Graduate legal counsel

Graduate legal counsel Overview

Bending Spoons is looking for a graduate legal counsel to join a fast-moving, high-standards environment where legal work supports the company’s long-term ownership and operation of digital businesses. The organization describes itself as highly ambitious, with small and talented teams, minimal hierarchy, and a strong focus on effectiveness, efficiency, and ethical conduct. It also says it uses AI deeply across the business so that human judgment and machine intelligence work together.

What you would do

• Join one of the company’s central legal areas, which may include corporate M&A, product and commercial matters, intellectual property, privacy, or compliance, and contribute through research, drafting, and day-to-day legal support.
• Help prepare, review, and negotiate commercial agreements, internal policies, governance documents, and compliance materials, working alongside more experienced lawyers to deliver practical advice.
• Work closely with colleagues in Product, Finance, HR, Business Acquisitions, and other functions, and coordinate with external counsel when needed to resolve legal and regulatory questions in a global, fast-changing setting.
• Support cross-border acquisitions, investments, and corporate governance work by carrying out legal research, assisting with due diligence, drafting transaction documents, and helping align internal and external stakeholders.
• Create and maintain reusable legal resources such as templates, playbooks, and other scalable tools, including AI-enabled workflows that help the legal function support a rapidly growing business.
• Keep track of legal and regulatory developments and look for ways to create value for the business while addressing new or changing requirements.

What the company is looking for

• Excellent reasoning ability: the capacity to solve complex problems once you have the necessary knowledge, to think from first principles, to structure ideas clearly, to avoid bias, and to pay attention to the details that matter.
• Very strong drive and ambition, with initiative, persistence, and effort that match your goals, plus a strong sense of responsibility for your work and a willingness to keep raising your own standards.
• Genuine team spirit: a habit of helping others without expecting anything in return, backing the best idea rather than your own, and being willing to get involved in practical work to support the team.
• Trustworthiness, openness, and honesty in how you collaborate with others.
• Professional fluency in English, including reading, writing, and speaking.
• A graduate-level profile with the potential to grow quickly in a demanding environment where performance and learning are both expected to be exceptional.
• The ability to demonstrate excellence through your application, since the hiring process focuses on evidence of achievement rather than seniority or a flawless CV.
• Willingness to complete challenging screening tests if shortlisted, which may involve unfamiliar problems and can take several hours.
• Commitment to apply only through the company’s careers page, which is the sole route considered for applications.
• Acceptance that the role is demanding and requires significant commitment, especially in the early months.
• Willingness to spend most days in the Milan office during the first few months to learn quickly, absorb the company culture, and build trust with teammates.
• After onboarding, openness to working from one of the company’s offices or remotely from approved countries, depending on the arrangement agreed at offer stage.
• If you have applied before and were not selected, the company recommends waiting at least one year before applying again.

What is offered

• Small, autonomous, results-oriented teams with highly talented colleagues.
• A strong environment for growth, with the company aiming to place people in roles where they can thrive and take on important responsibilities quickly.
• Flexible hours and remote working.
• Unlimited support for learning and training.
• Top-of-the-market health insurance.
• A generous relocation package.
• Strong parental support.
• An annual retreat to a beautiful destination.
• Competitive pay and the opportunity to receive company equity at a discount.
• Typical annual salary offers of £85,797 to £151,436 in London and €66,065 to €107,837 elsewhere in Europe, with lower-end offers for candidates with little or no relevant experience and much higher offers possible for exceptionally experienced candidates.
• For permanent contracts, the option to take part of compensation in discounted company equity.
• Travel and accommodation support to help with the initial period in Milan while onboarding.

How the hiring process works

Applications are reviewed for clear evidence of excellence, regardless of seniority. Candidates are evaluated through the same process, and there are no special routes based on background alone. If you progress past screening, you may be asked to complete one or more demanding tests that can take several hours and may include unfamiliar problem types. The company says it will only make an offer when it is confident it has found the right person, which can mean the role stays open for a long time or is reposted.

The company also states that it considers all applicants for employment and provides reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities. If you need accommodations, you are asked to use the form provided on the careers site.

Working arrangement

The role can be based in Milan, London, Madrid, Warsaw, or fully remote from eligible countries. The contract may be permanent or fixed-term. Although the longer-term arrangement can be office-based or remote from approved countries, the company expects the successful candidate to spend most days in the Milan office during the first few months to accelerate onboarding, learn the culture, and build relationships. Travel and accommodation support is provided for that period.

Additional notes

The company says it is an ambitious workplace that demands a high level of commitment, but that this environment can also lead to exceptional learning, achievement, and career growth. If the role sounds like a fit and you are ready to give your best, the company invites you to apply through its careers page.

Degree Requirement: Bachelor’s

Visa Sponsorship Promising