Description:
Position Summary:An experienced US-qualified securities attorney who has an in-depth understanding of the needs of transactional securities attorneys as well as the ability to help to develop a US securities knowledge strategy for the Americas Capital Markets Group (the “Group”) and implement projects to meet the Group's US securities knowledge needs, with particular focus on US securities law aspects of Equity Capital Markets, including IPOs, SPAC IPOs and corporate governance issues. The PSL should be able to identify, analyze and monitor developments in the US securities legal and business environment, in order to keep both the Group and its clients up to date and identify areas to develop the Firm's reputation and practice; provide a wide array of US securities legal and practical expertise to support the Group's practice,; help to create, develop and manage the Group's collection of US securities forms, precedents and research materials; organize, design and deliver Group training both on a local and global basis; work with Group members and the Marketing Department to identify opportunities to develop business from new and existing clients; and provide other support as needed.
Specific responsibilities described below may vary depending on the Group's needs and the split of work with the existing English law-focused Capital Markets Professional Support Lawyers.
Duties and Accountabilities1
Lawyer Training and Technical
- Work with the Group and the firm's existing Capital Markets (“CM”) Professional Support Team to identify the practice-related US securities law training needs of the Group; organize, design and deliver (personally or with others), refine and/or standardize training primarily for the US qualified attorneys and US securities training for the non US qualified lawyers, including seminars, workshops and training both in the local office and on a global and regional basis via video conference
- Occasional involvement in other firm-wide training programs, as required, including core training programs and induction courses
- Be a source of legal, market and practical US securities law expertise for all members of the Group and more widely around the Firm, including the provision of direct support for client matters where appropriate
- Monitor and keep the Group and the Professional Support Group informed about important developments in US securities law and business environment
- Use your knowledge and expertise to identify trends in US securities law and business environment with particular emphasis on US securities and regulatory aspects of the Equity Capital Markets and Public Company Advisory spaces, and help the Group to develop new legal products, identify possible new services, and suggest innovative ways to deliver the Firm's services more efficiently to its clients
- Work with the existing CM Professional Support Team to prepare current awareness newsletters on a broad array of US securities and regulation topics for the Group and the Firm's clients
- Work with Firm Research and Information Services team to determine requirements and policies and to implement processes regarding practice-related current awareness and alerts from internal and external sources
- Work with the Partners to author and publish research, client bulletins, “thought leadership” pieces and responses to key regulator consultations on legal developments or new areas of US securities law relevant to the Group
- Participate in industry events relevant to the practice of the Group to raise the Firm's profile as a thought leader and keep up-to-date with developments when feasible
- Draft US securities standard forms and develop accompanying notes and assist the existing CM Professional Support team with reviewing existing forms from a US securities perspective
- Ensure standard forms are updated to reflect changes in law, regulation, market standards and best practice
- Work with the existing Capital Markets Professional Support team, lawyers around the Firm's global network and the wider Professional Support group to develop common tools and processes to move towards consistent and efficient use of forms and other Knowledge Management (“KM”) resources throughout the global Group
- Conduct deal debriefs on US securities transactions for precedent collection and deal/market trend analysis
- Create practice notes and other useful know-how in relation to an array of US securities and regulation topics including public debt and equity securities offerings, SEC registrations and filings, compliance, corporate governance and due diligence.
- Work with the existing CM Professional Support team to operate and implement procedures for capturing, filtering, storing, accessing and disseminating know-how within the Group
- Work with the existing CM Professional Support team to develop material on the Firm intranet/KM systems and encourage fee-earners to use the Firm's intranet, KM systems and other know-how sources
Work with the Group, the CM Professional Support Team and the Marketing Department to identify opportunities to develop business from new and existing clients through writing articles and briefing notes and preparing and delivering client training, etc.
Matter Management and Collaboration
Work with the Group and Marketing Department to establish processes to capture matter descriptions and categorizations in the Matter Profiling System
Work with the Group and Marketing Department to establish processes to capture matter descriptions and categorizations in the Matter Profiling System
Central Knowledge Projects
Client-Facing Initiatives
Qualifications:
Location and Reporting:
- Take the lead in rolling out new knowledge systems and encouraging use of existing systems among the Capital Markets Group
- Contribute to global Knowledge programs and projects to support Firm collaboration, efficiency, consistency and to enhance US securities law expertise across the Firm
- Answer technical US securities law-related questions on US securities matters and other US regulatory topics arising from fee-earners
- Attend regular meetings of the Firm's Professional Support Lawyers and training meetings
- Attend global conference calls of the Firm's Professional Support Lawyers and Knowledge Department
- Attend regular meetings of the Group and provide US securities and regulatory updates as needed
- Attend relevant external training and conferences to keep up-to-date with relevant developments in US securities law and regulation, the business environment and professional support arena
Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree with Juris Doctorate and licensure in good standing in at least one of the United States, preferable New York
- Sound legal experience in a large law firm, including experience and market knowledge of US securities law and practice
- Advising issuers, underwriters, placement agents and initial purchasers in public and private U.S. and Global offerings of securities including SEC registered offerings of equity and debt (including SPAC IPOs), Rule 144A offerings, Regulation S offerings and Regulation D private placements including compliance with and reporting under the 1933 Act and the 1934 Act
- Previous experience as a professional support lawyer is highly desirable
- At least five years' experience as a securities attorney
- Commercial awareness and client-orientated approach
- High professional standards with commitment to quality product
- Excellent drafting and research skills
- Well-developed organizational and communication skills
- Understanding of learning process and different ways of training
- Personality to make impact in the Group and to shape and influence policy
- Effective interpersonal skills and ability to interact with people at all levels, including other support areas
- Pragmatic, self-motivated, flexible and good team-worker
- Lateral thinker with initiative to establish, implement and complete projects
- Comfortable with IT
Location and Reporting:
- This is a hybrid role based in our New York office.
- This role reports to the Chief Innovation Officer.