We’re Hiring: Legal Counsel
Join Cygnum Capital – Supporting frontier & emerging markets investment across Africa and beyond
Location: London, Amsterdam, Nairobi, Lagos or Dubai
Employment: Full time
Reporting to: General Counsel
Sector: Legal | Asset Management & Investment Banking
About Cygnum Capital
Cygnum Capital Group Ltd is a global investment banking and asset management firm with a deep and proven understanding of frontier and emerging economies across Asia, Africa and the Middle East. We operate globally, with over 100 finance professionals across strategically located hubs on three continents. Headquartered in London, our team maintains a strong presence in Amsterdam, Dubai and in multiple locations in Sub-Saharan Africa. Our client base is global and includes governments, multilateral institutions, corporations and financial institutions, as well as major international development agencies and foundations.
Our business covers:
• Asset Management: We partner with development finance institutions and other institutional investors to provide fund management services and currently have seven funds which we manage or advise with combined assets of over USD1 billion. We specialise in fund management for innovative financial strategies and transactions, managing pioneering funds focused on the African continent. Funds under Cygnum’s management may invest in a wide range of instruments including:
◦ Bonds
◦ Corporate loans
◦ Project financing structures
◦ Subordinated debt instruments
◦ Equity
• Investment Banking: our IB business provides sovereign, development finance and corporate investment banking services. We have a strong track record of working with Sovereign and Sovereign-related entities and multilaterals, where we provide macro-financial advisory services, assist with liability management and capital raising transactions, privatisations and debt restructurings. In the corporate finance space, we provide our corporate clients with innovative and ‘first-of-their-kind’ solutions across key sectors such as infrastructure, power/renewable energy, health, real estate, natural resources and financial services.
What You’ll Do
The Legal Counsel will join a legal team of four experienced lawyers overseeing legal activities of Cygnum, including all of its subsidiaries, with a focus on asset management.
This is a hands-on role for a commercially minded lawyer requiring an understanding of Cygnum’s legal and regulatory risks across its different business areas and jurisdictions, and an ability to collaborate with colleagues across the business and to independently support deal teams to execute transactions (in conjunction with, and managing, external counsel).
You will work on varied, high-impact transactions across frontier and emerging markets, with direct exposure to investment professionals, senior stakeholders and external advisers. The role offers broad responsibility across investments, funds and regulation within a collaborative international business.
Fund Investments & Transaction Support
Support asset management teams in relation to funds investment work, including
• Legal structuring
• Review and negotiation of term sheets
• Instructing external counsel
• Overseeing due diligence, drafting and negotiation of legal documentation and execution in conjunction with deal teams and external counsel
• Portfolio management, amendments, restructurings and work-outs
Fund Establishment & Structuring
Support asset management teams in relation to funds work, including
• Fund establishment
• Fund restructuring and redomiciliation
• Capital raising (equity and debt)
Corporate level
• Advise on regulatory issues across asset management, advisory and investment banking, across all jurisdictions in which Cygnum operates.
• Draft, review and update precedent documentation for all aspects of Cygnum’s business to protect its commercial and legal interests.
• Support management and commercial teams on legal and contractual issues.
• Instruct and manage relationships with Cygnum’s external law firms.
Who We’re Looking For
• Qualified lawyer with a minimum of 5 years’ post-qualification legal experience, gained at a leading law firm or in-house at a financial institution or fund.
• Cross-border transactional experience in either or both of the following areas:
◦ finance law (corporate lending, leveraged finance and/or project finance), including strong familiarity with and ability to negotiate LMA documentation, an understanding of cross-border security structures, and an understanding of intercreditor arrangements and the ability to structure multi-party financings; or
◦ funds, corporate/M&A/VC & PE
• Excellent legal drafting skills in English.
• Flexibility to work on matters involving different jurisdictions and new areas of law.
• Strong planning, organisational and management skills, with the ability to meet deadlines and prioritise across multiple matters.
• Commercial approach.
The following skills are also helpful:
• Proficiency in French (highly desirable), Dutch, Portuguese or Arabic (helpful).
• Experience working on matters involving different African jurisdictions.
• Experience in one or more of the following additional areas of law: capital markets; compliance; financial services/regulatory; restructuring, insolvency and enforcement.
How to Apply
Your covering letter should briefly explain your relevant finance experience, cross-border exposure and interest in Cygnum Capital. Cygnum Capital welcomes applications from suitably qualified candidates and is committed to a fair and inclusive recruitment process.
