Vice President, Legal Counsel (Derivatives Lawyer) - 12 month FTC

Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group; Camden Town; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services firm based in London is seeking an experienced Legal Counsel to support its EMEA Legal Department. This role includes providing legal advice, managing disputes, and ensuring compliance with regulations. The ideal candidate is a qualified lawyer with over five years of experience in finance or legal practice. The firm promotes flexible working arrangements and values proactive communication skills.

Benefits

Flexible working arrangements

Qualifications

• At least five years post-qualified experience in law.
• Experience in private practice or in-house at a financial institution.
• Strong understanding of market issues and regulatory changes.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal services and advice to international securities and banking businesses.
• Draft and negotiate transactional and non-transactional documentation.
• Manage disputes and regulatory proceedings, ensuring lawful conduct.

Skills

Qualified lawyer

Technical understanding of finance

Stakeholder management

Client relationship building

Legal advisory skills

Language skills (French, German, Spanish)

Education

Qualified lawyer in the UK or equivalent

Job description

Overview

We are excited to offer a Legal Counsel opportunity to join the MUFG EMEA Legal Department as a fixed term contractor, based in London. The role will primarily support a key strategic project for the EMEA region and will also support activities across the Global Markets and Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB) Legal teams. Under a dual-hat arrangement, the successful candidate will provide services covering MUFG's banking arm and securities business, act and make decisions on behalf of both entities with the same remit and authority, and irrespective of the employing entity. Responsibilities include advising on Firm and International Business transactions, proceedings, actions, projects and initiatives, improving the delivery of legal services to the business and Firm's clients, addressing legal, regulatory and reputational issues and market developments in transactions and non-transactional aspects of the operation and business, providing strategic legal advice on initiatives, regulatory programs, inter-affiliate activity and agency arrangements, and advising on new and complex products and MUFG\'s operational risk management and controls framework including governance structures and risk mitigation strategies.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal services and legal advice to each international securities business and banking businesses
• Draft, review and negotiate contractual documentation, whether transactional or non-transactional
• Draft notes and other product documentation and arrange for issuance of such notes and products
• Draft, review and negotiate ISDA documentation and related trading agreements and lending (syndicated or bilateral, ECA financings, LMA based or bespoke contractual arrangements)
• Draft, review and negotiate trade finance credit lines and products, as well as trade finance instruments
• Provide legal and execution advice in relation to transactions and new business
• Provide transaction management support for securities issues and financing transactions arranged or underwritten by an international securities business
• Provide support for internal projects (internal restructurings and/or regulatory driven)
• Evaluate legal risk to ensure business is conducted in a lawful and professional manner
• Identify and advise on the implementation of new laws and regulations
• Provide legal oversight of regulatory matters and government affairs
• Manage all disputes, litigation, regulatory proceedings and other contentious matters
• Manage and approve all use of law firms, and legal spend efficiently
• Implement document templates, know-how and procedures. Participate in industry forums and working groups. Participate in working groups and committees of the Firm and the International Business. Manage the engagement of law firms and legal spend efficiently. Provide mentoring and support to junior members of the Legal team.

Qualifications

• Qualified lawyer in the UK or equivalent jurisdiction of at least five years post qualified experience, with relevant experience obtained either in private practice with a major law firm or in-house with another significant financial institution.
• Strong technical understanding of finance linked hedging transactions.
• Demonstrate commercial awareness of the latest market issues and regulatory changes.
• Demonstrable experience managing senior stakeholders across multiple locations.
• Ability to build effective and positive client relationships (internal and external) quickly and fully embrace the importance of client service.
• Ability to explain complex legal concepts to a non-technical audience.
• French, German or Spanish language skills would be helpful but not essential.

Personal requirements

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written & verbal
• Effective operating in a team and matrix-oriented environment, and ability to work with colleagues at all levels of seniority
• Proactive and enthusiastic, with a can do attitude and with an inclination to drive change
• Results driven, with a strong sense of accountability
• Team player with an international outlook
• Pragmatic, curious and commercially minded
• Efficient working style, reliable with a good sense of independency, urgency and commercial acumen
• We are open to considering flexible working requests in line with organisational requirements.

About MUFG

Discover your opportunity with Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), one of the world\'s leading financial groups. Across the globe, we\'re 150,000 colleagues, striving to make a difference for every client, organization, and community we serve. We stand for our values, building long-term relationships, serving society, and fostering shared and sustainable growth for a better world. With a vision to be the world\'s most trusted financial group, it\'s part of our culture to put people first, listen to new and diverse ideas and collaborate toward greater innovation, speed and agility. This means investing in talent, technologies, and tools that empower you to own your career. Join MUFG, where being inspired is expected and making a meaningful impact is rewarded.