Legal Counsel, Derivatives and Structured Finance - Director in London

We are seeking an experienced and commercially minded and technically strong lawyer to join our Derivatives and Structured Finance Legal team as a Director. The successful candidate will provide legal support to Mizuho’s banking and structured finance business across EMEA, advising on a broad range of lending, structured financing transactions, working closely with front office, structuring, credit, risk and operations teams.

Working with the CIB Structured Financing Group, the role will focus on reviewing securitisation, funds financing, insured financing transactions and other bespoke financing arrangements in Europe, negotiating directly and actively managing legal risk within the business. The role requires an experienced lawyer to be able to provide legal support to the banking teams in EMEA and assist with the structuring, review and execution of such transactions.

The successful candidate will act as a trusted legal advisor on complex cross-border financing structures, working alongside the business, supporting business growth and effective legal risk management. This is a business facing role requiring strong technical expertise, commercial judgment and the ability to work collaboratively across multiple business lines and jurisdictions and as required, to manage external counsel effectively.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide legal support to Mizuho Bank Ltd., London Branch, Mizuho International plc and Mizuho Bank Europe N.V. and their respective branches and subsidiaries within the EMEA region.
• Advise and assist the business with structuring, documenting and negotiating transactions.
• Partner with the business throughout the lifecycle of transactions, from product development and structuring through execution and ongoing management.
• Effectively identify, analyse and communicate legal risks for structured financing transactions, ensure material issues are appropriately escalated.
• Provide oversight of external counsel, including local law counsel in relevant jurisdictions where required and manage legal costs effectively.
• Support strategic business initiatives, new products and platform development.
• Keep abreast of changing legal and regulatory framework, assess applicability and impact and comply with and adapt to changing laws, regulations and internal policies.
• Work closely with credit, risk and compliance teams on effective legal risk management.
• Advise on legal and regulatory developments affecting structured finance and financing markets.
• Spearhead and contribute to the development of legal templates, internal policies and best practice documentation.
• Provide legal training to the business and support-function teams.
• Closely cooperate with other colleagues of the Mizuho EMEA legal team and with other legal colleagues at Mizuho affiliates abroad.
• Assist with the development of the skill set in the legal team; act as a mentor to other members of the team.
• Ensure appropriate records are maintained for Legal Services, including relevant databases, directories and documentation management.

Qualifications, Skills, and Experience

• Qualified solicitor of 10 + years’ PQE, with structured finance experience gained through an international bank, a law firm with a securitisation practice or a combination of the two.
• Strong understanding of financing structures and transaction execution, preferably with cross-border experience.
• Strong knowledge of structured finance and securitisation principles, security interests and collateral arrangements, insolvency and creditor rights, financial markets regulation affecting structured finance.
• Strong client service orientation.
• Great organisational and time management skills, with ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
• Demonstrable ability to innovate, support change and problem solve.
• Demonstrable commercial judgment, balancing commercial objectives and legal risk.
• Ability to work independently, while recognising where escalation is appropriate.
• High attention to detail.
• Cultural awareness and ability to work effectively with colleagues across different jurisdictions.
• Collaborative nature to contribute to a successful team and departmental performance, fostering the spirit of teamwork and cohesiveness.

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.