Legal Counsel (Funds)

At M&G, our purpose is to give everyone real confidence to put their money to work. With a heritage dating back more than 175 years, we have a long history of innovation in savings and investments, combining asset management and insurance expertise to offer a wide range of solutions.

Our two distinct operating segments, Asset Management and Life, work together to provide access to balanced, long-term investment and savings solutions.

Through telling it like it is, owning it now and moving it forward together with care and integrity; we are creating an exceptional place to work for exceptional talent.

We will consider flexible working arrangements for any of our roles and offer workplace adjustments to ensure you have the support you need to succeed in your role.

Purpose

We are recruiting an experienced funds/asset management lawyer to join as a permanent member of the Asset Management Legal team within M&G. 

Exciting opportunity to join a dynamic in-house legal team which has a mixture of funds and trading legal specialists. The role will involve providing legal advice and sound commercial risk assessments on legal issues including fund/product structuring, supporting strategic growth and change projects and regulatory change projects. 

Key Responsibilities

The role covers the full range of asset management skills including legal advisory, fund/product design, structuring and maintenance, drafting and negotiating fund documentation, investment management / investment advisory agreements and related documentation, regulatory work and supporting the company’s strategic projects. 

The Role

The role encompasses providing legal support on product launches (fund launches, IMAs, IAAs), providing general legal advice to the asset management business, regulatory advice on compliance matters, advising on strategic and regulatory change projects.

Qualifications

Essential

• Qualified lawyer
• Strong academic background

Preferred/Desirable 

• Qualification in a common law jurisdiction

Knowledge & Experience

Essential 

• 5+ years PQE working in the funds team of a law firm and/or in-house team of an asset manager with demonstrable experience working on fund launches and negotiating IMAs for segregated mandates
• An excellent understanding of the asset management business/value chain and the relevant regulatory framework applicable to asset managers (in particular MiFID II, EMIR and SFTR)
• Ability to build and develop relationships with key internal stakeholders and experience in reporting to executive committees
• Proficiency in English essential (contract negotiation level)

Preferred/Desirable: 

• Experience in structuring private funds
• An understanding of Luxembourg and Irish fund structures and fund documentation
• Experience of working in a cross-border environment
• Experience working with and managing external counsel in a multi-jurisdictional context

Personal Qualities

Essential

• Strong drafting and analytical skills and excellent attention to detail, sound judgement and is decisive
• A willingness to challenge/debate and offer own views
• Tenacious, willing to go beyond the job description
• Transparent and a good communicator. Works most effectively when collaborating within the team and across other functions
• Resilience and strength of character that enables effective communication across all levels of the organisation
• Strong organisational skills
• Flexible with the ability to adapt to changing priorities and fluid deadlines.

Experience Level: Manager/Expert

Recruiter: Helen Simons

What we offer:

We’re dedicated to supporting your wellbeing and helping you thrive, both at work and beyond. Our benefits are designed to help you balance your professional and personal life, and financially plan for the future. Our UK benefits include:

• A valuable pension scheme of up to 18% (13% made up of employer contributions and 5% employee contributions).
• Access to our Share Save and Share Incentive Plan, alongside financial wellbeing and support services to help give you real confidence to put your money to work.
• Enjoy 38 days annual leave (including bank holidays), with the opportunity to purchase up to five extra days. Our Time Off When You Need It policy gives you the flexibility - to balance work and personal commitments.
• Our market-leading Inspiring Families policy includes comprehensive support and paid parental leave covering maternity, adoption, surrogacy, and paternity leave - because supporting families is an important part of our inclusive culture.
• Health & Protection cover includes Private Healthcare, Critical Illness cover and Life Assurance for you, with additional family options - for peace of mind.

To explore more about life at M&G and our full benefits offering, visit Life at M&G

At M&G we strive to have a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture, underpinned by our policies and employee-led networks that offer networking, support and development opportunities for the diverse communities our colleagues represent. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds – across gender, ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation and more – including neurodivergent individuals, career returners and those with military service experience.

M&G is proud to be Level 3: Disability Confident Leader under the UK Government Disability Confident employer scheme, and we welcome applications from candidates with disabilities and long-term health conditions. If you would like to participate in the initiative, you will have the opportunity to indicate this on your application.

We are committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process. All candidates have the opportunity to request reasonable adjustments when applying. If you need any additional support at any stage, please contact us at: [email protected]