Job Description

What you will be doing 

• Advise on the legal basis for structured derivatives and related activities, including OTC transactions, platform-based trading, clearing and repurchase transactions (repos).
• Advise Front Office, Operations and Risk teams on legal issues, transaction documentation and the legal risks associated with OTC activities.
• Draft, review and negotiate legal and contractual documentation, including confirmation templates, structured ISDA and French FBF Master Agreements, guarantees, security documents, confidentiality agreements and other transaction-related agreements.
• Liaise with external counsel where required.
• Identify and assess legal risks arising from OTC activities, explain them clearly to relevant stakeholders, and develop practical measures to manage or mitigate them, including through procedures and standard documentation.
• Provide legal analysis of new products and contribute to the work of the New Product Committee.
• Manage contractual documentation, keeping standard documents and templates up to date, and coordinate relevant Natixis legal policies.
• Maintain and update internal legal guidance on structured derivatives considering relevant international legal developments.
• Monitor ISDA (and French FBF, if applicable) developments and advise the business on their implications.
• Report to management in London and Paris and liaise with colleagues across both locations.

What we need from you 

• English-qualified lawyer with a minimum of 10 years post-qualification experience (PQE).
• Significant experience gained at a leading law firm and/or in-house within an investment bank with a track record of success across derivatives

Expertise in:

• ISDA documentation, derivatives and structured products, including interest rate swaps, credit and FX derivatives, securitisation swaps, and hedging swaps relating to a range of underlying assets and transactions, including LBOs, real estate, asset-backed transactions, PPPs and alternative assets.
  • French law or a French law qualification, and knowledge of French-law-governed master agreements (FBF), would be an advantage.
  • A solid understanding of derivatives, with some experience in repos and other financing arrangements.

• Work collaboratively with colleagues and key stakeholders, supported by strong interpersonal skills.
• Ability to prioritise effectively and work under pressure.
• Team-oriented, with the flexibility to respond to client demands while adhering to firm policies and Group practices.
• Able to identify, assess and manage legal risks, escalating issues as appropriate.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex legal issues clearly to senior internal stakeholders and non-lawyer audiences.
• Strong client-management skills.

Required Skills/Qualifications/Experience

Act as a trusted legal partner to the Fixed Income business, advising on the structuring, negotiation and execution of derivatives transactions and supporting the effective management of legal risk.