NQ Financial Regulatory Associate

The role involves being an interface between clients, regulators, legislators and policymakers in a leading financial regulatory practice worldwide. We help our clients comply with new rules, assist rule makers in understanding the constraints they place on clients, and aid policymakers in grasping practical constraints. The largest financial institutions depend on us for legal advice, project execution, and strategic advice on the future of the industry. We are pioneering new approaches to help clients manage a growing regulatory burden.

Our financial regulatory practice advises on a wide range of financial institutions covering sell-side, buy-side and financial market infrastructure. We also have a growing fintech practice which advises fintech disruptors and crypto services providers. Specifically, we advise across the full spectrum of financial services businesses, including investment banking, commercial banking, asset management, insurance, wealth management, retail banking, payments services, fintech, exchanges, clearing and settlement. We maintain close links to governmental and regulatory bodies, as well as leading industry associations, providing unrivaled market insight for our clients.

On the fund regulatory side, the team advises fund managers, from global private equity firms to niche alternative managers, on all aspects of fund regulation. Our broader global asset management team consists of over 100 funds and funds regulatory fee-earners. Advice covers authorisations of banks and new managers, cross-border advisory, regulatory change projects, fund structuring and marketing, day-to-day compliance and M&A in the regulated sector.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Advising on new ways of doing business for clients, usually with a significant international perspective, including surveying licensing and marketing requirements and providing structuring advice on business expansions.
• Providing advice on the UK regulatory perimeter and marketing restrictions.
• Advising on netting and collateral arrangements.
• Advising on regulatory change implementation.
• Preparing standard terms of business, depositary/custody agreements and distribution/placement agent agreements.
• Advising on bank, asset manager and investment firm authorisations.
• Advising in relation to fund formation, including regulatory classification of fund; application for authorisation of funds/fund managers; and reviewing constitutional documents.
• Advising on fund marketing notification/authorisation requirements, disclaimers, PPMs and application of asset stripping requirements.
• Advising on M&A and reorganisations including carrying out due diligence.
• Drafting notifications of acquisition of control/major holdings.

Your experience:

We are interested to hear from outstanding lawyers with some financial regulatory experience (for example, having completed a seat in a financial regulatory team at a leading firm). You will be at the newly qualified stage or in your first year of practice. We expect an outstanding academic history and proven first-rate legal and analytical skills, combined with a strong reputation amongst clients for providing commercial solutions, excellent transactional and management skills. You will naturally demonstrate excellent advisory and drafting skills, strong communication skills, and a high level of commercial awareness, with exposure to collaborating with multi-jurisdictional and multi-disciplinary teams. It is crucial that you can demonstrate an appetite for business development, client relationship management and thought leadership.

How we will support you:

From your first day with us, you will have varied opportunities to continuously grow and develop your skills and knowledge through formal training, informal coaching and mentoring, skills-based and technical training, and on-the-job learning.

Hybrid Working:

This role follows our 'balanced' hybrid working approach, allowing you to work in a hybrid way with the expectation of working from the office for a minimum of 50% of your time.

Benefits and Working Environment:

We offer a broad range of benefits to support you across many aspects of your personal and professional life, including financial, wellbeing, lifestyle, and family-friendly benefits.

Equal Opportunity:

We are committed to treating all employees and applicants fairly and equally regardless of their gender, gender identity and expression, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour, national or ethnic origin, social or economic background, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation, or age. This applies to recruitment and selection, terms and conditions of employment including pay, promotion, training, transfer and every other aspect of employment.