Legal Counsel

PQE Partners are working with a leading financial services organisation looking to appoint a financial markets lawyer to its Sydney legal team.

The role sits within a specialist team supporting a sophisticated financial markets business, with a focus on the negotiation and management of trading and financing documentation.

The team is open to candidates from 4+ PQE through to a significantly more senior level, with the scope and responsibilities tailored to the experience of the successful candidate.

There is also flexibility around how the role is structured, with permanent or contract arrangements and full-time or part-time hours all open for consideration.

Working closely with legal and business stakeholders, you will:

• Negotiate and advise on financial markets documentation, including ISDA Master Agreements, CSAs and prime financing documentation.
• Advise on contractual and credit risk issues across derivatives, securities and financing transactions.
• Work closely with front office, risk, credit and operational stakeholders.
• Support the development and improvement of documentation templates, playbooks and processes.
• Monitor relevant regulatory developments and advise on their practical impact.
• Contribute to process improvement, technology and automation initiatives.

You will be a qualified lawyer with relevant financial markets experience gained within a bank, financial institution or leading law firm.

Ideally, you will bring:

• Experience negotiating financial markets documentation, particularly ISDA/CSA and/or prime financing documentation.
• Knowledge of derivatives, securities lending and/or prime financing.
• An understanding of the Australian financial services regulatory environment.
• Strong drafting, negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
• A commercial and pragmatic approach.

You do not need experience across every product area. Of greater importance is a strong grounding in financial markets documentation and the ability to develop across a broader product suite.

The legal team is lean and closely embedded with the business, giving lawyers direct exposure to key stakeholders and the commercial context behind the documentation they are negotiating.

There is strong technical expertise within the team and a genuine opportunity to learn from experienced financial markets lawyers, while also contributing to how the documentation function develops as the business grows.

Given the flexibility around seniority, employment structure and working hours, the team is open-minded about what the right appointment looks like and will shape the role around the experience of the successful candidate.

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