# Institutional Legal Counsel **Company**: BlackRock **Location**: Edinburgh, Scotland **Work arrangement**: hybrid **Experience**: senior **Job type**: full-time **Category**: Legal **Industry**: Finance **Wikidata**: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q219635 **Apply**: https://blackrock.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/BlackRock_Professional/job/Edinburgh-Scotland/Institutional-Legal-Lawyer---EMEA-Legal---Compliance_R266100-1?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply **Canonical**: https://yubhub.co/job/institutional-legal-counsel-3324f078-2d6/ ## Description BlackRock is seeking an experienced Institutional Legal Counsel to join its Institutional Legal Team in Edinburgh, Scotland, or London, Greater London. The successful candidate will provide advice and support to the Multi-Asset Strategies & Solutions (MASS) business, EMEA Institutional Client Businesses (ICB), Transition Management team, and BlackRock's captive life insurance vehicle for institutional clients, BlackRock Life Limited (BLL). The role involves identifying, addressing, and managing legal and regulatory risk issues arising within the institutional client and MASS businesses across the EMEA region. The successful candidate will act as a strategic legal partner to the MASS, ICB, and Transition Management business teams, proactively identifying solutions and driving outcomes. Key responsibilities include: - Identifying and managing legal and regulatory risk issues - Acting as a strategic legal partner to business teams - Participating in client-facing discussions and negotiations - Providing legal support and advice on commercial legal and regulatory areas - Coordinating and managing external legal advice The ideal candidate will be a solicitor/lawyer qualified in England and Wales or another relevant jurisdiction, with at least 4 years of relevant experience in investment management, financial services, funds, corporate, M&A, or other transactional practice. BlackRock offers a range of benefits, including retirement investment and tools, access to education reimbursement, comprehensive resources to support physical health and emotional well-being, family support programs, and Flexible Time Off (FTO). The company operates a hybrid work model, requiring employees to work at least 4 days in the office per week, with flexibility to work from home 1 day a week. **Responsibilities** - Identify, address and manage legal and regulatory risk issues arising within the institutional client and MASS businesses across the EMEA region. - Act as a strategic legal partner to the MASS, ICB and Transition Management business teams, proactively identifying solutions and driving outcomes rather than operating in a purely reactive advisory capacity. - Participate directly in client-facing discussions and negotiations with clients and their counsel in relation to legally complex advisory, investment management and transition management agreements, as well as partnership agreements, in each case taking ownership of legal points and driving transactions to completion. - Provide legal support and advice on certain commercial legal and regulatory areas, including MiFID analysis, outsourcing arrangements and fund distribution. - Coordinate and manage external legal advice on areas of law that impact client business and BLL driven work, ensuring quality advice is delivered. - Liaise directly with members of Legal & Compliance across the globe and stakeholders within the firm, as well as external lawyers and consultants acting on behalf of clients. **Governance & Policy Engagement** - Support the BLL Board and advise on BLL documentation and governance. - Provide feedback to industry consultations in relation to new legislation and policy-making process (including consultation with regulators). **Knowledge/Experience** - Solicitor / lawyer qualified in England and Wales or other relevant jurisdiction(s). - At least 4 years’ relevant experience in investment management, financial services, funds, corporate, M&A or other transactional practice (private practice or in-house). - Candidates with strong transactional or commercial legal backgrounds who can demonstrate an aptitude for learning new regulatory frameworks are actively encouraged to apply. - Whilst not essential, technical expertise and/or familiarity with regulatory issues including MiFID investment advice, UCITS and AIF distribution and retail and wealth intermediary platforms would be helpful. - Strong academic record. **Competencies** - Develops constructive professional relationships across the firm (particularly client businesses and other internal stakeholders) and builds relationships with external advisers. - Ability to persuade and influence internal client base in the provision of advice and manage internal client base’s expectations. - Confident in external client-facing settings, with the ability to represent the legal function in negotiations and commercial discussions. - Demonstrates a commercial outlook, and is motivated and personable. - Ability to identify and manage legal risk (even if little prior experience in the relevant area) and to develop a sound opinion on diverse legal and reputational matters. - Strong attention to detail and ability to gather information and analyse data thoroughly. - Clarifies tasks and requirements, organises time and manages workload to ensure deadlines are met. - Communicates effectively in verbal and written form. - Develops solutions to problems and anticipates potential issues before they become problems. For more fresh new jobs, check out [yubhub.co](https://yubhub.co/). ## Skills ### Required - MiFID - UCITS - AIF - investment management - financial services - corporate - M&A ### Nice to have - regulatory frameworks - transactional or commercial legal backgrounds --- Source: [Apply at blackrock.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com](https://blackrock.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/BlackRock_Professional/job/Edinburgh-Scotland/Institutional-Legal-Lawyer---EMEA-Legal---Compliance_R266100-1?utm_source=yubhub.co&utm_medium=jobs_feed&utm_campaign=apply)