Head of Legal
Location: Lancashire
Salary: £45,000 - £50,000
Working arrangement: In office
Monday to Friday ( 36 hours per week)


Overview & Opportunity:
Achieve Professionals have partnered with a leading UK business broker who are looking for an individual to lead their in house legal team.




The Role:
*Manage and resolve contractual disputes and claims with clients, including issues relating to engagement terms, fees and service delivery.
*Assess legal risk and commercial merit in disputes, providing pragmatic, solution-focused advice aligned with business objectives.
*Draft, review and negotiate settlement agreements, waivers and other dispute resolution documentation.
*Lead on pre-action correspondence, letters before claim, and all dispute-related legal communications.
*Oversee the progression of claims and disputes, including instructing and managing external counsel where required.
*Own, maintain and continuously improve the organisation’s standard terms and conditions and client engagement contracts.
*Advise on, review and negotiate contractual variations and bespoke client clauses, balancing legal risk with commercial priorities.
*Provide day-to-day legal support and clear, commercially focused advice to senior leadership and operational teams on contractual matters.
*Develop and maintain internal legal guidance, templates and processes to ensure consistency and efficiency across the business.
*Support compliance and risk management by tracking dispute trends, maintaining accurate records, and recommending improvements to reduce recurring issues.
Requirements:
*Fully qualified solicitor (or equivalent) with authority to sign off and issue legal claims within remit.
*Proven experience in contractual dispute resolution, including settlements, negotiations and contract drafting/review, ideally in-house or within a law firm.
*Strong understanding of contract law, including limitation of liability, termination provisions, fee structures and dispute resolution clauses.
*Excellent drafting skills, particularly in letters before action, settlement agreements and contractual documentation.
*Experience managing or supervising junior staff or a small legal support team.
*Commercially minded, able to balance legal risk with operational, reputational and commercial considerations.
*Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage multiple matters, prioritise effectively and work under pressure.
*Confident communicator, capable of explaining complex legal issues clearly to non-lawyers and handling challenging conversations professionally.
*Experience in a professional services environment such as advisory, brokerage or corporate services (desirable).
*Experience dealing with complaints, claims or disputes in a regulated or higher-risk environment (desirable).
*Familiarity with professional indemnity insurance considerations in relation to claims and settlements (desirable).
*Professional, calm and solutions-focused approach, particularly in contentious or high-pressure situations.
*High integrity and sound judgement, able to know when to defend a position and when to recommend compromise.
*Collaborative working style, able to engage effectively with leadership, operations and client-facing teams.
*Proactive mindset, with the ability to identify recurring contractual issues and drive improvements to contracts, processes and risk controls.
Company Benefits


*23 days’ annual leave plus statutory bank holidays.
*4x death in service benefit.
*More to be discussed at interview stage