Associate Counsel, PM Legal and Fund Formation

Schonfeld; New York (NY); On-site; USD 200,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Schonfeld is seeking an Associate Counsel to join the PM Legal and Fund Formation practice in New York. You will draft and negotiate key agreements with portfolio managers, oversee onboarding and offboarding, and drive fund formation, investor relations, and capital development initiatives.

The role requires a J.D. and bar admission, 4–6 years of investment management/funds experience, and strong drafting, analytical and interpersonal abilities.

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school and admission to a state bar.
• 4–6 years of experience in investment management/funds practice.
• In-house experience is preferred but not required.
• Superior legal analytical and drafting skills.
• Excellent organization, communication and interpersonal abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple urgent workstreams and work both independently and with teams.
• Interest or experience in using AI tools to assist the legal function.

Responsibilities

• Draft, negotiate and interpret contracts with portfolio managers (e.g., investment management agreements, employment agreements, deeds).
• Handle onboarding/offboarding matters for PMs.
• Lead fund formation and capital development; review side letters and fund documents; manage investor communications.
• Assist with strategic and regulatory matters, including private equity transactions and loan documents.
• Collaborate with CEO/CIO, COO, CFO, strategy heads and development teams; coordinate with outside counsel.

Skills

J.D. degree

Bar admission

Legal drafting

Negotiation

Analytical thinking

Organization

Communication

Interpersonal skills

Independent work

AI tools interest

Education

J.D. from an accredited law school

Tools

In-house experience

Job description

Associate Counsel, PM Legal and Fund Formation

New York, New York, United States

Role

We are seeking to hire an exceptional individual to join our Legal Team at Schonfeld. You will have the opportunity to work within two of the Legal Team’s practice areas: Portfolio Management (PM onboarding/offboarding/counseling) and Capital Development & Investor Relations. This is a dynamic opportunity to partner with senior management and to blend your legal acumen with your desire to get closer to the business while addressing a wide variety of legal issues.

What you’ll do

Your primary focus will be:

• Drafting, negotiating and interpreting various contracts directly with our portfolio managers (most commonly, investment management agreements, employment agreements and deeds), as well as handling related onboarding and offboarding matters.
• All facets of fund formation and capital development, including launching new investor-facing products, updating existing fund documents, preparing and reviewing side letters, maintaining fund side letter logs, negotiating placement agent agreements, and assisting with investor queries and communications.
• Help to spearhead strategic transactions, private equity transactions, loan documents and regulatory matters.
• Partnering closely with our stakeholders in other departments in furtherance of the above goals, including the Firm’s CEO/CIO, COO and CFO, as well as the strategy heads, business development teams and our capital development team.
• Working collaboratively with outside counsel and other advisers.

What you’ll bring

What you need:

• A J.D. from an accredited law school and admittance to a state bar.
• At least 4-6 years of experience in the investment management/funds practice area.
• In-house experience is preferred but not required.
• Superior legal analytical and drafting skills.
• Superior organization, communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to prioritize and handle urgent competing workstreams.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a demanding, fast‑paced and fluid environment while maintaining superior rigor and attention to detail.
• Ability to build trust and maintain positive working relationships with internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
• Interest or experience in identifying and implementing AI tools to assist the legal team more broadly.

Who we are

Schonfeld is a global multi-manager hedge fund that strives to deliver industry‑leading risk‑adjusted returns for our investors. We leverage both internal and external portfolio manager teams around the world, seeking to capitalize on inefficiencies and opportunities within the markets. We draw from decades of experience and a significant investment in proprietary technology, infrastructure and risk analytics to invest across four main strategies: Quant, Tactical, Fundamental Equity and Discretionary Macro & Fixed Income.

Our Culture

At Schonfeld, we’ll invest in you. Attracting and retaining top talent is at the heart of what we do, because we believe that exceptional outcomes begin with exceptional people. We foster a culture where talent is empowered to continually learn, innovate and pursue ambitious goals. We are teamwork‑oriented, collaborative and encourage ideas—at all levels—to be shared. As an organization committed to investing in our people, we provide learning and educational offerings and opportunities to make an impact. We encourage community through internal networks, external partnerships and service initiatives that promote inclusion and purpose beyond the firm’s walls.

The base pay for this role is expected to be between $200,000 and $250,000. The expected base pay range is based on information at the time this post was generated. This role will also be eligible for other forms of compensation, such as a substantive performance bonus and a competitive benefits package. Actual compensation for the successful candidate will be determined based on a variety of factors, such as skills, qualifications, and experience.

U.S. Demographic Information (Completion is voluntary)

Individuals seeking employment at Schonfeld are considered without regards to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, gender identity, or sexual orientation.

At Schonfeld, we strive to cultivate a sense of belonging throughout all of our employees with Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the forefront of this mission. As a firm we are committed to creating a hiring process which is not only fair, but also welcoming and supportive. As a part of that, we want to encourage candidates to voluntarily complete the following survey which helps us keep track of how we are doing in our efforts.

Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file.

Please note that all options below are as per EEOC guidelines and definitions.

Race & Ethnicity Definitions

American Indian or Alaskan Native – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North and South America (including Central America), and who maintain tribal affiliation or community attachment.

Asian – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian Subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Black or African American – A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.

Hispanic or Latino – A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race.

White – A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander – A person having origins in any of the peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands.

Two or More Races – All persons who identify with more than one of the above five races.