About this role
About BDO
At BDO Australia, our why is ‘empowering people, realising possibilities’. One way we bring this to life is by hiring and developing exceptional talent, to deliver on our wide array of audit, tax and advisory services.
About the Role
Role Overview
This is an exciting opportunity for a full-time or part-time 12-month contract.
Due to one of our lawyers going on parental leave, BDO’s in-house legal team is looking to recruit an experienced lawyer to replace them on a twelve (12) month fixed term contract. We are looking for a commercial/corporate lawyer to provide practical advice and work autonomously as well as part of the broader legal team.
Say goodbye to billable hours and timesheets and hello to work-life balance!
This is an exciting opportunity to work with an experienced legal team across a broad range of practice areas. This role will suit lawyers looking to maintain a broad commercial practice and who are interested in being a trusted legal adviser to the firm.
You may be based in any of our offices in Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide or Perth. This is a hybrid role with a mix of in-office and work from home days available.
Fixed-term Contract: April 2026 to April 2027
Inhouse Legal Counsel – Commercial / Corporate (min 5 years PQE)
How your impact will be felt
Working with the General Counsel, Head of Legal and the legal team, you will have experience in commercial and corporate law gained in private practice or an in-house environment, although prior in-house experience is not a pre-requisite to this role.
You will be provided the opportunity to develop your legal skills in a friendly and supportive environment and your responsibilities will include:
Advising on and drafting various client and commercial contracts and BDO’s Standard Terms of Trade;
Providing legal advice and advising on legal risk management strategies
Assisting with disputes and/or litigation (including briefing external lawyers where required)
Supporting special projects and initiatives across the firm
Assisting the Legal team to update the business on legal developments and provide training
Supporting the firm’s legal frameworks (e.g. review of policies & procedures)
Development of legal knowledge resources and streamlining work processes in the legal team
What you will bring
You enjoy working in a friendly, collaborative and high-performing environment. You have commercial acumen and a strong work ethic, as well as the following:
Bachelor of Laws and admitted to practice in an Australian State or Territory
Minimum 5 years PQE
Excellent commercial and corporate law experience
Employment law, litigation and regulatory (e.g. ASIC) experience will be highly considered, although not essential
Experience in applying those skills to achieve practical solutions for the business, appropriately balancing legal risk with commercial objectives
A mindset of innovation and change: the ability to develop ideas, challenging the status quo as appropriate, and consulting with others to produce viable commercial solutions
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively, gaining the trust and confidence of colleagues across different levels and locations.
Agile and adaptable, able to manage competing priorities and capable of managing legal matters of all sizes and levels of complexity.
Why BDO?
Working for BDO you will be part of a growing and market leading professional services firm.
Our national and global footprint provides our people with opportunities to work on interesting client engagements, across diverse industry sectors and services.
Our open and collaborative culture ensures access to Partners and professional mentors, to guide and accelerate your professional career, across a wide array of career pathways.
We provide our people with various health and wellbeing, social, financial, and professional development benefits to help realise what’s possible.
Participate in fitness challenges or take advantage of exclusive discounts to corporate health insurance, gym memberships and wellness facilities via our BWell program. Access benefits such as travel perks, retail discounts, free breakfast, employee referral rewards, study, and professional development support.
Our leave options cater to the unique needs of our people; and include enhanced family support, cultural and religious leave, and options to purchase additional leave. You can also give back and get involved in community initiatives via our BCaring program.
With a strong focus on learning and growth, we provide on the job training and formal development programs to help you succeed in your role and develop your skills and experience.
Our culture is underpinned by our core values (One, Bold, Human, Heart and Strive). We are proud to be recognised as an Inclusive Employer by the Diversity Council of Australia and an Employer of Choice by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA).