Legal Counsel, Structured Finance - Vice President 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 Vice President. The successful candidate will provide legal support to Mizuho’s structured finance business across EMEA, advising on a broad range of structured financing transactions, working closely with front office, structuring, credit, risk and operations teams.

The role will focus principally on structured repo, securities lending, total return swap and other financing transactions, including insurance-wrapped structures, and require familiarity with securitisation and CLO documentation, working with the CIB Structured Financing Group. The successful candidate will act as a trusted legal advisor on complex cross-border financing structures, 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.

• Provide legal support for a broad range of structured finance and secured financing transactions, including repos, structured repo, securities lending, total return swap and other financing transactions, including insurance-wrapped structures, and require familiarity with securitisation and CLO documentation, synthetic and risk transfer transactions (where applicable) and other structured credit and secured financing products.
• Help structure, negotiate and document complex financing arrangements, balancing commercial objectives with appropriate legal risk management.
• Advise on transaction structuring, legal enforceability, collateral arrangements and insolvency considerations.
• Partner with the business throughout the lifecycle of transactions, from product development and structuring through execution and ongoing management.
• Work closely with external counsel where required and manage legal costs effectively.
• Support strategic business initiatives, new products and platform development.
• Work closely with credit, risk and compliance teams on legal risk management.
• Advise on legal and regulatory developments affecting structured finance and financing markets.
• Contribute to the development of legal templates, internal policies and best practice documentation.
• Provide legal training to the business and infrastructure teams.
• Ensure appropriate records are maintained for Legal Services, including the databases, directories and documentation management necessary to record transactions/matters worked on.
• Support their manager to ensure know-how, policies, procedures and playbooks are maintained and reviewed at least annually and in response to any material developments.

• Qualified solicitor of at least 5-9 years’ PQE, with structured finance experience gained through an international bank, a law firm with a structured finance practice or a combination of the two.
• Strong understanding of structured financing products and transaction execution and 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.
• Experience in one or more of the following products would be desirable or advantageous: structured derivatives, structured repos and GMRA documentation, CLO establishment and ongoing management, securitisation programmes (public and private), insurance wrapped financing structures, asset backed lending, fund finance and managed account platforms, regulatory capital transactions or private credit financing structures.
• 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.

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

*For applicable roles only

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.