General Counsel & Company Secretary - PE Backed Business

Job summary
Our client, a successful PE backed healthcare business is looking to recruit a General Counsel & Company Secretary. You will be accountable for all corporate risk and compliance (non-medical), legal services, company secretarial, insurance and financing arrangements. The candidate will manage a team of 9 reporting into the CFO, advise the Board at the monthly Board meetings on all significant legal matters including material litigation, particularly with corporate risk and/or adverse PR consequences, and key legislation which will impact the group.
Key accountabilities

• Responsibility for the leadership and day to day management of the in-house legal team and coordinating and managing the provision of all legal services to the group in a cost effective manner and within financial budgets;

• Attendance at and minuting of board and sub-committee meetings, ensuring that the Board works effectively and meets its responsibilities to all stakeholders;

• Company secretary for all group companies ensuring all Companies House filings are made as required and the statutory books are maintained;

• Managing the group insurance programme including the appointment of the broker, the policy renewal process, negotiation of the policies and operating the claims handling process;

• Ownership of the finance arrangements and advise to management on all aspects of financing compliance;

• Overseeing the management incentive scheme including liaising between the various stakeholders and managing the exit of any good and bad leavers;

• Providing comprehensive, pro-active and commercially sound legal advice to the senior management team;

• Ensure the group is kept informed and up-to-date on legal issues affecting the group's businesses;

• Responsibility for ensuring regulatory corporate compliance including anti-trust, anti-bribery and anti-money laundering;

• Act as a sounding board to operational management for business decisions or matters of a commercial nature, analysing problems and providing solutions that are both legally sound and effective for business.

Experience

Must Have:

• Qualified Solicitor with at least 10 years post-qualifying experience gained in-house working in a board environment;

• Extensive experience of leading and managing internal teams, external law firms and meeting financial budgets;

• Experience of company secretarial and all aspects of company-wide compliance and governance

• Deep experience of running insurance programmes and renewal processes

• Good working knowledge of complex corporate financing arrangements

• Good working knowledge of people and property matters and litigation.

Good to have:

• Private Equity ownership structures and financing experience (with associated management incentive schemes);

• Management of legal aspects of acquisitions, disposals and joint ventures, particularly involving Private Equity investors;