Senior Legal Counsel, Reinsurance

As part of the application process, a candidate account is required to log in and view application(s).  Please be sure to check email regularly for information regarding our employment process.

About Us

Resolution Life, the group of companies headed by Resolution Life Group Holdings Ltd., is headquartered in Bermuda, with regulated insurance operations in Bermuda and the United States and business operations in Bermuda, the United States, the UK, Singapore and Canada. We are part of the Nippon Life group, having been acquired by Nippon Life in October 2025.

Our mission is to protect financial futures by delivering forward-thinking solutions that support the long-term growth of the primary life insurance industry, honouring the promises made to policyholders and fulfilling commitments for the benefit of society.

To support our continued rapid growth, we are looking to expand our diverse and ambitious team of lawyers in our London office. We have exciting opportunities ahead, offering you the ability to work in a culture of collaboration and innovation and leveraging technology to help us to achieve our dynamic growth strategy.

Position Summary

Resolution Life is seeking a Senior Legal Counsel, Reinsurance.  This is an exciting role in London, reporting to the Head of Reinsurance Transactions & Senior Legal Adviser, Resolution Re in the Legal & Compliance team, with a focus on structuring, negotiating and executing Resolution Life’s complex reinsurance and related insurance growth transactions. The role has significant exposure to the business, with the opportunity to work alongside the business teams on transaction structuring and to source input from other key group functional teams and the assistance of external counsel.

Key Accountabilities

- Serves as an integral member of the core Growth Solutions deal teams for reinsurance and other growth transactions, including block and flow asset intensive reinsurance agreements, and other arrangements in the life insurance space, as well as other strategic growth initiatives.
- Participates in the entire lifecycle of transactions from development of preliminary bids and indications of interest all the way through to deal signing and closing.
- Provides pragmatic, commercial legal advice in connection with the structuring, negotiation and execution of reinsurance and similar transactions, managing legal input into the overall deal process (including on feasibility projects, early-stage bids and transaction documentation negotiations); ISA etc.
- Works with a high degree of autonomy but with appropriate support from the Head of Reinsurance Transactions & Senior Legal Adviser, Resolution Re.
- Reviews, drafts, advises on and negotiates a wide variety of agreements, including confidentiality agreements, investment banking and outside advisor engagement letters, definitive purchase and sale agreements, joint venture agreements, reinsurance agreements, collateral and security documentation, trust agreements, custodian and account control agreements, derivatives and repackaged notes documentation; ISA documentation and administrative services agreements.
- Manages and oversees outside law firms to obtain world-class, cost-effective legal services on reinsurance and related arrangements (including on any related collateral structuring, collateral management and regulatory matters), ensuring associated budgets for external spend are in place, reported against on a regular basis and adequately controlled.
- Liaises with the Senior Investment Counsel on investment management and trust agreements related to transactions; provides support for investment-related diligence requests.
- Works closely with the business to understand commercial objectives and sources input from other key Group-wide functional teams as required for inclusion in transaction documentation.
- Keeps up-to-date with regulatory developments affecting reinsurance business, particularly in relation to regulatory (re)insurance regimes in the jurisdictions in which Resolution Life operates.
- Participates in strategic and tactical decision-making and provides counsel to senior management on all legal aspects related to contemplated transactions.
- Advises and collaborates closely with other functions across Resolution Life, including finance, actuarial, investments, risk, and operations.
- Ensures adherence to internal process and required governance (including required Board approvals and M&A, cross-border and other operating guidelines) for reinsurance and similar transactions.
- Prepares presentations, briefing notes, papers and other documents to a high standard and delivers them in a timely fashion.
- Ensures relationships with both internal and external stakeholders are managed pro-actively and appropriately, building and maintaining strong relationships.
- Contributes to discussions on new initiatives and opportunities, ensuring follow up as needed.
- Provides other general legal advice on a wide range of matters as part of (and where appropriate supporting other members of) the broader Legal & Compliance team and People, Partnerships & Legal function .

Experience/Skills

- Law degree or other degree combined with relevant post-graduate diploma in law, SQE1 and SQE2 or alternative qualification resulting in legal qualification.
- Qualified solicitor in England (or other common law jurisdiction) with 7+ years PQE (our current expectation is that the role would suit a candidate between 7-12 years PQE but we will consider applications outside this range).
- Experience working on reinsurance arrangements or on corporate insurance-related legal matters, either in-house or in private practice (including as part of a broader role).
- Experience in (or interest in learning about) derivatives and repackaged notes transactions relating to reinsurance arrangements a bonus (but not required).
- Excellent organisational and planning skills, as well as written and verbal communication skills.
- Collegiate and collaborative with ability to quickly build relationships with a broad network of internal stakeholders.
- Team player who can contribute and develop expertise in multiple areas, often with limited guidance.
- Ability to work as an individual contributor (with appropriate support from Head of Reinsurance Transactions & Senior Legal Adviser, Resolution Re), taking initiative, solving problems and finding solutions.
- Ability to cope with ambiguity and prioritise confidently in face of competing demands.
- Ability to work under pressure with a high degree of attention to detail, effectively prioritise and manage workload, including conflicting demands, and meet deadlines within a changing, fast-paced environment
- Strong analytical skills and demonstration of high degree of judgment.
- Demonstrated leadership presence and skills.
- Superior interpersonal, organizational, written, and oral communications skills.
- Ability to make recommendations and drive actions under own initiative, taking the lead in prioritising multiple requirements.
- Ability to remain calm under pressure, with a good sense of humour.

Critical Skills
At Resolution Life, we have identified the following critical skills which are key to success in our culture:

- Customer Focused: Passionate drive to delight our customers and offer unique solutions that deliver on their expectations.
- Critical Thinking: Thoughtful process of analyzing data and problem solving data to reach a well-reasoned solution.
- Team Mentality: Partnering effectively to drive our culture and execute on our common goals.
- Business Acumen: Appreciation and understanding of the financial services industry in order to make sound business decisions.
- Learning Agility: Openness to new ways of thinking and acquiring new skills to retain a competitive advantage.