Senior Legal Counsel

About Us: At Booking.com, data drives our decisions. Technology is at our core. And innovation is everywhere. But our company is more than datasets, lines of code or A/B tests. We’re the thrill of the first night in a new place. The excitement of the next morning. The friends you encounter. The journeys you take. The sights you see. And the memories you make. Through our products, partners and people, we make it easier for everyone to experience the world.

Role Description: Booking.com is currently looking for an enthusiastic litigation lawyer with eDiscovery experience to join the team as Senior Legal Counsel - Litigation and eDiscovery to be based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

As Senior Legal Counsel - Litigation and eDiscovery, the successful candidate will be part of the LPA (Legal & Public Affairs) department liaising closely with all teams across Legal and Public Affairs, as well as Booking Holdings and its sister companies. This role will involve the daily provision of support to our growing in-house eDiscovery team.

Above all, the successful candidate will help to advance the Booking.com vision of making it easier for everyone to experience the world by furthering continuous improvements to the traveller journey.

The primary focus of this role will enable the successful candidate to:

1. work with both our legal counsel and tax colleagues (as well as external legal counsel) - bringing legal advice, commerciality and litigation strategy to the table on potentially litigious matters and issues affecting our company, including (but not limited to) tax litigation or disputes matters;

2. use their litigation and eDiscovery experience to support, develop and enhance Booking.com’s growing in-house eDiscovery expertise;

3. help build and improve our company’s policies, processes and guidelines as they affect Litigation; and

4. develop strategies to anticipate and prevent litigation, including trend spotting and managing global litigation horizon scanning.

Key Job Responsibilities and Duties:

• Providing sound legal and strategic litigation and criminal (defense) law advice to senior business stakeholders and to other colleagues within LPA and tax

• Project managing complex and strategic legal and tax litigation matters, whilst accurately identifying and mitigating risks utilising creative, innovative and ethical approaches

• Building out the litigation preparedness programme, including by developing and implementing playbooks and templates related to litigation processes and guidelines (to include drafting and updating the policies and processes which support eDiscovery)

• Advising the eDiscovery manager and the business on all legal aspects of eDiscovery

• Driving communications in relation to our eDiscovery capabilities

• Providing strategic input to legal counsel on the issuance, scope and release of legal holds

• Taking a leading role in relation to the legal aspects of document production, providing strategic input and support

• Collating and presenting statistics and data analytics regarding litigation affecting our company to enable a sound litigation strategy. Managing a sophisticated programme of trend spotting and horizon scanning to prevent and anticipate litigation.

• Devising training in relation to key litigation concepts including legal professional privilege

• Actively maintaining and abiding by the legal budget for owned matters in accordance with the company processes.

Qualifications & Skills:

• Experience of criminal (defense) litigation (essential)

• Tax litigation experience (preferred)

• In-house experience (preferred)

• 5+ years’ experience as a qualified litigation lawyer with a Bachelor’s/Master’s Degree (qualified to practice in an EU country preferred)

• eDiscovery experience, including legal hold and document review/production experience (essential)

• Experience of working with well known eDiscovery tooling, such as Relativity and Exterro (essential)

• The ability to integrate a customer-first mindset into litigation strategy

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English - additional languages are always highly appreciated but not essential

• The ability to identify and proactively mitigate litigation risk

• A passion for getting things done without compromising on attention to detail

• Ability to work to tight deadlines and prioritise based on deadlines

• Experience in working in a fast paced environment and the ability to remain calm under pressure

• Ability to work independently in combination with being a true team player who enjoys knowledge sharing

• Ability to work cross functionally and devise creative commercial solutions to complex issues

• A drive to further Booking.com’s Values (Think Customer First, Succeed Together, Own It, Learn Forever, Do the Right Thing)

Further traits look for:

• Alignment with Booking.com’s values (Customer First, Succeed Together, Own It, Learn Forever, Do the Right Thing).

• Curiosity, flexibility, and a creative, pragmatic approach to problem-solving.

