Chicago - Senior Corporate Paralegal, Funds & Secondaries

Winston & Strawn LLP; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 93,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Winston Taylor seeks a dedicated paralegal to support the Funds practice across the full fund lifecycle, including LP-led secondaries and Continuation Vehicle matters. The role requires handling confidential information and precise timekeeping.

The candidate will assist with fund formation, investor subscriptions, KYC/AML diligence, and coordinating with counsels and fund administrators to drive transactions to closing.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; Paralegal certificate from an ABA-approved program is a plus.
• Minimum 5+ years of paralegal experience, preferably at a law firm handling complex matters for large corporate and fund clients.
• Hands-on experience with Continuation Vehicle and GP-led Secondaries transactions is a core qualification.
• Strong technical skills: Word, Excel, Outlook, and iManage; familiarity with virtual data rooms and DocuSign.

Responsibilities

• Follow ethical requirements per the Rules of Professional Conduct.
• LP-Led Secondaries: manage the transfer process and provide project management support from engagement to closing.
• Continuation Vehicle / GP-Led Secondaries: assist with formation documents and related agreements, track elections and documentation.
• Fund Formation: assist in drafting and organizing fund formation documents, filings, and closing deliverables.
• Ongoing Fund Operations & Compliance: track investor information, process KYC/AML requests, and support attorneys and paralegals.

Skills

Paralegal experience

Fund formation

GP-led secondaries

Attention to detail

Project management

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree

Paralegal certificate (ABA-approved)

Tools

iManage

DocuSign

Microsoft Word

Excel

Outlook

Access

Job description

About us

At Winston Taylor, we set the standard, together.

Winston Taylor is a transatlantic law firm built for the businesses, people, and markets driving capital and innovation. Here, you're in the room. In the action. Sleeves rolled up.

You’ll work with leading clients. Disruptors. Fast-growth companies. And help them to stay one step ahead of the moment and make critical decisions that shape their future. We're present in the U.S., U.K., Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East, combining the scale and speed that clients demand.

You’ll be trusted with real responsibility from the outset and build experience through hands‑on work. We take your progression personally. We provide the platform. You shape the work around your goals and aspirations. Step into the moments that matter. Join Winston Taylor.

Position summary

Provide dedicated paralegal support to the firm's Funds practice group across the full fund lifecycle, from formation through dissolution, for private equity and other private investment fund vehicles. LP-led secondaries transactions and Continuation Vehicle (CV) and other GP-led secondaries transactions are a core, recurring focus of this role given their complexity and frequency. Observe confidentiality of client and fund matters. Keep accurate time records.

