Mackinnon Bruce is engaged by a retained partner, a leading US MNC within Fluid Technology/Speciality Chemical. We are engaged to recruit a Lead Counsel EMEA, based in London.
The Role
The Lead Counsel – EMEA serves as a legal advisor for our client across the Europe, Middle East, and Africa region. This role ensures legal compliance, risk mitigation, and governance across a complex, multi-jurisdictional legal landscape. The Lead Counsel advises regional leadership on commercial, corporate, compliance, employment, and regulatory legal matters, and oversees legal activities within the region. This role is a key member of the regional leadership team and acts as a trusted advisor to business leaders, while also managing legal team members and external counsel throughout EMEA.
The successful candidate will advise executive and regional leadership on legal risks, regulatory obligations, and compliance standards affecting operations across Europe, Middle East, Africa, and local jurisdictions. Oversee regulatory and ethics compliance, draft and negotiate commercial contracts whilst managing data privacy. The role will support corporate governance and entity management across EMEA, whilst leading litigation, risk management and dispute resolution. This position will provide counsel on employment law, and labour relations, conduct DD and manage 3rd party risk whilst supporting strategic transactions, collaborating cross functionally and globally. In addition, you will directly manage and develop legal team members in the region. Supervise external counsel, allocate legal resources, and build a high-performing legal support model.
Experience required:
- Qualified to practice law in at least one major EMEA jurisdiction
- Bachelor’s degree in Law (LLB) from an accredited institution; advanced legal degree preferred
- Minimum 10 years of relevant legal experience in a law firm or corporate legal department, with significant time spent in a regional or international role
- Deep expertise in commercial, corporate, labor, regulatory, compliance, data privacy, and anti-bribery laws applicable across EMEA
- Experience leading or managing legal professionals and overseeing external counsel
- Strong contract drafting, negotiation, and dispute resolution skills
- Proven ability to operate in a matrixed, multinational environment and to partner across functions and borders
- Fluent in English; additional languages (e.g., Arabic, French, or German) advantageous but not essential
This is an exciting rapidly growing MNC in EMEA. As a global company the role requires flexibility across multiple time zones, with up to 30% travel. The business operates a 3-4 day in office policy in London. Ideally candidates will already be in London, or in UK and willing to move to the area, but it may be possible to relocate someone internationally.
If you are interested in applying, please respond to this advert, or email directly to rebecca.smith@mackinnon-bruce.com