Senior M&A Lawyer

Job Description

YOUR WORK ENVIRONMENT

Why AXA?

At AXA, we work together every day for human progress by protecting what matters. It’s a foundation of our actions, our strategy, and the way we collaborate across the Group. Every day, we contribute to human progress in a way that is practical, responsible, and meaningful, creating a shared sense of direction, commitment, and collective impact that connects people across teams, countries, and roles.

As one of the world’s leading insurers in the protection of property, people, and assets, AXA brings together 154,000 employees and contributors across 50 countries, serving over 95 million customers worldwide.

As a responsible corporate citizen, AXA is deeply engaged in social and environmental initiatives and actively promotes an inclusive culture where every voice matters, differences are valued, and everyone is encouraged to grow through our strategy Care and Dare.

About AXA Group Headquarters (GIE AXA)

AXA Group Headquarters (GIE AXA) brings together the Group’s corporate functions and plays a central role in shaping and driving AXA’s global strategy. It supports subsidiaries worldwide by ensuring strategic alignment, governance, operational and technical excellence, consistency of standards, and the sharing of best practices across the organization.

With nearly 1,000 employees representing 45 nationalities, the headquarters embodies AXA’s strong international culture and offers a dynamic, collaborative, and intellectually stimulating environment: where global impact meets everyday teamwork.

If these ambitions resonate with you, come and help shape the future of protection with us!

Within the Group, you will join the Group Legal department, a small team of highly qualified lawyers many with international backgrounds. The Group General Counsel heads the team and is a member of the AXA Executive Committee and the AXA SA Board. The Group Legal team recently won the FT Innovative Lawyer Europe award for the most innovative in-house legal team in the category of new products and services.

Within this Department, you will be part of the Group M&A legal team reporting to the Director M&A and Restructuring (who in turn reports to the Group General Counsel).

YOUR ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Key advisor on major international and transversal projects, including M&A, partnerships, joint ventures and corporate transformation as part of the AXA Group’s Unlock the Future Strategy.

• AXA’s M&A projects cover: buying or selling companies/businesses, either as private negotiated deals or public takeovers; initial public offers for sales via listing on stock exchanges; establishing major long-term partnerships and joint ventures; and major distribution deals with upfront capital commitments. The Group M&A team executes any deals over €20 million value, with oversight of delegated deals to local teams below that value. Recent work includes the c. €5 billion sale of AXA Investment Management to BNP Paribas and the 2025 acquisition of the Italian insurance player, Prima.
• Corporate transformation work includes the transformation of AXA SA into an internal reinsurer and the creation of new insurance carriers for the international health business.

Responsibilities

Transaction Management

• Ensuring smooth co-ordination with internal AXA teams (corporate development, finance, accounting, communications, investor relations, HR, tax) and local operating entity CEO/CFO/GC
• External Counsel Selection: negotiating fee structure and monitoring fees and ensuring timely delivery of services
• Ensuring that the transaction documents are of high quality in line with internal and market standards (e.g. term sheets, share purchase agreements, shareholders’ agreement, exclusive long-term distribution agreements).
• Negotiation: direct engagement with counterparties (who can be management, external or internal legal counsel, other professional advisers).
• Participation in internal governance, including being the legal representative on deal Steering Committees composed of the Deputy CEO(s) and the Group CFO and preparing presentations and memos for these committees, the Board and Board Committees (and for operating subsidiaries).

The role requires considerable judgement on significant and sensitive issues, such as execution risk and potential post-deal liability, with escalation on key legal and reputational risks up to the Director of M&A, Partnerships and Corporate Transformation, Group General Counsel, the Group CFO, the Deputy CEOs, the Group Management Committee and ultimately the AXA Board.

Providing Pragmatic Legal Advice and Solutions

• Analysing legal risks to provide pragmatic, tailored and business-friendly advice that meets both commercial objectives and compliance with legal and regulatory environment, as well as considering reputational issues for AXA as a leading high-profile global company
• Taking decisions on how to deal with, and mitigate, legal risks considering the external legal advice received and challenging that advice where necessary
• Seeking practical solutions to legal issues with the legal team being seen as a deal maker rather than a deal blocker
• Strategic thinking and challenging the status quo to enable AXA to move ahead with its strategic transactions to deliver on the Unlock the Future Strategy
• Networking with legal and other market players to keep up to date with evolving legal environment and market trends and horizon-scanning on emerging legal issues/risk.
• Devising new cutting edge and innovative legal structures to achieve commercial outcomes in an ever-evolving environment

YOUR PROFILE

• Experienced senior qualified lawyer (at least 7 years’ post-qualification), with first ranking international law firm training in corporate and international M&A as a foundation for transformation into a high performing in-house counsel
• Fluent in English and French
• Driven/highly motivated, stays focused and functioning at the same high standards under pressure
• Gravitas with senior management, dares to challenge, and be challenged
• Team player with ability to influence and federate across departments/the Group and strong communication skills but at the same time can work autonomously
• Embraces the challenges of multicultural work and is prepared to travel internationally often on short notice

WHY JOIN US

You will join:

• A responsible company, towards people, including its employees and customers, and towards the planet
• A company with strong values
• A company promoting internal mobility and the training of its employees
• A company offering many benefits (learn more here: AXA Careers)
• A flexible company, allowing hybrid work, in the office and from home.

In line with our commitments, we celebrate each new hire by taking action for global reforestation: we plant a tree for every recruitment. So, are you ready to apply?

AXA Group Headquarters (GIE AXA) is committed to equal employment opportunity and will consider applicants regardless of gender, sexual orientation, age, ethnicity and origins, marital status, religion, disability, or any other protected characteristic. At AXA Group Headquarters, we know that an inclusive culture enables business growth and is critical to our success.