In-House Legal Counsel (Land, Banking & Commercial)

Location: London

Job Type: Full-Time | Permanent

Our client is a fast-growing London-based real estate developer and investor with an active pipeline across residential, mixed-use, and build-to-rent schemes. The business has expanded significantly in recent years and continues to scale its development and investment platform.

The Role

They are seeking a commercially focused In-House Counsel to support across land acquisitions, development finance, and commercial contracts. This is a broad, high-impact role working closely with investment, development, and finance teams, providing pragmatic legal advice in a fast-paced, deal-driven environment.

Key Responsibilities

Land & Property

• Lead legal due diligence and transaction management on land acquisitions, option agreements, and conditional contracts
• Advise on title matters, planning obligations (Section 106), overage, and restrictive covenants
• Review and negotiate heads of terms, purchase agreements, and associated documentation
• Manage external solicitors on complex transactions, ensuring quality and cost efficiency
• Support joint venture structuring and documentation

Banking & Finance

• Act as the lead legal contact on development finance transactions, including senior, mezzanine, and equity arrangements
• Review and negotiate facility agreements and security documentation
• Manage conditions precedent processes and drawdowns alongside internal teams
• Liaise with lenders and their legal advisers

Commercial Contracts

• Draft and negotiate a wide range of agreements, including construction contracts (JCT), professional appointments, and NDAs
• Advise on contractor and consultant terms, warranties, and novation agreements
• Support procurement and contract administration queries
• Maintain and develop standard templates and precedents

General In-House

• Provide clear, commercially focused legal advice to senior stakeholders
• Identify and manage legal risk across the development and investment pipeline
• Manage external legal panel and oversee legal spend
• Monitor regulatory developments and advise the business accordingly

Candidate Profile

• Qualified solicitor with 4–8 years’ PQE
• Strong grounding in real estate law, particularly land acquisition
• Experience with development finance and/or banking transactions
• Background in a reputable private practice environment
• Strong drafting skills and attention to detail
• Commercial and pragmatic approach to legal advice

Desirable

• Previous in-house experience
• Exposure to both borrower and lender-side finance transactions
• Experience across commercial contracts within a development or investment business