Description:

Job Description:
Sidley Austin LLP is seeking a senior attorney to lead, modernize, and expand its established blue sky and securities filing program supporting the firm's investment funds, venture and corporate practices. The program already handles a substantial volume of federal and state exempt offering filings for private funds and other issuers. The successful candidate will take ownership of the existing operation, ensure it continues to run with accuracy and reliability, and then drive its evolution: strengthening processes and controls, adopting better technology, deepening the team's expertise, and extending the program's reach to additional securities types, filing types, offices, and client needs. The ideal candidate is an experienced securities lawyer with deep blue sky and related expertise who respects what has been built, sees where it can be better, and can lead a team and earn the trust of partners and clients through that transition.

Key Responsibilities:

Program leadership and assessment. Assume leadership of the firm's blue sky and securities filing program, maintaining uninterrupted, high-quality service while assessing current workflows, staffing, documentation, and controls to identify and prioritize improvements
Upgrade and modernization. Develop and execute a roadmap to upgrade the program, including standardizing and refreshing templates, checklists, and intake procedures, tightening quality-control standards, and reducing manual effort and turnaround times
Expansion. Extend the program to cover additional fund strategies, offering types, geographies, and filing needs, and develop a plan for scaling capacity as demand from the funds practice grows
Filing oversight. Oversee all federal and state exempt offering filings for private funds and other issuers, including Form ID, Form D (initial, amendment, and annual), state notice filings, fee calculations, and renewals under Regulation D and related exemptions
Technical guidance. Provide expert guidance on state securities law exemptions and preemption under NSMIA, and resolve complex or novel multi-state questions arising from fund offerings
Team leadership and development. Supervise, train, and mentor the staff attorney and paralegals; set priorities, review work, develop career paths, and make the case for and lead the recruitment of additional team members as the program grows
Systems and vendors. Evaluate the program's current filing, calendaring, and tracking tools, including EDGAR and NASAA EFD workflows; recommend and implement enhancements or new technology; and manage vendor relationships as appropriate
Risk management. Strengthen controls to ensure deadlines are met across all jurisdictions, including escalation procedures, error-remediation practices, and periodic audits of filing records and historical data
Partner and client engagement. Serve as the primary point of contact for relevant Sidley attorneys on blue sky and related matters; gather feedback on current service and use it to shape improvements; present the program to clients and prospective clients where appropriate
Regulatory monitoring. Monitor and communicate state and federal regulatory developments affecting exempt offerings and blue sky compliance, and update firm practices accordingly
Business operations. Refine service models, staffing plans, and budgets for the program, and work with firm finance and practice management on billing approaches, performance metrics, and reporting to firm leadership
Regulator liaison. Maintain and build relationships with state securities regulators, EDGAR filer support, and NASAA staff as needed

Qualifications:

J.D. from an ABA accredited law school;
Admitted in good standing to the New York bar.
7+ years of securities law experience, with substantial hands-on blue sky experience, ideally with private funds and Regulation D offerings
Demonstrated experience leading, scaling, or significantly improving a blue sky or securities compliance function at a law firm, financial institution, fund administrator, transfer agent, or similar organization
Prior experience supervising attorneys and/or paralegals, and comfort stepping into an established team and leading it through change
Working knowledge of Form D, Form ID, Rule 506 and Rule 701 requirements, and state notice-filing regimes; familiarity with the Investment Advisers Act and Investment Company Act is a plus
Proficiency with EDGAR and the NASAA electronic filing depository, and experience evaluating and implementing workflow or compliance technology
Strong project management, organizational, and process-improvement skills
Excellent judgment and communication skills, with the credibility to work effectively with partners, clients, and regulators