EMEA Prime Financial Services Legal Counsel – Vice President in London

The role will sit within the EMEA PFS legal team, which has responsibility for a broad variety of work across all areas of PFS, encompassing cash and synthetic prime brokerage, securities lending, F&O execution and clearing, as well as OTC derivative clearing. As an EMEA Prime Financial Services Legal Counsel in the Legal Markets Legal team, you will provide legal coverage to the EMEA Prime Financial Services (‘PFS’) business within EMEA Equities. You will have a great opportunity to further develop your skills and knowledge through working on a variety of matters both within the EMEA PFS legal team and the wider Equities legal team.

Given the significant breadth of the role and product coverage, members of the team are expected to have knowledge of relevant UK and European law and regulation, particularly relating to Market Infrastructure and Derivative Clearing, Banking Capital and Liquidity, Investor Protection and Custody, Market Conduct, Transparency, Credit / Margin Frameworks and Settlement Discipline. This is a challenging role, supporting a large and fast-growing business, requiring a comprehensive understanding of the legal and commercial aspects across all products within PFS. You will apply sound judgment to assess and manage legal and regulatory risk, translating complexity into clear, practical guidance that supports well-controlled growth in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.

Job responsibilities:

• Support the PFS business in onboarding new clients and managing existing client relationships, including shaping product offering by offering legal and regulatory advice at inception, drafting and negotiating a suite of legal agreements covering multiple products, and providing post-execution legal support;
• Support the PFS business in regulatory horizon scanning and impact assessment, regulatory advocacy, implementation of new laws and regulations and ongoing compliance, including support with Regulator exams and internal and external audit;
• Proactively identify, assess, and support the management of legal, regulatory, and reputational risks affecting the PFS business, including in the development and implementation of new product initiatives, engage appropriate control forums and follow the correct escalation procedures;
• Collaborate effectively across Legal, business, Compliance and other risk and control functions, and manage external counsel where appropriate to deliver coordinated and efficient outcomes;
• Drive process, documentation and efficiency improvements across the various areas of coverage, with a focus on legal operational excellence and scalable ways of working.

Required qualifications, skills and capabilities:

• Qualified lawyer with 3+ years’ post-qualification experience gained in a leading law firm and/or in-house legal team;
• Licensed to practice law in England & Wales or a similar jurisdiction;
• Strong background ideally with experience in one or more PFS products, but we will consider candidates with other derivatives experience;
• Excellent negotiation skills and familiarity with UK and European regulations impacting Markets businesses (e.g. MIFID II/MiFIR, EMIR, UMR, SFTR, CSDR, FCA CASS, AIFMD, MAR etc.);
• Strong analytical and risk management skills as well as excellent drafting skills and a solution-oriented approach;
• Highly developed organisational, analytical and time management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment;
• Strong collaboration and communication skills and an ability to work both independently and as part of a team.