Head of Legal

Job Profile Summary

To oversee the effective identification and management of all legal matters affecting the Chaucer Group. To assist the Group General Counsel in building, establishing and maintaining an effective in-house legal function designed to provide legal support and guidance to all business units within the Chaucer Group. To advise of legal matters across the business in both a proactive and reactive manner. To manage and career develop all direct reports and team members

Job Description

• To oversee the design and implementation of an effective framework for the monitoring and management of the legal environment in which Chaucer operates which includes UK, EU and all overseas geographies as appropriate.

• To identify current and emerging legal risks and assess the need for any required change in practices.

• To build and maintain an effective team and legal partnering proposition balancing risk and expense and delivering a quality legal service to the business.

• To provide insurance and non-insurance related legal advice under English law (in conjunction with external legal advisors where scale, complexity and specialist knowledge require), such as:

  • General corporate / commercial law matters (e.g corporate transactions, outsourcing and commercial contracts, intellectual property, real estate, employment contracts etc);

  • Insurance related contracts and arrangements such as delegations of authority, TOBAs, claims handling arrangements, non-standard broker agreements etc.

• To oversee the management by external legal advisors of non-insurance related litigation or disputes where required;

• Reviewing Lloyd’s documentation and agreements relating to unaligned and aligned syndicates (syndicate management agreements, Funds at Lloyd’s documentation etc.)

• Reviewing proposed arrangements with various counterparts such as brokers (proposed arrangements with brokers (eg: non-market standard clauses in TOBAs, fee arrangements or third party service providers, market agreements and initiatives etc.)

• Advice on sanctions, endorsements and insurance wordings

• Advise on any other legal matters as may be required.

Skills and Competencies

• Market knowledge – awareness and understanding of the wider business, economic and market environment in which the firm operates

• Business strategy and model – awareness and understanding of the firm’s business strategy and model appropriate to the role

• Legal knowledge – good knowledge of legal and regulatory matters in the insurance industry

• Risk management and control – the ability to identify, assess, monitor, control and mitigate risks to the firm. An awareness and understanding of the main risks facing the firm and the role the individual plays in managing them

• Financial analysis and controls – the ability to interpret the firm’s financial information, identify key issues based on this information and put in place appropriate controls and measures

• Governance, oversight and controls – the ability to assess the effectiveness of the firm’s arrangements to deliver effective governance, oversight and controls in the business and, if necessary, oversee changes in these areas

• Regulatory framework and requirements – awareness and understanding of the regulatory framework in which the firm operates

• Significant insurance industry experience, ideally within the Lloyds market

• Experience and knowledge of PRA/FCA regulatory regimes

• Experience working in a global group, ideally having managed a team

• Excellent commercial risk awareness

• Good legal understanding and interpretation of certain basics of English law

• Knowledge of Lloyds and overseas legal and regulatory regimes would be advantageous

Education

• Legal qualification

• Minimum 2:1 degree (or equivalent)

ABOUT US

Chaucer is a leading insurance group at Lloyd’s, the world’s specialist insurance market. We help protect industries around the world from the risks they face. Our customers include major airlines, energy companies, shipping groups, global manufacturers and property groups.

Our headquarters are in London, and we have international offices in Bermuda, Copenhagen, Dubai and Singapore to be closer to our clients across the world. To learn more about us please visit our website.

Chaucer is committed to diversity, actively values difference and respects people regardless of the protected characteristics which are outlined in the Equality Act 2010 (UK legislation) as a result of the Equal Treatment Directive 2006 (EU legislation). 
A diverse workforce and an inclusive workplace are core to our success as a business and integral to our winning strategy and culture. We recruit from the widest available pool of talent, and our hiring, assessment and selection process is fair, free from bias and one which ensures we select the right person for the job, based on merit. We are committed to promoting a culture that actively values difference, and recognises that everyone has the right to be treated with dignity and respect throughout their employment.
We are open to considering flexible working arrangements for all roles and encourage you to outline your needs during the interview process.