General Counsel and Legal Director

With vast experience and global reach, we help businesses across every sector to find the most outstanding senior legal talent, and General Counsel to help develop and progress their careers.

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Explore General Counsel recruitment


Recruiting General Counsel since 1989 

Strong legal leadership is the lynchpin to every successful business. General Counsel today are more than just lawyers. They are part of the strategy and businesses rely on their knowledge and commerciality. Therefore, hiring the right GC is crucial. 

We have a proven track record of hiring General Counsel in high-profile, complex senior legal talent searches and accessing our strong relationships with the GC community.

benefits

By choosing to work with us, you will benefit from: 

Genuine global reach

Our many global offices have completed projects in more than 55 locations.  Through our extensive network we can consistently deliver in your search for talent 

An unrivalled track record

We are a recruitment partner you can trust

Market longevity

We pioneered the first recruitment consultancies in numerous global locations. We offer local market knowledge on a global scale

Focused expertise

We are a legal specialist search and recruitment consultancy dedicated to the legal profession. We speak your language and understand your markets 

Tailored services

We tailor our services to suit your needs and goals. Typically, they include contingent and retained search, permanent, temporary and interim recruitment as well as consultancy solutions


How we can help

Finding General Counsel talent

Hiring General Counsel is more than just a new hire, it is a new partnership for the business. As a business you will be looking for someone who can not only deal with the pure practical legal matters but someone who can align this to the business objectives in the most commercial way.

We have a proven track record of recruiting GCs in high-profile, complex senior legal talent searches.

Close up of business colleagues working together in coworking office,

Building legal teams

Whether you are looking to build out your headquartered legal team or launch in-house legal resource around the world you will be looking to find the highest quality talent.

Many businesses in recent years have looked to decentralise their legal teams and it has become more important than ever to have legal expertise on the ground. These lawyers provide local knowledge around specific laws and regulations but also local language skills allowing for ease of access when it comes to complicated legal matters.

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Hiring your first lawyer

Making this investment is a big step for businesses and there are lots of questions, from when is the right time to bring in this resource to what kind of background should the lawyer have.

As a business, you need to scope the role out and establish where this talent would sit within your business and what long-term benefits having this resource will mean.

Roles we typically recruit for include:

Global General Counsel  
Regional General Counsel  
General Counsel
Legal Director 
Head of Legal   

Interim General Counsel
Interim Head of Legal  
Senior Legal Counsel  
Legal Counsel 
Interim Legal Counsel  

Sole Legal Counsel 
Corporate Counsel  
Contract Manager  
Paralegal 
Legal Operations

looking to hire an in-house role?

TR_Global in-house report 2025 - Portrait cover

We are delighted to share with you our 2025-2026 global in-house legal market report and salary guide.

The global in-house legal market continues to evolve rapidly, navigating a complex landscape with both challenges and opportunities. This year’s report addresses several critical factors shaping the market.

Meet the team

Joyce-Toeset
Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland

latest resources

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UK and Ireland in-house legal recruitment market update Q3

  • Posted July 13, 2026
Contents Key insights Corporate and commercial, London Banking and financial services, London Interim, London Regional UK Ireland Corporate and commercial, London Q2 saw confidence continue to build across the in-house legal market, although hiring remained measured and highly strategic. Businesses continue to navigate economic uncertainty, evolving regulation and rapid technological change, but there was greater […]
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How in-house legal recruitment is changing in Toronto

  • Posted July 8, 2026
Contents Share Key insights Toronto remains one of Canada’s most active legal hiring markets, but the conversation has shifted. The biggest challenge facing employers is no longer simply finding legal talent. It is understanding what experienced in-house lawyers want from their next role and adapting hiring strategies accordingly. Across Canada, legal teams are taking on […]
Young woman working at home. She is sitting at the desk in the home office and looking at a laptop

How European regulatory change is reshaping legal hiring in private equity

  • Posted July 7, 2026
Contents Key insights European private equity has always operated across borders, but the challenges facing legal teams are changing. While navigating multiple jurisdictions remains important, the bigger issue for many investors, portfolio companies and management teams is preparing for a wave of regulatory developments that will shape transactions, governance and value creation over the coming […]
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What data centre investment means for infrastructure lawyers

  • Posted July 3, 2026
Contents Key insights Over the past decade, infrastructure investment has undergone a quiet but profound transformation. Traditionally anchored in assets such as roads, ports, and utilities, infrastructure funds are now allocating significant capital to digital assets: most notably, data centres. This shift has been driven by the exponential growth of cloud computing, artificial intelligence, streaming […]
Amsterdam city and canal scene (Herengracht, Prinsengracht and Keizersgracht),

European in-house legal market update Q3

  • Posted July 1, 2026
Contents Key insights Speaking with clients and candidates across Europe this quarter, there is a clear sense that in-house legal teams are operating in a more complex and more visible environment than even a year ago. Shifting regulation, geopolitical pressure and ongoing economic uncertainty are reshaping both hiring priorities and the role of legal within […]
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Public, private or PE-backed business: what’s the difference for a GC in Europe? 

