Legal Counsel

Harbor Capital Advisors, Inc.; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 155,000 - 195,000; Full time

Job summary

Harbor Capital Advisors, Inc. is seeking a mid-level Legal Counsel in Chicago, with a hybrid schedule three days in-office.

The role provides legal guidance to internal clients on investment management, mutual funds, ETFs and related regulatory matters, and supports board materials and regulatory filings. You will draft and negotiate contracts, perform regulatory reviews, and help with SEC filings and governance materials for Harbor Funds, Harbor Funds II, and Harbor ETF Trust.

Qualifications

• Licensed attorney with a law degree and strong academic credentials.
• At least four years of experience with the Investment Company Act of 1940 and the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
• Experience drafting and negotiating contracts; regulatory filings review.
• Knowledge of ETFs and manager-of-managers is a plus.
• Commitment to the highest ethical standards.

Responsibilities

• Prepare board meeting materials and minutes.
• Draft and review SEC regulatory filings for Harbor Funds entities.
• Draft principal investment strategies and risk disclosures for investment products.
• Review, negotiate and draft a wide range of contracts including investment management and vendor contracts.
• Conduct legal research on regulatory developments.
• Support cross-company projects as necessary.

Skills

Contract drafting

Contract negotiations

Regulatory compliance

Legal research

Education

Juris Doctor (JD) or equivalent

Tools

ArcPro

Contract management system

Job description

Summary We are seeking a self-motivated, results-oriented mid-level Legal Counsel to assist in providing legal advice to internal clients of the firm and to provide support to the broader Legal & Compliance Team. As a member of the Legal & Compliance Team, the Legal Counsel will advise the firm’s business professionals on a broad range of investment management, mutual fund, ETF and CIT legal and regulatory compliance work. The Legal Counsel will assist with the preparation of SEC filings including the annual update of fund registration statements and prospectus supplement filings. The Legal Counsel will also assist with the preparation of board meeting materials for the Harbor funds’ Board of Trustees and Harbor Trust Company Board of Directors meetings. The Legal Counsel also would be expected to provide support in other areas, including reviewing and negotiating a wide range of contracts, providing legal review of regulatory filings, attending board and/or committee meetings and drafting minutes and conducting legal research on diverse issues ranging from the applicability of new regulations to shareholder matters.

This position will be based in Chicago, Boston or New York. We follow a hybrid schedule working in-office three days a week (Tuesday - Thursday).

Key Responsibilities

• Assist with the preparation of materials for board meetings including board memos and minutes
• Draft and review Harbor Funds’, Harbor Funds II’s, and Harbor ETF Trust’s SEC regulatory filings, such as initial filings and annual updates to the registration statement on Form N-1A, registration statement supplements, business combinations on Form N-14, and information statements
• Draft principal investment strategies and risk disclosures for investment products
• Review, negotiate and draft of a wide range of contracts, including investment management agreements, intermediary and trading agreements for the various products, and general vendor contracts
• Conduct legal research on a diverse range of issues including new regulations
• Participate in cross-company projects as necessary

Key Behavioral Expectations

• Drives for Results
• Creates Culture of Collaboration
• Communication & Engagement
• Agility & Adaptability

Minimum Qualifications

• Licensed attorney with law degree from a national law school and strong academic credentials
• Mid-level attorney with at least four years of experience with the Investment Company Act of 1940 and Investment Advisers Act of 1940 with a major law firm or in-house with a fund company
• Experience drafting and negotiating contracts
• Committed to maintaining the highest ethical standards
• Experience with ETFs and/or operating in a manager-of-managers structure is a plus

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required

The ideal candidate will be an intelligent, energetic, goal-oriented, conceptual thinker with the ability to quickly assess a situation and exercise sound business judgment and will possess the following attributes: Prior experience as an attorney in the investment management industry and knowledge of the regulations that govern its activities, including the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, and the Securities Act of 1933 Excellent interpersonal and communications skills; must be able to interact with business professionals and address issues in a thoughtful and timely manner Independent, self-starter with a positive, can-do attitude and the ability to follow through and complete tasks in a team environment Ability to work individually and with other team members under pressure and prioritize competing tasks that require the highest level of attention to detail and accuracy Proficiency with learning and administering technological applications; prior experience with DFIN’s ArcPro system and/or a contract management system is a plus Ability to shift focus dependent upon the need of the department to support teamwork

Salary Range: $155,000 - $195,000 plus bonus eligibility

This position is a hybrid opportunity based in our Chicago, Boston or New York office.

What makes Harbor unique is our commitment to only partnering with the very best asset managers globally. This focus allows us to act in the best interests of our shareholders every day, and help them achieve their investment goals through active, cost aware investing. This approach has served us well, becoming one the largest and most highly regarded manager of managers in the industry. We take a similar approach with the people we hire, seeking the very best individuals that share our passion for putting shareholders first, and we are currently looking to grow our firm with talented, intellectually diverse people with excellent work ethic.