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Mergers & Acquisitions and Strategic Transactions Legal Counsel

Glasgow, United Kingdom; Greater Manchester, United Kingdom; Birmingham, United Kingdom

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Date live: 29/10/2026

Business Area: Legal

Area of Expertise: Legal

Contract: Permanent

Reference Code: JR-0000134850

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Barclays Legal

Join the Legal team to protect Barclays, its employees, and its brands while ensuring global competitiveness and compliance with legal standards. Your responsibilities will include risk mitigation, managing strategic transactions, and overseeing business contracts.

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Join the Mergers & Acquisitions and Strategic Transactions (“MAST”) Legal team at Barclays as we seek to grow our VP talent outside of London. This is an exciting and unique opportunity to join a vibrant and dynamic team who are currently based in London and New York. The MAST Legal team covers all principal M&A, strategic minority investments, intragroup restructurings and other strategic transactions on behalf of the Barclays Group, globally. We advise on a wide range of transactions, including buying and selling businesses; portfolios of assets (such as loans, credit cards or other receivables); strategic internal reorganisations; joint ventures; strategic partnerships and collaborations; venture capital investments in companies such as fintechs, digital assets and climate startups (ranging from direct equity investments, investments in funds and partnerships, share warrants/SAFEs or convertible loan notes) or debt for equity transactions; in addition to general corporate and regulatory advisory work on portfolio companies. This role will involve engagement with a wider variety of stakeholders, including Corporate Development, Principal Investments, Principal Structuring, senior business stakeholders and members of the Legal Function as well as various other teams such as Legal specialists, Tax and Compliance.

The role includes the following responsibilities:

  • Supporting or leading complex, cross border transactions across the full M&A transaction lifecycle, from early‑stage strategic assessment and structuring, through to due diligence, negotiation and signing and closing.
  • Leading Principal Investments transactions.
  • Preparing and presenting clear, concise legal advice and analysis for senior management, executive committees and the Board, supporting informed decision making on complex transactions.
  • Identifying, assessing and coordinating the management of key legal and regulatory risks arising in transactions, working closely with subject matter experts across Barclays Legal and the wider Barclays Group.
  • Selection, instruction and management of external legal advisers globally, ensuring high quality, commercially focused advice and effective cost and risk management across all transactions.
  • Horizon scanning for legal risks, developing AI use cases, providing legal training to stakeholders and development of team know how.

To be successful as a VP in the MAST Legal team, you should have experience in all of the above, in addition to the following essential criteria: 

  • Advising on all areas of UK Corporate/M&A law including UK Listing Rules
  • Ability to prioritize a high volume of work and to operate both independently and as a global team, with strong project management and organisational skills
  • A strong track record in the following:
    • Depth of relevant deal experience
    • Strong communication skills and attention to detail
    • Drive and commitment, including ability to deliver under pressure
    • Strong interpersonal skills to build key relationships with stakeholders
    • A strong risk and controls mindset

Some other highly valued skills include: 

  • Experience in the financial services sector, either in-house or in private practice
  • Experience in providing regulatory advice in the financial services sector
  • Experience in US M&A and other corporate transactions
  • Experience of UK Private Capital(BVCA) and NVCA model documentation

Location: Glasgow/ Birmingham/Manchester.



You may be assessed on key critical skills relevant for success in role, such as risk and controls, change and transformation, business acumen, strategic thinking and digital and technology, as well as job-specific technical skills.

Purpose of the role

To ensure that the principal / own-account merger and acquisition and minority investment activities in addition to corporate reorganisations are conducted in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and to help the bank manage legal risks associated with these activities. 

Accountabilities

  • Development and implementation of best practice legal strategies to identify and manage compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations.
  • Legal advice and support to the bank's mergers and acquisitions, minority investment and structuring teams on legal matters including due diligence, deal structuring, negotiation and drafting of legal documents and other transactional matters.
  • Representation of the bank in legal proceedings related to mergers and acquisitions, minority investments or reorganisations such as litigation, arbitration, and regulatory investigations (together with Litigation).
  • Creation, negotiation and review of legal documents such as acquisition and sale agreements, joint venture agreements, shareholder and other investment agreements and other transactional documents to ensure compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations.
  • Legal research and analysis to stay up to date on changes in applicable laws, rules and regulations that may impact the bank's mergers and acquisitions, minority investment and reorganisation activities.
  • Developing and delivering training programmes to educate employees on legal and regulatory requirements related to mergers and acquisitions, minority investment and reorganisations activities.
  • Pro-active identification, communication, and provision of legal advice on applicable laws, rules and regulations (LRRs). Keeping up to date with regards to changes to LRRs in the relevant coverage area. Ensuring that LRRs are effectively allocated to, and adequately reflected within, the relevant policies, standards and controls.

