Assistant General Counsel

Maples Group; George Town; On-site; MYR 735,000 - 980,000; Full time

Job summary

The Maples Group in Grand Cayman seeks an accomplished Assistant General Counsel to lead a global legal team within MaplesFS. You will provide strategic, commercial, and regulatory legal advice across jurisdictions, handling complex contracts, regulatory issues, employment matters, and governance processes.

This senior in‑house role requires strong leadership, commercial acumen, and the ability to manage multi‑jurisdictional projects in a fast‑paced environment.

Qualifications

• Qualified lawyer with Cayman Islands admission and post‑qualification experience.
• Strong background in commercial contracts and cross‑border matters.
• Experience advising on regulatory, employment, and HR issues in financial services.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a global team of senior legal professionals.
• Draft, review, and negotiate client contracts across MaplesFS jurisdictions.
• Provide cross‑jurisdictional legal advice and regulatory guidance.
• Support governance, risk, and compliance initiatives within the business.
• Oversee litigation strategy, budgets, and external counsel coordination.

Skills

Commercial contracts

Cross-border matters

Regulatory & employment

People management

Financial services experience

Stakeholder management

Multi‑jurisdictional work

Education

Cayman Islands admission

Job description

The Maples Group is a global leader in financial services, trusted by many of the world’s largest hedge fund managers, private equity firms, and international corporations.

Our side‑by‑side financial and legal teams consistently deliver award‑winning services to a global client base, offering unrivalled learning and career opportunities to our 2,500 colleagues worldwide.

What’s it like to work here?

We are driven to excel, and collaboration is key to our continued success. We can go further for our clients because we go further for each other too. Our inclusive culture creates an environment where people can be themselves at work while doing their best work. No matter where you work in the Maples Group, you will be part of a global team.

The Opportunity

We are looking for an accomplished Assistant General Counsel (“AGC”) to join our team as part of our fiduciary services business in Grand Cayman. The AGC will play a key leadership role within the MaplesFS legal function, acting as a strategic partner to the General Counsel and a senior leader within the legal team.

This is a broad, senior in‑house role with global scope, supporting MaplesFS operations across multiple jurisdictions. The AGC will lead a team of legal professionals and provide high‑quality, commercially focused legal advice across a wide range of areas, including commercial contracts, regulatory matters, employment law, disputes, and new business initiatives. The role requires strong technical expertise, sound commercial judgement, and the ability to operate effectively across jurisdictions in a dynamic and fast‑paced environment.

The Cayman Islands is home to our global headquarters and where the Maples Group first established operations in the 1960s. Since then we have grown to become one of the largest employers in Cayman, where colleagues from all over the world collaborate to deliver best‑in‑class solutions to clients worldwide.

In the role of AGC you will:

Leadership & Team Management

• Lead, mentor, and develop a global team of Senior Legal Counsel and Attorneys as direct manager of team members, fostering a high-performance and collaborative culture
• Oversee team resourcing, performance management, and professional development
• Providing training and guidance to junior team members, including supporting their development in client negotiations and advisory work

Commercial Contracts & Transactions

• Lead the drafting, review, and negotiation of client contracts across all MaplesFS jurisdictions, including complex multi-entity and multi-service agreements
• Oversee timely delivery and quality control of all contractual documentation
• Develop, maintain, and enhance precedent documentation and contractual frameworks
• Lead negotiations with clients and external counsel, including high‑value and strategic engagements
• Review and negotiate third‑party vendor agreements

Strategic & Advisory

• Provide cross‑jurisdictional legal advice across all MaplesFS entities, ensuring compliance with applicable local regulatory frameworks while maintaining a consistent global approach
• Support regulated entities in their engagement with supervisory authorities (including CIMA), including preparation for regulatory inspections, responding to queries, and coordinating follow‑up actions
• Monitor and interpret regulatory developments impacting MaplesFS operations globally, advising the business on emerging risks and required changes to policies, procedures, and controls
• Support the General Counsel in maintaining and enhancing legal risk and governance frameworks, including identifying, assessing, and mitigating regulatory risks associated with business activities and new service offerings
• Collaborate with compliance, risk, and data protection teams (including internal privacy counsel) to ensure alignment on regulatory obligations, investigations, reporting, and governance standards
• Partner with HR and senior management to provide practical, risk‑based advice on a broad range of employment matters across jurisdictions, including disciplinary processes, grievances, performance management, and terminations
• Support the management of complex and sensitive employee relations issues, ensuring consistency and compliance with local legal and regulatory requirements
• Advise on the development and maintenance of HR policies, procedures, and frameworks in line with evolving employment laws and best practices
• Monitor and interpret employment law and regulatory developments globally, advising the business on associated risks and required changes
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders and external counsel on investigations, restructurings, and cross‑border employment matters, while supporting effective management of legal spend
• Assist with the management of litigation, disputes, and conflicts, including coordination with external counsel
• Oversee litigation strategy, budgets, and reporting to senior management
• Support internal stakeholders in managing contentious matters

Fiduciary & Client Services Advisory

• Advise Maples Group entities and Client Service Professionals ("CSPs") on legal issues arising in the course of client service delivery
• Provide guidance on fiduciary duties and responsibilities applicable to MaplesFS employees who act as directors and fiduciaries to client entities
• Advise on unit trust, structured finance, and related fiduciary matters
• Review and advise on Directors’ & Officers’ (D&O) insurance coverage and related matters

What You Bring

In addition to indisputably high ethical standards and autonomy, the ideal candidate possesses the following:

• Qualified lawyer admitted to practice law in the Cayman Islands (or eligible to be admitted to practice in the Cayman Islands) with approximately 7-10 years’ post‑qualification experience
• Strong experience in financial services, fiduciary, funds, or related environments preferred
• Demonstrated expertise in commercial contracts and cross‑border legal matters
• Proven experience in managing and developing junior attorneys
• Experience advising on regulatory, employment, and HR matters
• Strong commercial acumen and ability to balance legal risk with business objectives
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills
• Ability to operate effectively in a multi‑jurisdictional, fast‑paced environment

You can learn more about the Maples Group on our corporate website. Experience our culture and our people on our Careers Page or on LinkedIn.

Disclaimer: All personal information collected during the application process will be used for recruitment‑related purposes only. Please refer to our Job Applicant Privacy Notice at maples.com/privacy for details on how we handle personal information relating to job applicants.

“Please note that it is the Maples Group standard policy to undertake various background screening checks on all applicants to whom a conditional job offer is made. Except for roles based in the Republic of Ireland, the background checks will include criminal records checks when a conditional job offer is made. If you have a criminal record, it does not mean that your job offer will be automatically withdrawn. The Maples Group will make all job offer decisions on a case‑by‑case basis and will take a number of factors into account, such as the role that you are applying for and the nature and circumstances of the past offence. You will have the opportunity to discuss the matter with us before a decision is made. Further details will be provided at the time any conditional job offer is made.