Legal Counsel
PEI Group
March 11, 2026
Full-time
On-site
City of London, London, United Kingdom
We are seeking a mid-level In‑House Legal Counsel to provide practical, business‑aligned legal support across the organisation. This role is suited to a qualified lawyer who can operate independently on day‑to‑day matters while recognising when to escalate issues or engage external advisers.
The organisation does not currently have a senior in‑house lawyer, and external counsel is utilised for specialist or high‑risk matters. As such, the role requires strong judgement, the ability to communicate legal risk clearly, and confidence in coordinating external legal support when needed.
The remit includes commercial contracting, data protection and privacy, regulatory matters, and complex HR/employment‑related escalations. The Counsel will also support the business with compliance and changes in relevant legislation.
Responsibilities and Duties
Commercial, Regulatory & Corporate Support
- Provide clear, pragmatic legal advice to internal stakeholders on commercial, regulatory, operational, and corporate matters.
- Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of agreements, including commercial contracts, SaaS/vendor agreements, outsourcing agreements, and open‑source licence documentation.
- Support governance processes and regulatory change initiatives, ensuring the business stays aligned with legal requirements.
- Identify, assess, and manage legal risks, escalating high‑risk or complex matters and engaging external legal advisers when appropriate.
Data Protection & Privacy
- Support GDPR and wider data protection compliance activities, including drafting/ reviewing DPAs, conducting DPIAs, and advising on privacy-related queries.
- Assess and advise on data incidents or potential breaches including: Whether clients notification is required, Whether regulatory authorities must be infirmed, Potential liability and contractual exposure
- Review IT vendor contracts to ensure compliance with privacy, security, and data protection standards.
- Advise on privacy-related aspects of IT policies and internal documentation.
- Review legal responses to client and regulators following IT or data security events.
HR & Employment‑Related Support (in partnership with the internal HR team)
- Provide legal advice on complex or sensitive HR matters, including employee relations issues, terminations, grievances, and investigations.
- Advise on employment‑related risks, ensuring decisions align with UK employment law and best practice.
- Review and provide input into employment contracts, policies, handbooks, and internal HR processes.
- Support HR with escalated matters involving regulatory risk, cross‑border employment issues, or potential litigation.
- Monitor developments in employment legislation and advise on necessary changes to policies, contracts, and HR practices.
External Counsel Coordination
- Act as the primary point of contact for external legal advisers, managing instructions, consolidating advice, and ensuring cost‑effective use of external support.
About You
Experience and Skills:
- Qualified solicitor or barrister (England & Wales or equivalent).
- Typically, 3–7 years’ PQE, ideally with some in‑house experience.
- Strong background in commercial contracts and general legal advisory.
- Practical knowledge of data protection and privacy, including GDPR.
- Experience advising on complex HR/employment matters (highly advantageous).
- Commercially minded, pragmatic, and solutions‑focused.
- Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, able to translate legal risk for non‑lawyers.
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Benefits
- 25 days of annual leave plus 8 bank holidays, with additional leave for long service and a gifted Christmas break
- Holiday flex option to buy or sell up to 3 days of leave
- Employee incentive reward program (EIRP) tied to future exit events
- 4 paid volunteer days per year
- On site 24/7 gym with classes and full facilities
- Life insurance (4x basic salary) and 24/7 Employee Assistance Programme
- Private medical insurance (post-probation), annual eye tests and DSE eyewear allowance
- Pension scheme with 4.5% matched contributions and enhanced matching over time
- Cycle to work scheme, interest-free travel loan and employee referral bonus
About Us
Who we are:
PEI Group is a subscriber-focused business intelligence company. With our multi-talented global team of over 490 people, spread across EMEA, USA & Asia, our purpose is to inform and connect investment professionals across global, specialised markets. We identify specific high growth, high value investment sectors and themes where deep insight, strong market relationships and active capital flows are critical for success.
What we do:
PEI Group provides industry-leading journalism, data, and market insight to subscribing clients via a wide portfolio of specialist brands supported by our robust and scalable digital publishing, analytics, and database platform. We also track the firms and individuals who shape markets and bring client-communities together to enable knowledge sharing, profile building and relationship development through professional networks and events. Wherever our markets are active – in New York, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Sydney, Hong Kong, Singapore, London and elsewhere – PEI is hard at work examining crucial market forces and shifting investment themes, identifying active investors and their capital allocations, and scanning ahead for regulatory changes, new compliance requirements and other risk factors.
At PEI we value diverse talent and welcome applications from everyone – regardless of background. We are an equal opportunity employer and our inclusive culture at PEI is reflected in every stage of the recruitment journey. Please inform us at initial stages of the recruitment process if you require any reasonable adjustments and we can accommodate this.
PEI Group supports flexible working arrangements, and we welcome career returners.