- Support the negotiation of data processing agreements, data sharing arrangements, and other contracts involving personal data.

Legal Team Leadership and Management

- Manage, supervise and develop a team comprising senior and junior lawyers, ensuring the effective allocation and delivery of legal work.

- Provide technical guidance, oversight and quality assurance on complex legal matters handled by team members.

- Set clear objectives, manage performance and support the professional development and career progression of lawyers within the team.

- Promote a collaborative, accountable and high-performing team culture.

- Oversee workload allocation, prioritisation and resource management to ensure that legal support is delivered effectively and within business deadlines.

- Support the Head of Legal, EMEA in developing and implementing the Legal function's strategy, priorities and operating practices.

- Identify opportunities to improve legal processes, contract management, knowledge sharing and operational efficiency.

- Manage relationships with external legal advisers, including oversight of instructions, quality, budgets and legal expenditure.

General Legal Advisory and Stakeholder Management

- Act as a senior legal adviser and trusted business partner to management and stakeholders across the Group.

- Provide clear, practical and commercially focused advice on complex legal issues, balancing legal requirements, risk exposure and business objectives.

- Lead and coordinate legal support for significant cross-functional and cross-border projects.

- Work collaboratively with other members of the Legal team and specialist functions across the Group.

- Support other areas of legal work as business requirements evolve, demonstrating flexibility and a willingness to take responsibility beyond core areas of expertise.

- Communicate complex legal issues and recommendations clearly and effectively to senior executives, business stakeholders and external counterparties.

- Escalate material legal risks appropriately and contribute to effective legal risk management across the business.

Qualifications and Experience

Essential Requirements

- A law degree or equivalent education and relevant professional experience.

- Professional qualification as a solicitor in England and Wales, or an equivalent qualification in another common law jurisdiction.

- At least 10-15+ years of relevant legal experience, preferably gained at a leading law firm, a financial institution or a well-regarded in-house legal department.

- Strong working knowledge of corporate law, particularly mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, corporate transactions and associated documentation.

- Strong working knowledge of commercial law and substantial experience drafting, negotiating and advising on complex commercial contracts.

- Good working knowledge of intellectual property law, with particular emphasis on trademark protection, management and enforcement.

- Good working knowledge of UK data protection law and its application to commercial arrangements.

- A sound understanding of UK financial services law and regulation, including the legal and commercial considerations relevant to regulated financial services businesses.

- Excellent legal drafting and negotiation skills, with the ability to produce clear, precise and commercially effective documentation.

- Proven experience managing, supervising and developing lawyers, including individuals with different levels of seniority and experience.

- Demonstrable ability to lead complex legal matters, exercise independent judgement and provide authoritative advice to senior stakeholders.

- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify material legal risks and recommend practical solutions.

- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present complex legal matters clearly and persuasively to non-legal audiences.

- Excellent organisational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities, delegate effectively and deliver results within demanding deadlines.

- Ability to operate independently as a senior subject-matter expert while contributing effectively to a collaborative legal team.

- A flexible, adaptable and proactive approach, including a willingness to advise on legal matters outside core areas of expertise where business needs require.

Desirable Experience

- Experience leading significant mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures or other strategic corporate transactions, whether in private practice or in-house.

- Experience working within an international financial services group, investment firm, brokerage or other FCA-regulated business.

- Experience managing international trademark portfolios and coordinating brand protection activities across multiple jurisdictions.

- Experience advising on technology contracts, software licensing, intellectual property, and complex outsourcing arrangements.

- Knowledge of digital assets, including cryptoassets, tokenised securities, digital asset custody and the legal and regulatory considerations associated with emerging digital asset business models.

- Experience supporting international business operations and coordinating legal advice across multiple jurisdictions.

- Experience implementing legal operations improvements, including contract management systems, legal technology and standardised legal processes.