Corporate Lawyer

SEI Investments Company; City Of London; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading investment management firm in London is seeking a Corporate Lawyer to support its business units. You will be responsible for drafting and negotiating agreements, advising on legal risks, and ensuring regulatory compliance. The ideal candidate has strong experience in financial services, excellent communication skills, and the ability to work well in a team. This role offers a competitive salary and benefits including a hybrid working environment.

Benefits

Comprehensive health care

Strong pension plan

Tuition reimbursement

Volunteer days

Free fruit

Qualifications

• Post-qualification experience in financial services required.
• Ability to negotiate various financial services agreements.
• Understanding of FCA handbook and regulations.

Responsibilities

• Support London’s business units with drafting and negotiation of agreements.
• Advise on legal risks and obligations.
• Ensure compliance with FCA and other regulations.

Skills

Strong post-qualification experience in financial services

Excellent drafting skills

Strong communication skills

Good business acumen

Good awareness of risk-management principles

Ability to conduct training

Flexibility and willingness to support team members

Education

Qualification in law

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

SEI (NASDAQ:SEIC) is a leading global provider of investment processing, fund processing, and investment management business outsourcing solutions that help corporations, financial institutions, financial advisers, and ultra‑high‑net‑worth families create and manage wealth. SIEL is a wholly owned subsidiary of SEI and is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK to provide certain regulated services.

The London legal team supports the firm’s international offering of services in the asset management and UK private bank businesses which provide investment advice and investment management services, investment processing technology and other solutions to institutions, enterprises, banks, funds and investment advisors.

The team is primarily responsible for advising on contracts and regulatory matters, including participating in negotiating and drafting various agreements across its business lines. The legal team also supports the development of global business solutions and services.

Individuals in the legal team maintain a comprehensive understanding of multi‑jurisdictional laws and regulations, as well as knowledge of various investment product structures and leverage their expertise and capabilities by engaging external legal counsel and other advisors as necessary and liaising with other global SEI legal and compliance teams.

SEI looking for a corporate lawyer to provide support its London business units. The role is a combination of transactional and advisory work, involving interaction with clients across the business together with on‑going advice to stakeholders in the business. The position will play a pivotal role in supporting business operations, ensuring regulatory compliance, and managing risk.

The candidate will report to SIEL’s General Counsel and will be required to work in a team environment with other members of the Legal and Compliance team in the London office as well as with members of SEI’s Legal Compliance and Corporate Development team globally, SEI’s external counsel, and members of other organisational groups within SEI group companies worldwide.

What you will do

• Provide support to London’s business units, leading on the drafting, negotiation, or renegotiation of agreements and other commercial agreements and relationships.
• Work with key stakeholders to manage strategic corporate initiatives including merger and acquisition activity, reorganisations and new business ventures.
• Involve in legal and regulatory projects, advising the business on legal risks, obligations and industry standards and ensuring adherence with FCA and other regulations (e.g., MiFID II).
• Support the business with transactional work and escalate appropriate legal and regulatory issues to the General Counsel.
• Ensure adherence to Corporate Governance, paying close attention to updating and maintaining strong mandatory records—maintenance and updating of internal systems and data reference points in agreed format to ensure consistency and communication of relevant information within the team, ensuring integrity of data.
• Keep current with market conditions, innovation in the fintech sector, regulation of fintech companies, and the FCA rules governing outsourcing, client assets, data protection and conflicts that impact the products and services SEI provides to clients, and maintain ongoing and effective communication and alignment with client business practices.
• All SIEL employees are responsible for the identification, assessment and control of risks and risk events. Employees will maintain a good understanding of applicable policies, procedures, risk appetites and tolerance relevant to their function and business unit, and are expected to consider current and potential risks when making or informing business decisions. Employees are responsible for the accurate and timely escalation and recording of incidents associated to relevant risks. In addition, employees are responsible for completing all required risk‑management training.

What we need from you

• Strong post‑qualification experience within financial services, and preferably with in‑house experience.
• Experience in the negotiation of transactional documentation of various financial services agreements.
• Some knowledge of the FCA handbook, including an understanding of the key rules governing investment advice and management and outsourcing (i.e., MiFID PRU, COBS, CASS, PROD, SYSC).
• Good understanding of Microsoft Office (primarily Word, Outlook and Excel).
• Excellent drafting skills, including an eye for detail whilst possessing the ability to contextualise arising issues.
• Good business acumen, demonstrating strategic thinking, commercial awareness and financial principles.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to address both legal and non‑technical colleagues, from operations to board level, and clearly explain complex legal matters and jargon in simple terms.
• Good awareness of risk‑management principles and how they apply to the role.
• Ability to conduct training to individuals and groups within the business on legal or regulatory developments.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Appreciation of when to elevate legal or regulatory issues to the attention of the General Counsel.
• Flexibility and willingness to support and partner with all team members in different aspects of legal and regulatory work as required.
• Sound judgement combined with diplomatic skill required to ensure legal risk is adequately mitigated while retaining sufficient commercial focus to ensure the business can achieve its objectives, where possible.
• Ability to multitask and manage multiple priorities to meet key deadlines.

Regulatory Requirements

SMCR Category

• This role is identified as a conduct role and therefore subject to the relevant Senior Manager and Certification Regime Rules set by the FCA.

What we would like from you

• Someone who will embody our SEI values of courage, integrity, collaboration, inclusion, connection and fun. Please see our website for more information.

SEI’s Competitive Advantage

To help you stay energised, engaged and inspired, we offer a wide range of benefits including comprehensive care for your physical and mental well‑being, strong pension plan, tuition reimbursement, hybrid working environment, and a work‑life balance that enables you to relax, recharge and be there for the people you care about.

We are a technology and asset management company delivering on our promise of brave futures (SM) for our clients, our communities and ourselves. Come build your brave future at SEI.

Equal Opportunity Employment

SEI is an Equal Opportunity Employer and so much more…

After over 50 years, SEI remains a leading global provider of investment management, investment processing and investment operations solutions. Reflecting our experience within financial services and financial technology, our UK office is based between the City of London and the growing technology hub of Shoreditch. The open plan nature of our office space, flowing lines and numerous art installations are designed to encourage innovation and creativity in our workforce. We recognise that our people are our most valuable asset and are literally invested in your success; we know that a healthy, happy and motivated workforce is key to our continued growth. We are focused on ensuring a healthy work‑life balance and offer our employees benefits, which include private medical care for you and your family, access to GPs online for appointments, enhanced family leave, volunteer days, access to thriving employee networks and not forgetting free fruit.

SEI Investments (Europe) Ltd (‘SIEL’) is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 191713).

SEI acknowledges the growing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) tools into individuals’ personal and professional lives. If you intend to incorporate the use of any AI tools at any stage of the application and/or interview process, please ensure you have reviewed and adhere to our AI use guidelines.