Senior Legal Counsel, Region North & the Nordics

As Senior Legal Counsel at AbbVie you will provide direct country legal support and hands-on legal advice for the Nordics (Scandinavia and Finland). You will be part of the management team in Scandinavia. You will also have an above-country management role in Region North, overseeing legal support for Belgium-Luxembourg/the Netherlands (BeNeLux). Your responsibility within Region North involves managing a direct report lawyer supporting BeNeLux, as well as advising and supporting the RN Vice-President and leadership team, which include joining the Region North Leadership team. Ireland is part of Region North, supported by the UK legal team, but some coordination is also required.

As a strategic business partner, you will focus on continuously building an effective legal support function addressing the most pressing legal challenges in Region North and enabling/protecting the business in a proactive and creative way. You will provide legal advice and support, focused on business-oriented solutions on a wide range of matters to colleagues in the four Nordics countries and priority Region North topics. Such matters include: legal market access issues, medicines tendering, competition law (e.g., supply/distribution related issues), procurement law, pharmaceutical law/advertising, commercial law and general risk management (e.g., ABAC).  

The work will also include the following elements:

• The role will require the negotiation and preparation of an extensive range of agreements and, in some cases, negotiations with payors.
• Drive legal strategy and support in cross functional meetings including MLOR meetings (Medical/Legal/OEC/Regulatory).
• Monitor changes in laws and the external environment that affect relevant areas of business. Provide training on new developments and key legal topics of importance. Develop practical checklists and working tools for the business to facilitate their work.
• Represent AbbVie externally to customers, suppliers, competitors, government agencies and industry associations.
• If complex problems or specific technical expertise is required, select and direct the work of outside counsel.
• Continuously develop a solid knowledge of AbbVie´s business and organization and knowledge of the broader business impact of decisions made.
• Travel regularly and engage with stakeholders both within the Nordics and within the broader region.

• Lawyer qualified in Sweden, Denmark, Norway or Finland.
• Law school degree.
• At least 10 years of professional legal expertise, preferably in an international environment, ideally at a law firm and/or multi-national company.
• Experience in supporting senior business leaders.
• Deep understanding of Nordics market and culture.
• Very used to resolving legal issues using negotiation skills and legal expertise.
• Fluent in English both written and spoken, and advantageous if proficient in one of the Nordic languages.

In this recruitment we place great emphasis on your personal suitability and look for a candidate with essential skills and abilities in: 

• Highly motivated, independent, and taking initiative.
• Strong integrity.
• Capability to manage people.
• Effective communication skills.
• Ability to prioritize and manage workload across the team and with outside counsel where needed.
• Flexible and solution-oriented, with ability to proactively identify solutions to complex legal and business challenges.

The position is based in one of the Nordic countries. You must be prepared to travel regularly.
If you are interested in this position, please submit your application by latest May 10th, 2024. If you have any questions, please contact Area Counsel Zoe Kimberley at: [email protected].

AbbVie is committed to operating with integrity, driving innovation, transforming lives, serving our community and embracing diversity and inclusion.  It is AbbVie’s policy to employ qualified persons of the greatest ability without discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy), physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, status as a protected veteran, or any other legally protected group status.