Legal Counsel, (Leverage Finance) - Vice President

This job is with Mizuho, an inclusive employer and a member of myGwork – the largest global platform for the LGBTQ+ business community.

Profile Summary

Sponsor Coverage & Leveraged Finance (SCLF) is a Banking front office team sitting within Coverage. In addition to covering Financial Sponsors, the team executes the core product set for these clients, with a primary focus on Leveraged Finance but capabilities in Crossover financings, Infrastructure financings, IPO financings, Fund financings, CLO Warehouse financings, Private Equity Fund LP investments and other bespoke and structured financings.

SCLF, L&E is fully integrated within SCLF and comprises a team of documentation, transaction management and execution specialists providing an integral service to the Origination team, the Capital Markets team and the Asset Management team, working together for the purpose of providing our Sponsor clients with a full business service offering. With a keen emphasis on a positive team culture, this is an ideal opportunity for any candidate looking to broaden their legal and commercial experience and to become a member of a highly motivated and ambitious team.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Drafting, reviewing and negotiating all commercial grids and commitment papers, including commitment letters, term sheets, fee letters, syndication letters etc.
• Reviewing and negotiating loan documentation, including loan agreements (including interim loan agreements and bridge loan agreements), security agreements and intercreditor agreements, limited partnership agreements, in each case whether governed by English, New York or other applicable laws.
• Advising the business on legal, structural, commercial and execution risk issues and liaising with various internal stakeholders.
• Reviewing all amendments, waivers and consents for Asset Management deals.
• High level review of securities (bond) documentation, including OMs, indentures, purchase and subscription agreements, securities demands, mandate letters and fee letters.
• Reviewing and negotiating all miscellaneous ancillary documents, including confidentiality agreements, conditions precedent documents and powers of attorney.
• Being a "fountain of knowhow" (i.e. being an expert on market terms) for leveraged and non-leveraged finance transactions (including corporate "cross-over" deals and subscription financing) in the European and U.S. markets.
• Advising our Origination, Capital Markets and Asset Management teams on the current status of documentary terms in the market and providing regular updates on any movement in such terms.
• Helping to develop and present know-how and training to the broader SCLF business and to other departments within the broader bank.
• Managing various compliance-related matters, such as reporting of restricted information to the European Compliance Department and creating, with the assistance of external counsel, "treeing" guidelines and policies and providing training in connection therewith.
• Developing and managing relationships with external counsel.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience

• University degree.
• Admission as a solicitor in England & Wales (or equivalent in a common law jurisdiction).
• Demonstrated negotiation and transaction management skills.
• Sound legal knowledge and judgment.
• Commercial awareness.
• General understanding and exposure to banking loan transactions (ideally with some leveraged finance experience).
• Excellent communication skills.
• Personal motivation, effectiveness and accountability.
• (Desirable but not required) Knowledge of documentation, structuring and general legal risk issues pertaining to complex cross-border European and U.S. acquisition (leveraged and corporate) financings, including P2Ps, and restructurings of such credits.
• (Desirable but not required) Understanding of documentation, structuring and general legal risk issues pertaining to European, U.S. and AsiaPacific subscription finance.
• (Desirable but not required) Understanding of securities (bond) documents and structures.

What Mizuho can offer you

Here at Mizuho, there are fantastic progression opportunities and clear paths to promotion. We will give you ample opportunity to affect change and to help grow our business. In addition to the great opportunity outlined above we are also currently able to offer:

• Competitive starting salary, plus discretionary bonus.
• Non-contributory pension.
• 27 days' annual leave.
• Core working hours.
• Hybrid working - office and home based.
• Virtual GP.
• Wellbeing benefits, including Mental Health Allies and First Aiders.

At Mizuho, we embrace flexible ways of working when the role permits. We offer different working arrangements like part-time, job-sharing and hybrid (office and home) working. Our purpose-led culture and global infrastructure help us connect, collaborate, and work together in agile ways to meet all our business needs. At Mizuho we are committed to supporting equality, diversity and equality, and seek to create a workplace that is fully inclusive. We welcome applications from all sections of the community that we operate in and from all ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientation, beliefs, gender identities and disabilities. If you require more information about our equal opportunities policy or wish to discuss any accessibility requirements or reasonable adjustments please contact the recruitment team - recruitment@mizuhoemea.com and we will be happy to help.