[Hiring] Counsel @Emerald

Role Description

Emerald is seeking a talented and proactive Legal Counsel – EMEA to serve as our primary in-house legal resource across the Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region. Reporting directly to the Deputy General Counsel, you will manage end-to-end commercial contract review, oversee regional intellectual property filings, and assist with regulatory compliance and investigations. This role is 100% remote, based out of either the United Kingdom or Germany.

You will partner closely with cross-functional commercial, operations, marketing, and IT teams to deliver practical, business-aligned legal advice across Emerald’s expanding EMEA footprint and integrated business operations (including Questex properties).

Key Responsibilities

• Commercial Contracting & Business Support
  • Draft, review, negotiate, and manage a high volume of commercial agreements across EMEA, including venue contracts, vendor agreements, event sponsorship deals, digital media contracts, Master Services Agreements (MSAs), and Statements of Work (SOWs).
  • Serve as the primary regional legal partner absorbing day-to-day EMEA commercial work and driving contracting efficiency.
  • Standardize regional contract templates, playbook guidelines, and fallback terms to streamline commercial operations.
• Regulatory Compliance & Investigations
  • Assist the Deputy General Counsel with monitoring, assessing, and maintaining compliance with applicable UK and EU regulatory frameworks, including GDPR/ePrivacy, cross-border data transfer mechanisms, consumer protection, and emerging digital technology regulations (e.g., EU AI Act, UK Online Safety Act, NIS2).
  • Support internal compliance reviews, risk assessments, and responses to regulatory inquiries or investigations under the direction and supervision of the Deputy General Counsel.
  • Partner with the IT and compliance teams to ensure business operations align with enterprise data governance and security frameworks.
• Brand Protection & EMEA Trademarks
  • Manage regional trademark and intellectual property matters, including supervising outside counsel for UK/EU trademark filings, maintenance, enforcement, and portfolio prosecution.

Qualifications

• Education & Licensing
  • Legal Qualification: Fully licensed solicitor/lawyer qualified to practice law in the United Kingdom (England & Wales) and/or Germany (Volljurist / 2. Staatsexamen or equivalent EU qualification). Dual qualification across UK and EU law is highly preferred.
  • Must be legally authorized to work remotely on a full-time basis from either the United Kingdom or Germany.
• Experience & Skills
  • 3–6+ years of post-qualification legal experience (PQE) gained within an in-house corporate legal department or reputable law firm.
  • Proven track record drafting and negotiating complex commercial contracts independently in a fast-paced environment.
  • Solid working knowledge of UK GDPR, EU GDPR, cross-border transfer mechanisms, and general European regulatory compliance principles.
  • Experience or familiarity with managing trademark portfolios and brand enforcement in the UK/EU.
  • Excellent legal and commercial judgment with the ability to balance business objectives against legal exposure.
  • Outstanding written and verbal communication in English (fluency in German is a plus).

Benefits

• Competitive base salary and performance-based bonus structure.
• Comprehensive health, pension, and country-specific employee benefits.
• Flexible, fully remote work configuration (UK or Germany).
• Professional growth opportunities within an expanding international legal department.