• Confidence with collaboration.

• Ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.

• Proactivity, resilience, and a drive to deliver results.

• Strong judgment with attention to both the big picture and key details.

• Courage to take a stance and make tough decisions.

• Team-oriented, self-aware, and a good listener.

• Agility in prioritizing and meeting deadlines.

• Forward-thinking, with a focus on emerging legal and policy issues.

Why join the Legal & Public Affairs Team now?

This is a pivotal moment in e-commerce and travel, and joining Booking.com’s Legal & Public Affairs (LPA) team provides you with opportunities to shape the future. The LPA team plays a key role in enabling Booking.com to become a one-stop solution for all travel-related needs, from accommodation to rental cars, flights and attractions, and beyond. This offers travellers what we like to call the ‘connected trip’ – enabling them to book every aspect of their travel experience seamlessly through our familiar, easy-to-use website or mobile app. As a member of the LPA team you will partner with the business to navigate complex regulations, build new products, and negotiate key deals—while driving ethical, sustainable growth.

Who we are?

We are an award winning team of around 200 professionals from 36+ nationalities, with lawyers qualified in multiple jurisdictions and non-lawyers specializing in public policy, economics, compliance, and risk. We have been recognised and shortlisted individually and as a team by the Legal 500 GC Powerlist, Assoc. of Corp Counsel, Global Competition Review, The Lawyer GC of the Year (shortlisted), Compliance Week and the Financial Times. We encourage active participation in the industry, with board membership and representation at industry bodies at multiple levels, starting with our Chief Legal & Public Affairs Officer, who is currently ACC President for Europe. We also engage with stakeholders on policy issues impacting travel and tech innovation, including through our new public affairs blog, A World Worth Experiencing.

As a team, we believe in:

• Being integral to decision-making, shaping Booking.com’s future.

• Supporting Booking's mission to make travel accessible, fostering openness and curiosity.

• Offering opportunities for team members to explore new areas or specialize.

• Providing holistic, integrated legal and public affairs advice.

• Continuously improving Legal Operations, innovating, and sharing best practices.

• Learning from mistakes and embracing growth.

• Working collaboratively with a sense of humor and enjoying the journey together

Benefits & Perks - Global Impact, Personal Relevance:

Booking.com’s Total Rewards Philosophy is not only about compensation but also about benefits. We offer a competitive compensation and benefits package, as well unique-to-Booking.com benefits which include:

• Annual paid time off and generous paid leave scheme including: parent, grandparent, bereavement, and care leave

• Hybrid working including flexible working arrangements, and up to 20 days per year working from abroad (home country)

• Industry leading product discounts - up to 1400 per year - for yourself, including automatic Genius Level 3 status and Booking.com wallet credit

Inclusion at Booking.com:

Inclusion have been a core part of our company culture since day one. This ongoing journey starts with our very own employees, who represent over 140 nationalities and a wide range of ethnic and social backgrounds, genders and sexual orientations.

Take it from our Chief People Officer, Paulo Pisano: “At Booking.com, the diversity of our people doesn’t just build an outstanding workplace, it also creates a better and more inclusive travel experience for everyone. Inclusion is at the heart of everything we do. It’s a place where you can make your mark and have a real impact in travel and tech.”

We ensure that colleagues with disabilities are provided the adjustments and tools they need to participate in the job application and interview process, to perform crucial job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.

Application Process:

• Let’s go places together: How we Hire

• Detailed instructions on post-application requirements including any required application materials, deadlines, portfolios, coding challenges, or other assessments as defined by BU or department.

Booking.com is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We strive to move well beyond traditional equal opportunity and work to create an environment that allows everyone to thrive.

Pre-Employment Screening: If your application is successful, your personal data may be used for a pre-employment screening check by a third party as permitted by applicable law. Depending on the vacancy and applicable law, a pre-employment screening may include employment history, education and other information that may be necessary for determining your qualifications and suitability for the position.