In today’s regulatory environment the use of technology to manage legal documentation is essential. The financial crisis has highlighted the inadequacy of traditional documentation systems to adequately capture the risks embedded within contracts. Frequently, however, banks have lacked the internal skill-set needed to deliver legal-data infrastructure to the satisfaction of regulators and internal departments.
D2 Legal Technology was formed in November 2011 to meet this specialist skills-gap. The firm consists of a team of experts with an understanding of the law and the way in which in-house legal teams operate, alongside practical reference-data and technology expertise. We have grown rapidly over the last nine years, due to industry and client demand, to a firm of some eighty consultants spread out over Europe, US and Asia.
Job Requirement
We are currently recruiting for a paralegal / junior capital markets lawyer to contribute to an upcoming project on regulatory capital requirements and close-out netting for an investment bank client in Sydney, NSW, Australia. The role would suit an ambitious person interested in a broad range of financial services legislation (e.g., Basel III, Dodd-Franks, Australian Prudential Standards, CASS and CRD IV), keen to get exposure in the area of regulatory capital requirements, with a particular focus on regulatory close-out netting and collateral enforceability with respect to a wide range of financial market documentation, including:
- Derivatives Master Agreements (i.e., ISDA),
- Securities Lending Agreements (i.e., ISLA GMSLA), and
- Repurchase Agreements (i.e., ICMA GMRA).
A large proportion of the work will involve research and analysis of close-out netting and collateral enforceability legal opinions. The presentation of this analysis will be to senior client stakeholders and a senior colleague overseeing the project.
In addition to this, the work will involve assessing the current practices and operating model of the investment bank to understand how to improve its approach to regulatory close-out netting and collateral enforceability.
The Candidate
- Law degree or conversion course (if equivalent).
- Some derivatives (ISDA) / structured finance / capital markets experience (desirable).
- Intermediate Microsoft Excel/Word/Powerpoint.
- Excellent drafting and presentation skills.
The contract is expected to be initially for a 6m-1year period, with the possibility of becoming permanent. The role would suit either those waiting to begin a career in law or seeking a position in-house.
Key requirements of the successful candidate are a hard-working and desire to succeed attitude, coupled with a drive to taken advantage of the training opportunities the role offers.
