Senior Legal Counsel

Senior Legal Counsel

RESPONSIBILITIES:

We are looking for a qualified lawyer or suitably experienced documentation professional to join our growing company. You will support two senior legal counsels with a combined 25 year-long experience in the financial services industry, with a particular focus on reviewing and negotiating trading documentation agreements.

This role offers the opportunity to negotiate the key trading agreements for international clients, including Prime Brokerage, Futures, ISDAs/CSAs, IM regulatory margining agreements and custody documentation, including various ancillary to trading documents such as side letters and market-specific agreements.

There will also be the opportunity to assist with strategic regulatory implementation projects and the legal and documentation aspects of new products and markets. The role will include collaborating with the team and negotiating with external clients on behalf of the company to drive documentation to completion/execution.

Specific responsibilities include the following:

• Responsible for drafting, reviewing and negotiating the following documents: ISDA/CSA, Prime Brokerage Agreements and related ancillary documents; Master Netting Agreements; and Custody / Sub-Custody Agreements.
• Review of legal opinions on netting and collateral enforceability including liaising with external counsel.
• Monitoring and advising on UK and EU regulatory developments impacting the Prime Brokerage business.
• Follow-up work, both internally and with counterparts to gather comments, information, review and ultimately complete agreements and prepare them for execution.
• Organization of execution of completed agreements and dispatch for counterparts' signature.
• Follow-up work to ensure return of signed documents and completion and closing of files.
• Working closely with the business owners, responding to queries on the documentation, providing updates.

SKILLS, EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS:

• Strong educational background
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent with i) a minimum of four years of experience in trading documentation role; or ii) (for qualified lawyers) at least five years post qualification relevant experience in-house or in a law firm environment.
• Working knowledge of ISDA/CSA is required, any negotiation experience or comparable experience of negotiating ISDA, Futures, prime brokerage or repurchase industry documentation.
• Understanding of contract law and solid drafting skills
• Knowledge of various legal entities including funds, insurance companies and pensions.
• Proven excellent organizational and prioritisation skills and attention to detail, especially under pressure.
• Proven ability to negotiate and review detailed legal documents with an eye for detail and accuracy, particularly around documentation terms.
• Ability to ensure consistency across documentation and know when to escalate issues.
• Self-motivated, results-driven and proactive team player who takes ownership and accountability for their work, can help collaborate and provide directive when issues arise and is capable of multitasking in a fast-paced environment.
• Good interpersonal and communications skills.
• Enthusiasm and interest in development of documentation skills and using such skills for the completion of negotiation process.
• Flexibility and willingness to learn new skills and develop full job ownership.
• Ability to interact with and influence business stakeholders and clients in order to negotiate, build consensus, control risks and improve operational efficiency.

• Location: Remote
• Rate: Competitive
• Work Pattern: Standard London business hours
• Start Dates: ASAP
• Duration: 6 months (extension possible)

Your day-to-day activities:

• Drafting, negotiating and reviewing various industry-standard and non-standard master agreements and trading documentation.
• Negotiating and reviewing other ancillary to trading and regulation-driven agreements.
• Analysing drafts, preparing summary notes and regulatory updates.

Skills & Experience required:

• Minimum five years ISDAS experience (any additional IM CSA, GMRA, GMSLA, PB, Futures and Clearing documentation experience is desirable).
• Exposure to banking and finance environment and relevant regulations.
• Working knowledge of the ISDA and CSA is required.
• Legally qualified, in any recognized British or European jurisdiction.