Legal Counsel

Balfour Beatty PLC
About the role

Balfour Beatty has an exciting opportunity for a Legal Counsel to join our growing team in London.

You will work as part of the UK business-facing legal team, delivering a proactive legal
service to support Balfour Beatty by providing professional guidance, pragmatic
advice and practical support on legal and compliance issues.

What you’ll be doing
Overview

• Responsibility at all stages of the lifecycle of our construction projects including
  reviewing and negotiating upstream and downstream construction contracts
  and associated, PCGs, warranties and bonds etc., advising on contract
  administration queries including extensions of time and loss and expense
  claims and advising in relation to all forms of dispute management and
  resolution.
• Acts autonomously in analysing and solving problems within established
  working procedures

Stakeholder Management

• Build and maintain relationships with managers and employees to ensure that
  the UK Legal team remains responsive to business needs and expectations.
• Under the supervision of the Managing Counsel or Senior Counsel, engage and
  manage agreed panel law firms to deal with specific legal issues as required.
  General Legal Support
• Carry out contract reviews in accordance with UK policies and procedures and
  provide commercial and pragmatic advice in a timely and appropriate manner.
• Advise and assist the UK businesses in the negotiation and drafting of contract
  terms and conditions with its clients, partners, supply chain members and other
  stakeholders.
• Advise and assist the UK businesses in the formation, negotiation and drafting
  professional services appointments and other key business documentation
  requiring legal support and input.

Dispute Management & Resolution

• Provide legal support in relation to all forms of dispute management and
  resolution.
• Conduct/assist with adjudications or other forms of ADR as directed by the
  Managing Counsel or Senior Counsel and, in consultation with them engage
  and manage agreed panel law firms in relation to mediation, litigation or
  arbitration.

Bonds, Parent Company Guarantees and Warranties

• Review the wording of bonds, guarantees and warranties in accordance with
  UK and Balfour Beatty Group policies and provide advice in a timely and
  appropriate manner.
• Liaise with UK Commercial, Treasury and Group Legal teams to procure bonds
  and parent company guarantees.

Training

• Deliver discrete legal training for legal team and SBUs
• Stays up to date with new and changing legislation
• Maintains own CPD

Support for Organisational Agenda

• Ensures personal compliance with all Regulations and Company Policies
• Supports delivery of the Ethics & Compliance agenda by the Ethics &
  Compliance team

Who we’re looking for

Qualifications/ Experience

• Qualified solicitor/barrister; ideally not less than two years PQE,
  consideration may be given to less experienced candidates displaying
  requisite skills and experience
• Knowledge and experience of construction/infrastructure industry

Personal qualities

• Organisation: Good organisational skills; self-starter, prioritises own work
  and delivers independently to deadline
• Commercial acumen: Understands business drivers
• Problem solving: Solutions-orientated, pragmatic
• Teamwork: Builds productive relationships within Legal team and within
  SBUs
• Strong verbal and written communication, able to influence and persuade
• Inputs into client meetings. Presents positions to SBUs in non-legalistic
  ways, clearly and effectively distilling complex technical concepts into
  business terms
• Negotiation: Effective negotiator, robust but flexible approach
• Forward looking: Looks for ways to innovate and improve ways of working

Why work for us

As if contributing to and supporting work that makes life better for millions wasn’t rewarding enough, we offer a full range of benefits too. You’ll have the freedom to shape the package that’s right for you and your life. Here are some of our key benefits:

• Smart working, giving you more flexibility such as staggered start and finish times, with up to 40% remote working, where roles allow.
• 25 days paid annual leave (pro rata)
• Family friendly policies which include 28 weeks full pay for maternity/adoption leave and four weeks full pay for paternity/partners leave
• Pension, share incentive plan, volunteering leave, recognition schemes and much more

About us

Diversity and inclusion

At Balfour Beatty we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential components of any successful, happy workplace. Through our Value Everyone Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and Action Plan, we are growing our diverse workforce and developing our inclusive culture where everyone is able to thrive and reach their full potential, regardless of their identity or background. To find out how we are making this a reality, visit To help and support us with our desired commitment to create an inclusive culture we are members of WISE, enei, Business Disability Forum and the Association for Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers (AFBE). In 2020, we signed the Audeliss and Involve Open Letter to demonstrate our commitment to taking key long term and sustainable actions on Black Inclusion. Balfour Beatty is also a Gold Award holder in the Ministry of Defence ‘Employer Recognition Scheme’ and actively encourage applications from Armed Forces personnel, veterans and reservists.

As a Disability Confident Employer, we are committed to working with people who have disabilities and long-term health conditions to remove barriers for them in obtaining employment. We are also committed to offering applicants with a disability an interview if they meet the minimum requirements for the role. For more info, visit: We are looking to continually improve our resourcing process and ensure that it is fair and inclusive for all. If you have any feedback on the process, please share this with us at: