Financial Services and Products Paralegal in London

We are recruiting a Paralegal to join our Financial Services and Products group.

Joining Macfarlanes means being part of a collaborative, partner‑led team where you’ll develop and learn from experienced lawyers and business professionals. Our size means you’ll be given genuine responsibility early on and often be involved at the heart of client matters, gaining insight into how our high‑quality legal advice is developed and delivered to help clients overcome their most pressing issues.

You’ll work closely with senior colleagues who are approachable and want you to develop and succeed. You’ll be encouraged to be involved in client and business development activities, and you’ll be recognised for your contribution.

Much of our work has a cross‑border focus, so you’ll often collaborate with global clients and specialist advisers in overseas jurisdictions. You’ll build connections with international law firms, broaden your experience, and be part of a multidisciplinary team that comes together to achieve the best results.

We also place real importance on your development. Our training and mentoring programmes are second to none and designed to help you strengthen your legal and commercial skills.

Our Financial Services and Products group consists of three Partners, two Senior Counsels, one Senior Knowledge Lawyer, five Senior Associates, six Associates, two Trainee Solicitors, one Paralegal and the Head of ESG. The team covers a broad range of work including advising on all aspects of FCA/PRA regulatory compliance, including applications and notifications as well as advising on the regulatory aspects of corporate and banking transactions and restructurings. We advise fund managers, advisers, other service providers and investors on a range of matters relating to their work and ongoing strategic issues. The practice also works closely with our disputes team on contentious regulatory matters.

Our team has exceptional market knowledge. Many of our clients' projects bring together a number of disciplines; so we frequently draw on the expertise of the firm’s banking and finance, commercial, corporate, employment, real estate and tax lawyers to provide a seamless service.

The successful candidate will be required to carry out a broad range of high‑quality work. He or she will provide general support across the group, both on financial services and regulated funds matters. Key duties will include:

• assisting with regulatory applications, e.g. authorisations, variations of permission, change in control, waivers, fund launches and fund changes;
• assisting with notifications to the FCA;
• assisting with regulatory due diligence processes in support of our corporate and banking teams;
• coordinating advice from specialist advisers in overseas jurisdictions on cross‑border matters;
• reviewing and processing amendments to key fund documentation;
• regular contact with clients;
• supporting fee earners with their day‑to‑day work;
• assisting with ad hoc administrative tasks, as and when required.

This job description encompasses the main duties of the role and is by no means exhaustive. It is anticipated that duties may vary from time to time according to the needs of the practice area.

The right candidate will possess strong academic qualifications from A Levels and have a minimum 2:1 degree. Ideally the candidate will have worked as a paralegal at a law firm or financial services firm such as an asset manager for at least a year.

The successful candidate will be self‑motivated, organised, interested in, and committed to providing high quality technical legal support in a practical context to fee earners. Strong attention to detail is essential, along with excellent time management skills and a meticulous approach to work.

The candidate must take a pro‑active stance, be able to work independently following appropriate instruction or in a team and take responsibility for the work product delivered.

Our learning curriculum is designed to equip our people with the broad range of skills and knowledge they need to develop and be effective in their roles. The curriculum includes sessions specifically aimed at paralegals, covering essential legal and business skills to support individuals at the start of their legal career.

We deliver training throughout the year in a range of different ways. This includes webinars, workshops, one‑to‑one skills support, mentoring and coaching. We support development opportunities in a variety of topics, including communication, presentation and drafting skills.

Paralegals looking to qualify as associates are encouraged to apply for our Training Programme. They can do so once they have completed six months’ employment, subject to certain conditions.

Some paralegals may prefer not to (or are unable to) undertake the Training Programme route for a variety of reasons, choosing the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE) and Qualifying Work Experience (QWE) route instead. The firm will offer study leave and exam leave for paralegals sitting the SQE, and will sign off QWE (that meets the SRA’s requirements) gained at Macfarlanes.

Internal paralegals that have qualified in this way may be considered for NQ vacancies not filled by those qualifying through the firm’s Training Programme and where the firm is or may be looking to recruit externally providing they have completed at least one year of their QWE at Macfarlanes and passed both SQE 1 and SQE 2 on the first attempt.

Any offer of employment with us is subject to our pre‑employment checks which are conducted by a third‑party screening provider. These checks will be initiated with your consent and your CV will be sent to the provider by us. The screening will include but is not limited to your employment references, professional and academic qualifications including grades and any criminal records. Your offer will be subject to the successful completion of these checks.

Macfarlanes is a pre‑eminent law firm that serves a global client base in private capital, private wealth, M&A and disputes. Personal connection, an entrepreneurial spirit and a commitment to excellence are at the heart of our firm. These values drive our ability to deliver exceptional outcomes for our clients.

We are big enough to undertake the most complex and demanding mandates, yet small enough to be agile, adapting to the needs of our clients. We seek to strengthen the firm by recruiting talented people from all backgrounds who want to build long‑lasting and impactful careers with us. Our culture is supportive and fosters diversity and challenge, creating an environment where individuals can thrive.

Inclusion is one of our key priorities and is a goal to which we are actively working. We believe that an inclusive, forward‑thinking culture is intrinsically important and enables us to provide innovative solutions to our clients.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, bringing different perspectives and experiences, making Macfarlanes an exciting and stimulating place to work. We seek to recruit the best candidates, regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, social or economic background, religion, disability, sexual orientation or any other characteristic.

As part of this commitment, we will ask you certain diversity data questions. We would really appreciate you and/or your recruiter completing these questions when submitting an application to Macfarlanes as this data enables us to measure our progress and identify any actions needed to continue to support an inclusive culture. This data is anonymised to maintain the privacy of applicants. If you have any questions relating to how this data is used, please contact a member of the recruitment team.

Should you require any adjustments during the application and/or interview process, please do not hesitate to inform your recruiter or a member of the recruitment team. Please note, the job description is available in other accessible formats (for example, large print).

We are a Disability Confident Employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who best meet the essential criteria for the role. If you would like to apply through the Disability Confident Interview Scheme, please email the recruitment team.