Lawyer - 15 Month Fixed Term Contract in London

SEI (NASDAQ:SEIC) is a leading global provider of investment processing, fund processing, and investment management business outsourcing solutions that help corporations, financial institutions, financial advisers and ultra-high-net-worth families create and manage wealth. SEI Investments (Europe) Ltd (“SIEL”) is a wholly owned subsidiary of SEI and is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority in the UK to provide certain regulated services.

SIEL’s legal team is based in London and supports SEI’s international offering of services in the asset management and UK private bank businesses which provide investment advice and investment management services, investment processing technology and other solutions to institutions, enterprises, banks, funds and investment advisors. SIEL’s legal team is primarily responsible for advising on contracts, regulatory matters and negotiating and drafting various agreements across its business lines. The legal team also supports the development of global business solutions and services.

Individuals in the legal team maintain a comprehensive understanding of UK financial services regulation and laws, as well as knowledge of various investment product structures and leverage their expertise and capabilities by engaging external legal counsel and other advisors as necessary and liaising with other global SEI legal and compliance teams. SIEL’s legal team is looking for a Lawyer to support SIEL’s business units and SIEL’s wider global delivery of initiatives, projects and services. The role is a combination of transactional and advisory work, involving interaction with clients across the business together with ongoing advice to stakeholders within the business. The position will play a pivotal role in supporting business operations, ensuring regulatory compliance and managing risk.

The candidate will report to SIEL’s General Counsel and will be required to work in a team environment with other members of the SIEL Legal and Compliance team in the London office as well as with members of SEI’s Legal Compliance and Corporate Development team globally, SEI’s panel of external counsel and members of other organisational groups within SEI group companies worldwide.

What you will do:

• Provide transactional and advisory support primarily to SIEL’s Asset Management business unit (but also other business units as demand may require). This includes leading on the drafting and negotiation of client agreements and amendments and providing advice in relation to the regulatory and structural aspects of the offering of products and services, pertaining to such agreements.
• Collaborate with SIEL’s Compliance team to conduct regulatory horizon scanning for UK laws and regulations that may affect SIEL or the broader SEI group; perform impact assessments of such developments; advise relevant SIEL business units on the implications; and support the implementation of applicable regulatory change projects within SIEL.
• Advise SIEL’s business units in relation to a wide range of general regulatory queries and matters impacting SIEL’s products and services, collaborating with SIEL’s Compliance Team as may be required.
• Support the General Counsel across a broad spectrum of SIEL and global projects and initiatives, including litigation and merger & acquisition matters, with responsibility for liaising with specialist external counsel as required.
• Support the corporate governance team, as demand may require, with drafting terms of reference for Board Committees and board papers.
• Support and mentor junior members of SIEL’s legal team, providing oversight and guidance in relation to their work.
• Collaborate with SEI’s Legal and Compliance teams across jurisdictions including the US and Ireland, to ensure advice and negotiation of agreements is aligned to global policy.
• Escalate appropriate legal and regulatory issues to the Deputy General Counsel and/or the General Counsel.
• Update and maintain records of legal agreements and projects within SIEL Legal’s documentation management system, to ensure consistency and communication of relevant information within the team and ensuring integrity of data.
• Maintain commercial and regulatory awareness of current market conditions, innovation in the fintech sector, regulation of fintech companies, relevant UK legal and regulatory developments which may impact SIEL and products and services to clients and maintain ongoing and effective communication and alignment of these with client business practices.

All SIEL employees are responsible for the identification, assessment and control of risks and risk events. Employees will maintain a good understanding of applicable policies, procedures, risk appetites and tolerance relevant to their function and or business unit, and are expected to consider current and potential risks when making or informing business decisions. Employees are responsible for the accurate and timely escalation and recording of incidents associated to relevant risks. In addition, employees are responsible for completing all required Risk Management training.

What we need from you:

• Strong post qualification experience within financial services, and preferably with in-house experience.
• Experience in the negotiation of transactional documentation of various financial services agreements.
• Knowledge of the FCA handbook and UK laws and regulation governing investment advice and management and outsourcing (including, but not limited to: MiFID, COBS, CASS, PROD, SYSC, Consumer Duty and Sustainability initiatives).
• Good understanding of Microsoft Office (primarily Word, Outlook and Excel).
• Excellent drafting skills, including an eye for detail whilst possessing the ability to contextualise the issues arising.
• Good business acumen, demonstrating strategic thinking, commercial awareness and financial principles.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to address both legal and non-technical colleagues, from operations to board level, and clearly explain complex legal matters and jargon in simple terms.
• Good awareness of risk management principles and how they apply to the role.
• Ability to conduct training to individuals and groups within the business on legal or regulatory developments.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Appreciation of when to escalate legal or regulatory issues to the attention of the General Counsel.
• Flexibility and willingness to support and partner with all team members in different aspects of legal and regulatory work as required.
• Sound judgement combined with the diplomatic skills required to ensure legal risk is adequately mitigated whilst retaining sufficient commercial focus to ensure the business is able to achieve its objectives, where possible.
• Ability to multi-task and manage multiple priorities to meet key deadlines.

What we would like from you:

Someone who will embody our SEI Values of courage, integrity, collaboration, inclusion, connection and fun.

SEI’s competitive advantage: To help you stay energised, engaged and inspired, we offer a wide range of benefits including comprehensive care for your physical and mental well-being, strong pension plan, tuition reimbursement, hybrid working environment, and a work-life balance that enables you to relax, recharge and be there for the people you care about. We are a technology and asset management company delivering on our promise of building brave futures (SM)—for our clients, our communities, and ourselves. Come build your brave future at SEI.