An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Legal Counsel to join Wood’s award winning Eastern Hemisphere Legal team. The position will be based in Corsico (Milan) office, with the possibility to work from home up to two days per week.
#LI-Hybrid
The Role
This role is responsible for the delivery of precise, commercial, timely and cost effective legal advice in respect of any matter which has potential or actual legal or reputational implications, supporting Wood’s legal needs in Italy and across the UK & Europe, Middle East, Africa and CIS, and APAC regions to achieve their short and long term strategic priorities through the effective management of legal risk and cost. This is a role within a truly international, high performing and collegiate team.
The role can cover a broad spectrum of specialist areas of law on a multi-jurisdictional basis (including litigation/disputes, contract/project support including (EPC/EPCm), M&A, joint ventures, employment law, real estate, company establishment, and compliance matters).
What we can offer
- Meaningful and interesting projects delivered to leaders of industry across chemical, petrochemical, oil&gas and emerging energy sectors
- Flexible working arrangements that balance client, team and individual needs offering hybrid working where relevant
- Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion ; we are an organisation actively committed to diversity and inclusion across our business
- Compensation – details provided at the end of the job advert
- Benefits package ; Free shuttle bus from Metro station to the office, company canteen, biannual free medical check-up, free company parking, extra-working accidents insurance
- Commitment to continued professional development; development plans that are tailored to your individual needs and interests
- Global connections ; join experts around the world who are at the leading edge of our industry, shaping the standards of our profession
- Ensure the effective, timely and cost-effective delivery of legal advice, support, governance and compliance in Italy and the relevant geographic regions when required, including project management of external legal service provider engagement and related budgets
- Support the UK & Europe, Middle East, Africa and CIS, and APAC Senior/Managing Counsel with complex legal analysis and problem solving, research, counsel and guidance, including effective communication of same
- Inputs / prepares for litigation / disputes; works with outside counsel to develop the claim/defence, or leads disputes to resolution, including instruction and supervision of outside counsel
- Maintains and inputs into matter and cost management databases
- Understanding of legal risks and cost, including anticipating potential risk and developing risk mitigation strategies
- Provide oversight of functional legal risk and management, proactively identifying and effectively managing legal risk and compliance
- Successfully communicates and delivers strategic legal and compliance initiatives
- Project management of strategic transactions (M&A / JVs) and litigation/disputes
- Manage current and new vendor relationships, identifying appropriate partners who can add value, with a focus on continuous improvement
- Proactively shares knowledge and experience with other members of the legal team to assist in overall development and progression of the team
- Legal training / knowledge sharing - contributing to internal training, guidance notes and templates
- Supports the creation of a cohesive team and organisational culture based on values and excellence in delivery which fosters innovation and collaboration, continuous improvement and change
- Works autonomously and proactively to deliver defined legal goals
At Wood, we are committed to equal opportunities and welcome all talented individuals to consider joining our team. So even if you don't match every statement below but feel you have some of the experience, knowledge or skills needed for this role, we encourage you to apply. It will take all of us working together to deliver solutions to the world’s most critical challenges.
Expected:
- 5 to 8 years post qualification experience either in house or in a private practice environment
- Strong commercial acumen and highly developed legal and analytical skills
- Legal analysis & drafting: ability to interpret, structure and communicate advice clearly, with sound issue-spotting and risk-based judgement
- Commercial contracting: core contractual concepts (scope, risk allocation, indemnities, limitation of liability, variations / claims, termination, dispute resolution).
- Disputes: understanding of how claims and disputes progress (pre-action, ADR, arbitration / litigation) and how to support strategy development with internal stakeholders and external counsel
- Confidentiality: understanding how to protect and handle sensitive investigations / contentious matters appropriately (including disciplined written communications)
- Matter management discipline: matter scoping, status reporting, document management and basic cost awareness
- Stakeholder management: presenting complex issues succinctly to non-lawyers; confidence to ask the right questions to get to a decision
- Working as an effective team player in a fast-paced environment
- Fluent Italian & English
Desirable:
- Engineering / construction / projects work (contentious or non-contentious), including exposure to EPC / EPCm or comparable delivery models (or demonstrable interest in developing this specialty quickly)
- Claims, variations, delay/disruption concepts, and/or supporting dispute strategy, including working productively with external counsel
- Employment / HR advisory exposure: handling sensitive documentation, or managing external counsel input
- M&A / Corporate exposure
- Multi-jurisdiction mindset: experience working across jurisdictions/time zones, or demonstrated ability to learn unfamiliar legal frameworks with supervision
- Global / matrix environment: comfort working with multiple functions (commercial, procurement, HR, finance, projects) and aligning advice to business objectives
Ability to:
- Consistently deliver to stakeholders
- Push the boundaries to create smarter legal solutions
- Generate trust and credibility with audiences through continuous, open and consistent communication
- Champion and drive innovation and change initiatives, focused on improving quality and effectiveness
- Work effectively across different cultures, driving a global mind-set
- Foster and contribute towards a customer-focused climate that delivers on expectations and strengthens relationships
- Meet deadlines and always provide professional level of service
- Measure performance of external counsel against budgets
- Work collaboratively with and influence key business unit / service bundle / functional leadership teams
Compensation and compliance:
Contract & Classification
- Contract type: Permanent
- Collective Agreement (CCNL): Industria Metalmeccanica (CNEL C011)
- Job Classification level: impiegato, consistent with role requirements and applicable CCNL
Compensation
- Gross Annual Salary Range: € 59,000 - € 88,000 paid in 14 instalments
- The compensation package will include applicable CCNL elements and company benefits
- Variable pay and additional benefits will be detailed during the selection process
Equal Opportunities
- This job opportunity is open to all individuals, in compliance with the principle of equal opportunities and non-discrimination, in accordance with applicable regulations
Transparency & Offer Determination
At the end of the selection process, the Company reserves the right to make an offer with a job level and/or gross annual salary different from what is indicated in this job posting, consistently with the candidate’s professional experience and technical and soft skills.
Any deviation from the information provided in the job posting will be justified by objective and verifiable elements that emerged during the selection process, including:
- Professional experience significantly higher/lower than the target profile;
- Additional specialized skills relevant to the role;
- Scope and complexity of responsibilities assigned in the final job configuration;
- Alignment with the internal grading system and consistency with comparable roles;
- Outcomes of technical evaluations and/or assessments used in the selection process
Compliance Statement
All compensation decisions:
- Comply with the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value pursuant to EU Directive 2023/970 and applicable Italian legislation – D.L. 96/2026
- Are aligned with the relevant CCNL applicable
- Follow company Code of Conduct and DE&I principles
Wood is a global leader in consulting, engineering and operations for the energy and materials sectors. With 33,000 people in around 50 countries, Wood supports clients across the full asset lifecycle, delivering safe, predictable outcomes while enabling resilient operations and a lower carbon future. Wood forms the Energy & Materials pillar of Sidara - a global partnership uniting leading multidisciplinary engineering, design, and project management companies. www.woodgroup.com
Diversity Statement
We are an equal opportunity employer that recognises the value of a diverse workforce. All suitably qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment on the basis of objective criteria and without regard to the following (which is a non-exhaustive list): race, colour, age, religion, gender, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, or other characteristics in accordance with the relevant governing laws.