Position responsibilities

• Follow the ethical requirements as set forth by the Rules of Professional Conduct of the State.
• LP-Led Secondaries - Transaction Project Management (Core Responsibility): Manage the transfer process and provide overall project management support for LP-led secondary transactions, from initial engagement through closing.
  • Assist with coordination of NDA reviews and initial GP consent forms.
  • Complete investor suitability questionnaires and related subscription documentation by prospective transferee clients.
  • Coordinate AML (Anti-Money Laundering) and KYC (Know Your Customer) diligence for transferees and other secondary market participants, working with sponsor counsel and compliance and fund administrators to obtain and track required documentation.
  • Support the tax team in connection with transfer due diligence, including coordinating ECI (effectively connected income) and FIRPTA (Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act) withholding exemption certifications and related tax forms and disclosures.
  • Track and project-manage overall transaction status across multiple concurrent LP-led secondary transactions, including maintaining transaction status trackers, escalating open items, and coordinating with counsel and secondaries advisors / brokers to drive transactions to closing.
• Continuation Vehicle / GP-Led Secondaries (Core Responsibility): Assist with the formation of continuation fund vehicles and other GP-led secondaries transaction documentation, including new fund and GP entity formation documents, purchase and sale/transfer agreements, tender and election materials, rollover and reinvestment elections for existing limited partners, and side letters for continuation vehicle investors.
  • Coordinate closing mechanics specific to GP-led secondaries transactions, including tracking investor elections, transfer consents, and valuation and fairness opinion deliverables.
  • Liaise with fund administrators, transfer agents, and secondaries counsel and advisors throughout continuation vehicle and secondaries transactions.
• Fund Formation: Assist in drafting and organizing fund formation documents (e.g., partnership agreements, operating agreements), offering memoranda, subscription agreements, and side letters.
  • Draft basic entity formation, dissolution, and foreign registration documents for fund vehicles and general partner entities, coordinate related state registrations, and conduct state research to confirm corporate and good standing status, including retrieving certified corporate documents (e.g., certificates of good standing).
  • Coordinate the closing of private fundraises, including tracking signature pages, gathering closing deliverables, and preparing closing indices and binders (digital and hard copy) for distribution to interested parties.
  • Review investor subscription materials and side letters for completeness, correctness, and consistency; review subscription booklets and index them into a database (e.g., Access), identifying follow-up items.
  • Prepare and maintain spreadsheets and reports tracking investor subscriptions, commitments, and capital activity.
  • Maintain hard and soft copies of subscription booklets and other fund formation materials, including saving commitment letters, subscription agreements, side letters, and dual commitments to iManage.
  • Handle signature page distribution to clients and assist with DocuSign execution of fund documents.
  • Prepare and file Form ID with the SEC and obtain SEC EDGAR codes, prepare and file Form D, and complete and file other substantive forms with the SEC, IRS, and state and federal regulatory agencies.
• Ongoing Fund Operations & Compliance: Support ongoing fund maintenance operations, including amendments, name changes, restructurings, commitment transfers, and dissolutions.
  • Track, calendar, and maintain investor information using databases and spreadsheets, including updating and maintaining the SharePoint tracking system and calendar for various deadlines; process subscription documents and facilitate capital calls and distributions.
  • Process KYC (Know Your Customer) and AML (Anti-Money Laundering) search requests and assist with audit requests and regulatory disclosures.
  • Provide legal and administrative support to attorneys and other paralegals within the Funds Formation practice group.
• Document & Data Management: Maintain and organize virtual data rooms and document management systems with drafts, final documents, and printer proofs.
  • Conduct factual and legal research regarding fund structures, state corporation laws, and securities regulations.
  • Proofread, redline, and compare documents, including fund formation documents, charts, reports, and client correspondence.
  • Provide notary public services, if commissioned.

Experience, skills, and qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required. Paralegal certificate from an ABA-approved institution a plus.
• Minimum of 5+ years of paralegal experience, preferably at a law firm handling complex matters for large corporate and fund clients, with substantive experience in fund formation and investment management transactions.
• Required: specific, hands‑on experience with Continuation Vehicle and/or GP-led Secondaries transactions is a core qualification for this role.
• Strong technical skills in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook, and a document management system (iManage), with Access experience a plus; advanced knowledge of virtual data rooms and e‑signature platforms such as DocuSign.
• Impeccable attention to detail and strong organizational skills, with the ability to manage multiple projects and transactions simultaneously under tight deadlines in a high‑pressure, deadline‑driven environment.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and communication skills, with the ability to work independently and as part of a team, demonstrating creativity and initiative.
• Interpersonal skills necessary to communicate effectively, in person, by e‑mail, and by telephone, with a diverse group of clients, attorneys, and staff.
• Ability to proofread typed material for contextual, grammatical, typographical, or spelling errors.
• Work occasionally requires a high level of mental effort and strain while organizing and maintaining multiple fund and transaction matters simultaneously.
• Ability to retrieve and distribute print volumes, push and pull packages and books weighing up to 20 pounds, and ability to retrieve and replace objects from shelves of up to 8 feet high.
• Willingness to work additional hours, with little notice, which may exceed 35 hours per week, including irregular hours, and flexibility to travel locally and nationwide, consistent with the demands of complex, deadline‑driven fund and secondaries transactions.

Benefits

Winston offers comprehensive benefits that provide a full spectrum of coverage and support for our full‑time employees and their families. Additional information about benefits and rewards can be found here.

We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applicants from all backgrounds and experiences. #LI-DC2 #LI-HYBRID

Salary

Illinois applicants only: The target annual salary range for this role is currently $93,000-$130,000 based on a regular, full‑time schedule. The amount of compensation offered will be determined by several factors, including but not limited to experience, qualifications, market data and internal equity. Total compensation includes a comprehensive healthcare benefits package, yearly retirement contribution, and may include an annual discretionary merit bonus.