We are seeking a detail-oriented and proactive paralegal or trainee solicitor to join our London office as a Corporate Secretarial & Governance Paralegal. This role is designed for a candidate who is either a paralegal or has already completed their SQE (Solicitors Qualifying Examination) or LPC (Legal Practice Course) and is looking to gain high-quality Qualifying Work Experience (QWE).
This position is pivotal in ensuring robust governance and compliance for a portfolio of approximately 41 entities in 21 countries. You will serve as the primary gatekeeper for corporate records, managing everything from routine statutory filings to complex capitalization changes and licensing requirements. We are committed to your professional development. For trainee solicitor candidates, we will provide structured legal work - including drafting board resolutions and managing regulatory filings - that satisfies the SRA’s requirements for QWE, helping you progress toward full solicitor qualification.
What You’ll Do
1. Corporate Governance and Program Management
- Drafting & Review: Assist in drafting, reviewing, and maintaining core corporate governance documents, including board resolutions, meeting minutes, and stockholder consents.
- Portfolio Management: Directly oversee the ongoing maintenance of the company's 41 subsidiaries across 21 countries, ensuring all global entities remain in good standing and compliant with local regulations
- Entity Life Cycle Management & Rationalization: Manage the end-to-end lifecycle of entities, including coordinating new entity formations, business registrations, foreign qualifications (for US entities), dissolutions, and strategic entity rationalization projects across the global portfolio.
- Subsidiary Program Management: Manage the global subsidiary management program, including the strategic development and continuous improvement of processes to best manage our 41 subsidiaries across 21 countries.
- Policies & Procedures: Support the maintenance of corporate governance policies and procedures.
2. Subsidiary Administration & Banking Operations Support
- Banking Operations: Support bank account openings for new and existing entities. Manage and track bank account signer changes, ensuring resolutions and banking mandates are updated promptly.
- KYC Management: Serve as the lead point of contact for Know Your Customer (KYC) requests. Proactively manage and respond to information requests from banks, financial institutions, and regulators to ensure accounts remain active and compliant.
- Officer & Director Management: Manage the election and appointment of directors and officers, ensuring all records reflect current leadership.
- Mail & Records: Manage physical and electronic mail intake for the portfolio; ensure physical corporate seals and minute books are securely stored.
3. External Relationship Management
- Outside Counsel & Service Providers: Act as the primary point of contact for external legal partners. Responsibilities include instructing outside counsel on specific jurisdictional matters and managing the relationship with the centralized corporate secretary service provider to ensure seamless global compliance.
What We’re Looking For
- Qualifications: Must be either a paralegal or a trainee solicitor who has already completed their SQE (Solicitors Qualifying Examination) or LPC (Legal Practice Course).
- Experience: Any in-house or law firm exposure to corporate secretarial or governance is desirable.
- Professional Development: We will offer the successful candidate Qualifying Work Experience (QWE) to count toward their two-year requirement for solicitor qualification.
- Attributes: High level of discretion, strong attention to detail, and the ability to manage competing deadlines.
Informing the Role with QWE Requirements
Based on SRA guidelines, for trainee solicitor candidates, the role will be structured to ensure the candidate can successfully register this time as QWE:
- Legal Services Provision: The candidate will engage in "real-life" legal work, including subsidiary administration, drafting board resolutions, and managing regulatory filings.
- Competence Development: The role provides exposure to at least two of the SRA’s Statement of Solicitor Competencies, such as obtaining relevant facts (B1) and developing/advising on relevant options and strategies (B3).
Solicitor Confirmation: We will ensure that the candidate's work is reviewed and confirmed by a solicitor or a Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (COLP) within the company, as required to validate the experience for the SRA.