Legal Council - Derivatives Lawyer

G MASS; City Of London; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading consulting firm in London is looking for an experienced Legal Counsel to support key projects within their EMEA Legal Department. The role involves legal advice on transactions, drafting finance documentation, and oversight of derivatives. Ideal candidates will have over 5 years of relevant experience and the ability to simplify complex legal issues. Competitive salary based on experience, initially on a 12-month FTC.

Qualifications

• 5+ years' post-qualified experience in legal counsel.
• Strong expertise in finance-linked hedging transactions.
• Experience in private practice or in-house at a financial institution.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal advice on transactions and regulatory programs.
• Draft and negotiate finance-linked documentation.
• Advise on derivatives and securities lending.

Skills

Legal advice on transactions

Drafting and reviewing complex finance documentation

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Commercial mindset

Education

Qualified Lawyer (UK or equivalent)

Job description

Overview

G MASS Consulting are seeking a Legal Counsel to join our client's EMEA Legal Department on a fixed-term basis. This role will focus on supporting a key strategic project, while also providing broader support across Global Markets and Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB) Legal teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide legal advice on transactions, regulatory programmes, new products and business initiatives.
• Draft, review and negotiate complex finance-linked hedging documentation (ISDA, FBF/CMOF, repos, TRS, equity and credit derivatives).
• Review loan agreements, CTAs, STIDs/ICAs and related finance documents.
• Advise on flow derivatives, repo and securities lending (GMRA, GMSLA, ISDA, CSA, IM documentation).
• Support inter-affiliate agreements and strategic projects.
• Contribute to governance frameworks, risk mitigation strategies and operational risk management.
• Implement documentation templates, best practice and participate in industry forums.
• Provide mentoring and support to junior legal colleagues.

Qualifications

• Qualified lawyer (UK or equivalent) with 5+ years’ post-qualified experience.
• Strong expertise in finance-linked hedging transactions and derivatives documentation.
• Experience gained in private practice with a major law firm or in-house within a financial institution.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with ability to explain complex legal issues to non-technical audiences.
• Commercially minded, pragmatic and proactive, with a collaborative working style.
• Additional European language skills (French, German, Spanish) advantageous but not essential.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• A team player with an international outlook and a can-do approach.

Initial 12-month FTC, with expectation to be extended or to be permanent. Salary to be discussed.