Vice President Expectations

  • To contribute or set strategy, drive requirements and make recommendations for change. Plan resources, budgets, and policies; manage and maintain policies/ processes; deliver continuous improvements and escalate breaches of policies/procedures..
  • If managing a team, they define jobs and responsibilities, planning for the department’s future needs and operations, counselling employees on performance and contributing to employee pay decisions/changes. They may also lead a number of specialists to influence the operations of a department, in alignment with strategic as well as tactical priorities, while balancing short and long term goals and ensuring that budgets and schedules meet corporate requirements..
  • If the position has leadership responsibilities, People Leaders are expected to demonstrate a clear set of leadership behaviours to create an environment for colleagues to thrive and deliver to a consistently excellent standard. The four LEAD behaviours are: L – Listen and be authentic, E – Energise and inspire, A – Align across the enterprise, D – Develop others..
  • OR for an individual contributor, they will be a subject matter expert within own discipline and will guide technical direction. They will lead collaborative, multi-year assignments and guide team members through structured assignments, identify the need for the inclusion of other areas of specialisation to complete assignments. They will train, guide and coach less experienced specialists and provide information affecting long term profits, organisational risks and strategic decisions..
  • Advise key stakeholders, including functional leadership teams and senior management on functional and cross functional areas of impact and alignment.
  • Manage and mitigate risks through assessment, in support of the control and governance agenda.
  • Demonstrate leadership and accountability for managing risk and strengthening controls in relation to the work your team does.
  • Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of the organisation functions to contribute to achieving the goals of the business.
  • Collaborate with other areas of work, for business aligned support areas to keep up to speed with business activity and the business strategies.
  • Create solutions based on sophisticated analytical thought comparing and selecting complex alternatives. In-depth analysis with interpretative thinking will be required to define problems and develop innovative solutions.
  • Adopt and include the outcomes of extensive research in problem solving processes.
  • Seek out, build and maintain trusting relationships and partnerships with internal and external stakeholders in order to accomplish key business objectives, using influencing and negotiating skills to achieve outcomes.

All colleagues will be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship – our moral compass, helping us do what we believe is right. They will also be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Mindset – to Empower, Challenge and Drive – the operating manual for how we behave.

Barclays welcomes applications from all candidates and is committed to ensuring reasonable adjustments (accommodations) are put in place to allow for a fair and inclusive recruitment process. For more information and how to request one, please review Adjustments to the recruitment process.

We’re a global, vital and highly respected financial organisation with an inspiring Purpose. Operating in 39 countries and employing around 100,000 people across the world, we help communities, individuals and businesses thrive. And we’ve created financial solutions and technology that the world now takes for granted. A career with us can offer incredible variety, depth and breadth of experience, and the chance to learn from some of the best minds in technology and finance.

To find out more about Barclays' strategy please click here.

We are an equal opportunity employer and opposed to discrimination on any grounds. It is the policy of Barclays to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, colour, creed, religion, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or domestic/civil partnership status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by law.

Barclays is required by law to confirm that you have the Legal Right to Work in any role that you apply for. If you currently hold a work visa sponsored by Barclays, or you would require sponsorship from Barclays, you must declare this as part of your application. Sponsored visas are role and entity specific and any changes must be reviewed. It is important that you ensure you are working on the correct visa at all times. Failure to accurately disclose your visa status or Legal Right to Work may result in your application or any employment offer being withdrawn at any time.

This role may be subject to enhanced governance arrangements. If successful, you may be required to comply with additional regulatory and compliance obligations, such as disclosure of personal trading activities and external interest/affiliations.

Further information on these requirements will be provided at a later stage of the process.

This is Barclays Glasgow

Barclays Glasgow is the engine of the Corporate and Investment Bank, and Shared Technology, delivering vital services to clients across the world. With c.5,500 talented people in a whole range of roles, the work we do touches millions of lives every day.

Our campus is a safe environment for neuro-diverse colleagues or anyone who, from time to time, may need calm, controlled spaces.

We work hard to make our Glasgow campus a centre of citizenship, community integration and social impact. We make a real difference.

Our campus features excellent facilities such as our Fitness Suite, fitness classes, an on-site GP, a bicycle store and so much more.

Connect with your colleagues. Join one of many clubs and societies like our working parents club, or catch up with your colleagues at our rooftop bar, The Beacon.

This is Barclays Glasgow

Barclays Glasgow is the engine of the Corporate and Investment Bank, and Shared Technology, delivering vital services to clients across the world. With c.5,500 talented people in a whole range of roles, the work we do touches millions of lives every day.

Designed for diversity

Our campus is a safe environment for neuro-diverse colleagues or anyone who, from time to time, may need calm, controlled spaces.

At the heart of the community

We work hard to make our Glasgow campus a centre of citizenship, community integration and social impact. We make a real difference.

Focus on health and wellbeing

Our campus features excellent facilities such as our Fitness Suite, fitness classes, an on-site GP, a bicycle store and so much more.

Connect with your colleagues

Connect with your colleagues. Join one of many clubs and societies like our working parents club, or catch up with your colleagues at our rooftop bar, The Beacon.

Multicultural ERGs at Barclays

Be you. Be valued. Belong.

We celebrate the unique perspectives and experiences each individual brings, believing our differences make us stronger and drive success.

You can learn more about our commitment to our colleague on our Inclusion and Opportunities page.

Learn more

Application Process

Your application

We’ll ask for information about you, your CV and cover letter.

1

Your assessment

Covering your behaviours and ability at work.

2

Your interview

Exploring your past experiences and skills.

3

Next step

We’ll request additional information so that you can complete our screening process

4
How to ApplyRead our FAQ's
Barclays

Working flexibly

We’re committed to providing a supportive and inclusive culture and environment for you to work in. This environment recognises and supports your personal needs, alongside the professional needs of our business. If you'd like to explore flexible working arrangements, please discuss this with the hiring manager. Your request will be reviewed in-line with the requirements of the role/business needs of the team.

Hybrid working

We have a structured approach to hybrid working, where colleagues work at an onsite location on fixed, ‘anchor’, days, as set by the business area. Please discuss the working pattern requirements for the role you are applying for with the hiring manager. Please note that working arrangements may be subject to change on reasonable notice to ensure we meet the needs of our business.

Barclays is built on an international scale.

Our geographic reach, our wide variety of functions, businesses, roles and locations reflect the rich diversity of our worldwide customer base. All of which means we offer incredible variety, depth and breadth of experience.
And the chance to learn from a globally diverse mix of colleagues, including some of the very best minds in banking, finance, technology and business. Throughout, we’ll encourage you to embrace mobility, exploring every part of our operations as you build your career.

Find more information

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