Loans Lawyer (Vice President) in London

Nomura is a global financial services group with an integrated network spanning approximately 30 countries and regions. By connecting markets East & West, Nomura services the needs of individuals, institutions, corporates and governments through its three business divisions: Wealth Management, Investment Management, and Wholesale (Global Markets and Investment Banking). Founded in 1925, the firm is built on a tradition of disciplined entrepreneurship, serving clients with creative solutions and considered thought leadership.

The Investment Banking Legal team is a team of twelve lawyers and documentation specialists within the EMEA Transaction Legal division of Nomura. The team is responsible for the provision of legal advice and negotiation of documentation relating to a variety of Investment Banking transactions comprising M&A and Equity Advisory, DCM, Hedging solutions, and Acquisition and Leveraged Finance transactions. The Loan Financing lawyers are responsible for the provision of legal advice and documentation relating to a variety of lending transactions across our Client Financing & Solutions platform to ensure that all activity undertaken meets policy, legislative and regulatory requirements.

The team’s prime responsibility is to manage Nomura’s legal and reputational risk on the transactions, whilst supporting the business within policy, legislative and regulatory requirements. The Legal team is a strategic partner to the business areas, maintaining client‑lawyer relationships through mutual trust and respect without compromising independence.

You will work in a small team environment and provide legal support to Nomura’s IB and Global Markets divisions. The main focus of the role will be on EMEA Acquisition and Leveraged Finance business and you may be expected to:

• Ensure Nomura is aware of its legal risks on transactions, working to pre‑emptively identify and escalate issues within Legal.
• Provide specialist technical legal guidance on loan finance transactions, including but not limited to, leveraged and acquisition financing (both loan and high yield transactions), private credit and infra‑lending situations.
• Review and draft highly confident and highly interested letters and negotiate and review reliance letters, confidentiality agreements, mandate/ engagement letters, commitment letters, fee letters, term sheets, loan agreements as well as various ancillary transaction documentation.
• Review and advise on legal due diligence reports and draft, amend and review transactional documentation and accompanying legal opinions.
• Keep up to date on market practice and regulatory matters and provide such other legal support as may reasonably be required from time to time.

You may be asked to provide ad hoc assistance on legal documentation for Nomura’s other businesses e.g. the M&A advisory business, however training will be provided.

Key Objectives Critical To Success

• Qualified lawyer (or equivalent) in England or other common law jurisdiction (with experience in practising in UK).
• Experience of leveraged and acquisition finance and ideally some knowledge of other lending structures, e.g. private credit, unitranche, infra deals, (either in‑house or private practice).
• Experience of LMA documentation.
• Experience of cross border transactions.
• Have some experience with HY transactions as part of cross border acquisition finance.
• Experience of preparation and review of complex legal documentation.

Skills, Experience, Qualifications And Knowledge Required

• Excellent communication skills, both oral and writing and including ability to draft freehand.
• Strong understanding of corporate structures and corporate/banking law.
• Strong organisational skills and ability to work accurately to short deadlines and under pressure and without supervision where appropriate, taking into account multiple and sometimes competing stakeholders.
• Good attention to detail.
• Experience delivering practical solutions to legal issues.
• Ability to build relationships both with the business, internal legal and compliance teams and other control functions, whilst at the same time effectively managing Nomura’s risk.
• Must be a good team player and willing to help across the team disciplines as necessary.
• Must be able to use initiative and prioritise own work and meet deadlines.
• Ability to present and speak in front of internal and external groups.

The Successful Candidate Would

• Learn to manage legal risk in a large variety of scenarios typical of an international investment bank.
• Come into contact with internal processes and structures across the bank as well as dealing with other groups within legal.
• Learn to escalate material issues to senior team members and then on to senior management within the bank.
• Have the opportunity to expand their product knowledge and experience of challenging jurisdictions.

Right to Work

The UK Government have taken steps to reduce net migration to the UK by limiting the number of overseas workers coming to the UK for employment. Please note that whilst we are able to consider applications from overseas workers from outside the UK (who require a Tier 2 Skilled Worker visa) we can only employ them if we can provide evidence that this is a genuine vacancy for a qualified role.

Diversity & Inclusion

Nomura is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity and are committed to ensuring we best reflect the diversity of the communities we serve creating an inclusive environment for all our employees. We welcome all applications and do not discriminate on the basis of age, disability, gender identity and gender expression, pregnancy and maternity, marriage and civil partnership, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.