Senior Corporate Paralegal

Madison Dearborn Partners, LLC; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Madison Dearborn Partners, LLC, based in Chicago, seeks a Senior Corporate Paralegal to support the Legal & Compliance team. You will manage fund and entity governance, regulatory filings, and transactional support for investments and portfolio companies.

The ideal candidate has 5+ years’ corporate paralegal experience, preferably in private equity or law firms, with strong MS Office skills and familiarity with EDGAR, Form ADV, AML/KYC, and related compliance processes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree strongly preferred; paralegal certificate preferred.
• Minimum 5+ years of corporate paralegal experience, preferably at a private equity firm, investment adviser, or law firm with a corporate/private funds practice.
• Experience in entity management, corporate governance, fund formation and documentation, regulatory filings, or transaction support.
• Familiarity with SEC filings (EDGAR), Form ADV, Form PF, AIFMD, AML/KYC requirements is a plus.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, and ability to quickly learn new software (e.g., Funded, EDGAR, MyComplianceOffice, DealCloud).
• Based in MDP's Chicago office with in-office presence at least three days per week.

Responsibilities

• Manage Fund & Entity Management/Corporate Governance including formation, maintenance, dissolution, governance documents and records.
• Oversee Regulatory & Compliance filings (Form ADV, Form PF, AIFMD) and regulatory calendars; AML and related requirements.
• Support Fundraising/Investor matters including subscription documentation, AML/KYC review, and fund closings/transfers.
• Lead Transactions workstreams for investments, dispositions, and financings; coordinate closing deliverables and onboarding of portfolio companies.
• Train and mentor junior staff; develop processes, checklists, and project management tools; run recurring filings end-to-end.
• Support E-Discovery & Legal Holds; respond to subpoenas; manage custodians and preservation activities.

Skills

Proactive and self-motivated

Strong judgment and attention todetail

Highly organized

Collaborative and team oriented

Strong communicator

Flexible and solutions-oriented

Professional integrity

Education

Bachelor's degree

Paralegal certificate

Tools

Microsoft Excel

EDGAR

MyComplianceOffice

DealCloud

Funded

Job description

Madison Dearborn Partners, LLC ("MDP") is a leading private equity firm based in Chicago. Since MDP’s formation in 1992, the firm has raised aggregate capital of approximately $36 billion and has completed over 160 platform investments across various dedicated industry verticals, including Financial Services, Healthcare, and Technology & Government Services. For more information, please visit www.mdcp.com.

POSITION OVERVIEW

MDP is seeking a Senior Corporate Paralegal to be part of its Legal & Compliance team. This position will own key corporate and fund-related workstreams and serve as a subject-matter resource for the Legal & Compliance team. Responsibilities will include the following critical functions:

• Fund & Entity Management/Corporate Governance: Manage the formation, maintenance and dissolution of the Firm's fund, general partner, management company and related entities, including corporate records, registrations, annual franchise filings and good-standing requirements, fund and portfolio company structure charts and governance documents such as resolutions.
• Regulatory & Compliance: Manage and prepare U.S. and international regulatory filings (such as Form ADV, Form PF, filings under the AIFMD and change in control filings); maintain regulatory calendars and VCOC/benefit plan investor calculations for annual certifications; support custody rule compliance, SEC exam and mock exam document requests, and compliance policies and procedures, including with respect to AML.
• Fundraising/Investor Matters: Work with outside counsel and internal teams on fund matters, including fund formation, investor and GP subscription documentation, AML/KYC review, side-letter management, and fund closings, extensions and transfers.
• Transactions: Manage legal workstreams for the Firm's investments, dispositions and financings, including transaction entities, confidentiality agreements, closing deliverables and legal onboarding of new portfolio companies.
• Team Leadership and Project Management: Train and mentor junior team members; review work product; establish best practices. Independently run recurring filings and multi-party projects end to end. Maintain and develop process documents, checklists and project management tools and recommend improvements to standardize recurring legal workflows and assisting with other projects as needed.
• E-Discovery & Legal Holds: Support responses to subpoenas and fund or portfolio company litigation; administer legal holds; identify and communicate with custodians; coordinate preservation and collection with IT, outside counsel and vendors; and maintain applicable records.

QUALITIES OF THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

• Proactive and self-motivated. Takes initiative, anticipates needs, and demonstrates a strong sense of ownership and accountability.
• Strong judgment and attention to detail. Demonstrates critical thinking, sound judgment, and a high degree of accuracy. Able to identify potential issues, think through solutions, and recognize when matters require escalation.
• Highly organized and effective at managing multiple priorities. Able to independently manage complex workstreams, competing deadlines, and multiple stakeholders while maintaining high-quality work in a fast-paced environment.
• Collaborative and team oriented. Builds strong working relationships with colleagues at all levels, as well as outside counsel and service providers. Brings a positive, approachable, and low-ego attitude with a willingness to help wherever needed.
• Strong communicator. Communicates clearly and professionally, both verbally and in writing, and is comfortable interacting with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Flexible and solutions-oriented. Adaptable to changing priorities, resourceful in solving problems, and continuously looks for ways to improve processes and how work gets done.
• High level of professionalism and integrity. Exercises discretion, maintains confidentiality, and handles sensitive legal and business matters with sound judgment and professionalism.

EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree strongly preferred; paralegal certificate preferred.
• Minimum 5+ years of corporate paralegal experience, preferably at a private equity firm, investment adviser, or law firm with a corporate or private funds practice.
• Experience in the following areas: entity management, corporate governance, fund formation and documentation, regulatory filings, or transaction support.
• Familiarity with SEC filings (including EDGAR), Form ADV, Form PF, AIFMD, and AML/KYC requirements is a plus.
• Strong proficiency in Microsoft Office, particularly Excel, and ability to quickly learn new software applications and systems (e.g., Funded, EDGAR, MyComplianceOffice, DealCloud).
• This is a Full-time position based in MDP's Chicago office, with an expectation of being in the office at least three days per week.