  • Posted June 26, 2026
Contents Share Key insights   The title may stay the same, but the role of a general counsel can look very different depending on ownership structure. A GC operating within a listed multinational faces a very different set of expectations to one supporting a founder-led private business or a private equity-backed portfolio company.  Across Europe, these differences are becoming more pronounced as organisations […]
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Thinking around corners: a private equity GC’s view on anticipating risk

  • Posted June 25, 2026
Contents Key insights Nikki Newton sat down with Bryn Grassia Jones, General Counsel at Salica, to talk about the realities of operating as a GC in a VC and growth fund environment, and why the ability to anticipate risk, rather than simply react to it, has become one of the most important qualities in the […]
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What UK tech firms look for in in-house legal hires

  • Posted June 25, 2026
Contents Key insights The UK technology sector has evolved significantly over the past decade, and so too have expectations of in-house lawyers. While technical legal excellence remains important, the most successful technology companies are increasingly seeking lawyers who can serve as strategic business partners, support growth agendas, and navigate rapidly evolving regulatory frameworks. When hiring […]
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How to build a career in legal operations

  • Posted June 18, 2026
Contents Key insights Legal operations is one of the most interesting career paths in in-house legal today because it sits at the point where legal advice, business strategy, technology and process improvement all meet. For junior professionals, that makes it a particularly strong route into a long-term in-house legal career. You do not need to […]
Young woman working at home. She is sitting at the desk in the home office and looking at a laptop

How Ontario’s pay transparency legislation is changing legal recruitment

  • Posted June 16, 2026
Contents Share Key insights Ontario’s new pay transparency requirements are set to change more than just job postings. For organizations investing in in-house legal recruitment, they are likely to influence hiring processes, candidate expectations and compensation conversations across the province.  Introduced through the Working for Workers Four Act (Bill 149), the legislation requires Ontario employers to include a salary range or range […]
Groups of young men and women sitting at tables in coworking office environment and discussing small business plans and projects.

The modern GC: culture, conduct and the judgement no one trains you for

  • Posted June 11, 2026
Contents Key insights The role of the general counsel is evolving in ways that are not always captured in formal job descriptions. While much attention has been given to the expanding scope of the role and the increasing regulatory burden, the more fundamental shift is subtler. Many of the most challenging aspects of being a […]
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Stepping into a PE-backed business: a GC’s perspective

  • Posted May 15, 2026
Contents Key insights Georgia Morgan Wynne spoke to Kristin McFetridge, General Counsel at MVF Global, about the realities of stepping into a private equity-backed business and why success in the role has less to do with law, and more to do with judgment, pace and people. It’s rarely the legal work that’s the challenge For […]
Meeting, walking and business people in city in discussion on morning commute, travel and journey. Corporate, teamwork and men and women in town talking for collaboration, partnership and career

The art of the exit: A guide for general counsels in PE‑backed businesses

  • Posted April 24, 2026
Exits are among the most intense and consequential moments in the life of a private equity‑backed business. They compress timelines, amplify scrutiny and place legal judgement at the centre of decision‑making, often alongside high expectations from sponsors, management teams and advisers. For General Counsels (GCs), the exit process is rarely just a transaction. It’s a […]

Why 2026 is a turning point for Europe’s in-house legal teams

  • Posted March 25, 2026
Legal departments across Europe are balancing complex geopolitical pressures, rapid digital transformation and rising expectations around ESG, data protection and sustainability. At the same time, organisations are reshaping their operating models, and legal leaders are redefining what effective legal work looks like in an AI-driven environment. According to LinkedIn, continental Europe has nearly 900,000 in-house […]
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Why demand for employment lawyers in the UK and Europe is surging in 2025-2026

  • Posted March 23, 2026
Over the past nine to twelve months, demand for employment lawyers has increased markedly across both private practice and in‑house teams in the UK and Europe. This is not a short‑term spike driven by cyclical hiring. It reflects a broader structural shift in how organisations manage people risk, compliance and workforce change, a trend increasingly […]

The role of venture capital in North America’s energy transition – and the impact on legal hiring

  • Posted March 20, 2026
We’ve already discussed how the North American energy transition and AI driven infrastructure will reshape legal hiring, but what role does venture capital (VC) play in this scenario? VC has become a central force accelerating North America’s energy transition, transforming research breakthroughs into commercial energy solutions. Global clean‑energy investment reached record levels in 2024 and continued rising […]
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Stepping up: How heads of legal can progress into the general counsel role

  • Posted March 19, 2026
The transition from head of legal to general counsel (GC) has become an increasingly significant career step within organisations. While both roles require extensive legal expertise, the GC position carries a broader strategic remit, encompassing enterprise-wide risk management, governance oversight and senior leadership responsibilities. As organisations face heightened regulatory expectations, operational complexity and evolving commercial […]
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How General Counsel in the Netherlands are building AI-ready legal teams

  • Posted March 9, 2026
Across the Netherlands, artificial intelligence is more than a technology conversation. For General Counsel, it has become a structural and workforce question. As organisations review how automation and legal tech fit into their operations, many are doing so at different speeds. This reflects the uneven pace of AI adoption across the Dutch legal market.  This shift is happening against a complex backdrop. Parts of […]
Happy entrepreneurs shaking hands after meeting in a hallway among people in blurred motion.

What UK interim in-house lawyers look for in day rates: expectations vs reality

  • Posted March 5, 2026
The interim legal market has evolved and grown significantly in the UK over the past 10 years, driven by shifting economic conditions, corporate transformation, digital and automation initiatives, headcount freezes and sustained demand for specialist in-house legal skills. Against this backdrop, one question consistently sits at the centre of conversations with interim in‑house lawyers when […]
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Why US in-house legal departments are restructuring in 2026: key themes emerging across industries

  • Posted March 4, 2026
In-house legal departments across the United States are entering a period of structural change. While cost pressure and regulatory complexity are not new, the pace and nature of change heading into 2026 is different. In-house legal teams are being asked to move faster, operate closer to the business, and support increasingly complex risk environments with […]

looking to hire an in-house role?