Legal Counsel - AVP

We are looking for an experienced Legal Counsel/Legal Professional to join our derivatives master agreement negotiation team. In this role, you will have a portfolio of roughly 25-30 negotiations of master agreements or amendments (primarily ISDA) which you will actively and independently manage from inception to completion. This will entail negotiation with the client directly as well as internal teams and stakeholders such as onboarding, credits teams, collateral management, treasury, tax, sales, and trading teams. In the course of these negotiations, you will have to ensure that MI is adequately captured by updating internal systems and managing data efficiently.  Further responsibility will include being privy to regulatory updates, taking ownership of capacity and authority checks, and conducting due diligence in respect of these negotiations (including netting and collateral enforceability). This is an exciting opportunity to accelerate your career and join the largest legal team within Barclays.

Candidates for this AVP Legal Counsel should possess:

• Law Degree preferred
• 3-5 years of experience in the financial industry with a focus on the following:
• Derivatives master documentation (ISDA), DF protocol, FIA execution agreements
• Familiarity with collateral arrangements and credit support annexes (including UMR VM and IM)
• Experience with account control agreements

Some other highly valued skills may include:

• Familiarity with Securities Financing Documentation (master repurchase agreement, MSFTA GMRA, GMSLA, MRA)
• Knowledge of asset managers
• Familiarity with industry legal opinions
• Additional language skills

You may be assessed on the key critical skills relevant for success in role, such as risk and controls, change and transformation, business acumen strategic thinking and digital and technology, as well as job-specific technical skills.

This role is located in Whippany, NJ.

Purpose of the role

To oversee and manage transactional processes, ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, and maintaining accurate documentation for financial transactions.  

Accountabilities

• To ensure that the Transaction Services and Documentation activities are conducted in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and to help the bank manage legal and reputational risks associated with these activities.
• Coordination with internal and external stakeholders, including legal counsel, credit risk management, and other departments, to ensure that transactions are executed in a timely and efficient manner.
• Creation, review, negotiation and management of legal documents such as loan agreements, security documents, and other transactional documents, to ensure execution in a timely and efficient manner.
• Transaction support, including preparation of transaction summaries, conducting due diligence, and support to other departments as needed.
• Development and implementation of transaction processes and procedures to ensure that transactions are executed consistently.
• Pro-active identification, communication, and provision of legal advice on applicable laws, rules and regulations (LRRs). Keeping up to date with regards to changes to LRRs in the relevant coverage area. Ensuring that LRRs are effectively allocated to, and adequately reflected within, the relevant policies, standards and controls.

Assistant Vice President Expectations

• Consult on complex issues; providing advice to People Leaders to support the resolution of escalated issues.
• Identify ways to mitigate risk and developing new policies/procedures in support of the control and governance agenda.
• Take ownership for managing risk and strengthening controls in relation to the work done.
• Perform work that is closely related to that of other areas, which requires understanding of how areas coordinate and contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the organisation sub-function.
• Collaborate with other areas of work, for business aligned support areas to keep up to speed with business activity and the business strategy.
• Engage in complex analysis of data from multiple sources of information, internal and external sources such as procedures and practises (in other areas, teams, companies, etc).to solve problems creatively and effectively.
• Communicate complex information. 'Complex' information could include sensitive information or information that is difficult to communicate because of its content or its audience.
• Influence or convince stakeholders to achieve outcomes.

All colleagues will be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship – our moral compass, helping us do what we believe is right. They will also be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Mindset – to Empower, Challenge and Drive – the operating manual for how we behave.