Legal Counsel – Underwriting & Claims

QBE European Operations plc.; City of London; On-site; GBP 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

An international insurance firm is seeking a Legal Counsel to join their in-house Legal team in London. The role involves providing legal advice on insurance and reinsurance, drafting contracts, and supporting the strategy execution. The ideal candidate will be a qualified solicitor or barrister with at least 4 years of experience. The position offers a full-time contract with benefits including flexible working, 30 days holiday, and a pension plan.

Benefits

30 days holiday per year

Flexible working

Pension with employer contributions of 10%

Private medical insurance

Short-term remote work abroad

Qualifications

• Minimum of 4 years’ post-qualification experience.
• Thorough understanding of English insurance law and London insurance market.
• Experience of multi-jurisdictional work is preferable.

Responsibilities

• Provide clear, practical legal advice on insurance and reinsurance matters.
• Support Senior Legal Counsel in delivering legal strategy.
• Draft, review, and negotiate contracts focusing on legal robustness.

Skills

Excellent drafting and client management skills

Ability to prioritise and work under pressure

Good presentation and negotiating skills

Confidence to act independently

Forward thinking and proactive approach

Education

Qualified solicitor or barrister

Job description

Overview

Legal Counsel – Underwriting & Claims role at QBE Europe. Location: London. Type: Full time, Permanent.

We have a great opportunity for a Legal Counsel to join a highly regarded in house Legal team as a trusted legal advisor across our UK insurance and reinsurance operations, supporting them in the execution of their strategy by providing pragmatic solutions on a wide range of legal and regulatory matters.

Your new role

• Provide clear, practical legal advice on a broad range of insurance and reinsurance related underwriting and distribution matters, regulatory developments, and business projects.
• Support the Senior Legal Counsel and Head of Legal, Underwriting & Claims in delivering legal strategy and frameworks for managing legal risk.
• Draft, review, and negotiate contracts with a focus on legal robustness and commercial viability.
• Ad hoc advice on contentious matters, claims coverage, contract interpretation, and legal aspects of claims handling.
• Assist in training on legal and regulatory topics.
• Monitor and analyse legal developments and emerging risks, ensuring the business remains informed and compliant.
• Build strong relationships with stakeholders across the business and promote the Legal team as a valued and accessible resource.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of legal processes, controls, and risk awareness.
• Represent the Legal team in cross-functional initiatives and support group-level projects.
• Participate in the legal duty solicitor rota.
• Foster strong internal relationships within the legal team.

About you

• Qualified solicitor or barrister with a minimum of 4 years’ post-qualification experience.
• A thorough understanding of English insurance law and the London insurance market and a good technical insurance knowledge across commercial insurance business.
• Sound understanding of UK general insurance regulation relevant to insurance distribution and product governance is preferable.
• Experience of multi-jurisdictional work is preferable.
• Excellent drafting and client management skills.
• Ability to prioritise and work under pressure.
• Good presentation and negotiating skills.
• Experience of direct client contact.
• Confidence to act independently and make technical decisions within competence, with ability to judge when to seek advice.
• Forward thinking and proactive in approach to work.

Why QBE? At My Best

At QBE, we want our people to feel rewarded and inspired to perform at their best, that’s why we have created “At My Best”. It’s our connection, our way of showing we have your back. We understand that one size doesn’t fit all and that priorities can change depending on your life stage. That is why our blend of wellbeing initiatives and benefits offer flexibility to suit what matters most to you. It’s in the culture of our business, our QBE DNA, to support our people. Everything we do is underpinned by our QBE DNA.

We’re an international insurer that’s building momentum towards realising our vision of becoming the most consistent and innovative risk partner. We can never really predict what’s around the corner, but at QBE we’re asking the right questions to enable a more resilient future – helping those around us build strength and embrace change to their advantage.

QBE aims to build a workplace that is fair and inclusive. We offer flexible working and welcome conversations about it. With more than 13,000 people across 27 countries, we’re big enough to make an impact and small enough to be a friendly workplace.

To find out more about why you should work for QBE, visit our careers page.

Benefits and Rewards

At My Best – QBE Benefits: 30 days holiday per year (with option to buy up to 2 additional days), Flexible working, Pension with employer contributions of 10% of basic salary, Private medical insurance for you and your family, Family friendly policies, Short-term remote work abroad (up to 20 days per year), Sustainable investing aligned with our net-zero goals, Cycle-to-Work scheme up to £5,000. For more details, visit our Reward Page.

QBE Awards: awards we’ve won or been finalist for include AXCO Global Insurance Awards 2024 (Network Management of the Year), Insurance Business UK 5-Star Cyber Awards 2024, UK IT Industry Awards 2023 (Green Technology Innovation of the Year), Working Dads Employer Awards 2023, Insurance Post British Insurance Awards 2023, and more. See our awards page for full details.

Inclusion of Diversity: We strive for an inclusive workplace and have partnerships with Stonewall and Working Families, among others. Our commitments align with the Women in Finance Charter and other initiatives. See our Careers Page for targets and information.

Accessibility: We promote an accessible workplace and can accommodate recruitment process needs. If you require any accommodations, please notify Talent Acquisition.

ESG & Sustainability: We integrate sustainability into our business with focus areas in a net-zero transition, sustainable workforce, and responsible growth. See QBE’s Sustainability Report for targets and programs.

What next?

If you have a passion to contribute to QBE’s vision, apply by submitting your CV and documents. A member of our Talent Acquisition team will contact you if you meet the role requirements.

APPLY NOW and let’s make it happen!

Job details

Seniority level: Mid-Senior level

Employment type: Full-time

Job function: Legal

Industries: Insurance

Equal Employment Opportunity: QBE is an equal opportunity employer and complies with equal employment opportunity legislation in each jurisdiction it operates.