Legal Counsel - Derivatives

Who we're looking for
An enthusiastic, proactive and strong candidate who is interested in gaining experience in a broad, challenging and rewarding full-service role.  The successful candidate will have excellent technical skills, a can-do mentality and commercial approach, be inquisitive and able to develop creative legal solutions, have the confidence to assess business and legal risk to prioritise workload demands, and strong interpersonal and communication skills required to build constructive working relationships with various internal stakeholders and external advisers.

About us
Schroders is a global investment manager which provides active asset management, wealth management and investment solutions. We aim to provide excellent investment performance to clients through active management. We serve a diverse client base that includes pension schemes, insurance companies, sovereign wealth funds, endowments, foundations, high net worth individuals, family offices, as well as end clients through partnerships with distributors, financial advisers, and online platforms.

Established in 1804, we have around 5,500 people across 36 global locations. Schroders' success can be attributed to its diversified business model, spanning different asset classes, client types and geographies.

The team
Schroder Investment legal team is made up of numerous lawyers and paralegals.  We support the investment business in reviewing, drafting and advising on various drafting agreements.

The focus of the role would be various forms of derivatives work.

Overview of role

• Provide full legal support to Schroders’ derivatives and all trading activities.
• Supporting Schroders, in London and Luxembourg, Asia-Pacific and the Americas, in the increasing use of derivative instruments, advising on the legal implications and dealing with all legal documentation requirements; keeping work tracker updated at all times.
• Drafting, reviewing, negotiating and completing Schroders’ OTC derivatives documentation (ISDA, VM & IM CSA, Accession and Amendment Agreements).
• Drafting, reviewing, negotiating and completing other market counterparty documentation (GMRA, FX trading agreements, MCAs, clearing agreements, prime brokerage agreements, business terms of market counterparties, confidentiality agreements).
• Analysing and advising on new derivatives products in which Schroders is considering to invest on behalf of its clients. 
• Using efficiently outside counsel and other in-house legal resources.  Obtaining focused advice where appropriate.
• Liaising clearly and openly with line manager and with all departments/areas using derivatives.

Essential skills

• University degree or equivalent; and qualified lawyer 
• Strong team player
• Good communication skills
• Demonstrated experience as a qualified lawyer in private practice and/or in-house in a financial services firm (ideally investment management), in each case with an in-depth knowledge of derivatives work.
• Exposure to wide range of ISDA documentation, GMRA, FX trading agreements and structured finance.
• Experience of both UK and Luxembourg fund range types: both UCITS and AIFs in each case.
• Good drafting and written communication skills. 
• Able to develop and demonstrate strong working relationships with other members of the firm, including (but not limited to) fund managers, client directors, compliance, operations, credit / risk and product control; and with counterparty lawyers, credit, operational and front office staff.
• Ability to work under pressure

Required skills

• Ability to understand and manage legal risk in a rigorous but practical way
• Strong negotiating skills
• Delivering results within expected timeframe
• Demonstrates a passion for excellence and exceeding client expectation
• Adaptability, flexibility
• Develops effective relationships with internal clients and gains their trust and respect

Technical requirements

• ISDA and other master agreement and structured documentation knowledge as described above
• Strong derivatives experience gained ideally both in-house and in a law firm
• Good awareness of the current regulatory landscape as applicable to derivatives products: Dodd-Frank, EMIR, FCA, CSSF, ESMA publications etc.
• Technical experience in contract law in a financial services environment
• Understanding of investment management products and issues
• MS Office Products: Excel, Word

We Recognise Potential, Whoever You Are
Our purpose is to deliver excellent investment performance to clients through active management. We believe diverse perspectives and an inclusive culture help us make better decisions and achieve better outcomes for our clients. That's why inclusion is a strategic priority for us, and we are an equal opportunities employer. You are welcome here, regardless of your age, disability, gender identity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, or any other protected characteristic.

We will consider flexible working arrangements for all roles and provide reasonable accommodations to support applicants and employees, including those with neurodiversity, disability, or physical and mental health needs. For more information, please visit our FAQs.

Advertised Salary: Competitive