Legal Counsel

Job: Legal Counsel
Start Date: As soon as possible
Salary: Depending on experience
Location: London, Mayfair
Reporting to: General Counsel

Onsite

About the Company:

ARCH Emerging Markets Partners Limited (ARCH) is a specialist emerging markets investment adviser and is regulated in the UK by the Financial Conduct Authority. ARCH currently advises investment strategies focused on Resources; Logistics; and Renewable Energy. All Funds advised by ARCH have a strong ESG mandate. Each ARCH Funds implements a fit for purpose Environmental and Social Management System. Investors in ARCH Funds span multiple jurisdictions and include DFIs, Pension Funds and other institutional investors.

ARCH currently operates in UK, Kenya and has an office in the Ivory Coast with 40 staff including consultants.

The successful candidate will play a key role in assisting with the business’ continued growth with a focus on all legal day to day operational matters; fund structuring & fund raising; and operational matters for existing and new investment strategies. ARCH is a relatively new business, the successful candidate will need to be comfortable with working in a fast-paced environment; be a self-starter; and be able to manage multiple work tasks concurrently.

The ideal candidate will have existing private fund formation and operational experience from in house and/or private practice experience with c. 3 years PQE. Previous experience with an Investment Adviser or Investment Manager is an additional plus.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support for ARCH, its group companies, and strategic initiatives, through legal support in respect to all aspects of fund and segregated account formation and life cycles o New launches: Supporting with fund/account launches including investor negotiations; liaising with external counsel and coordinating closings; and managing closing checklists
• Post launches: Supporting ongoing fund/account operational matters; investor communication; and structural amendments driven by legal and commercial matters
• Primary support to General Counsel for ARCH group legal matters, including financing arrangements; restructurings; and management of administrators and other external service providers
• Liaising with Investor relations: working with investor relations on existing and prospective investor engagement responses on due diligence questionnaires
• Assisting and working with other Support Functions: e.g., Finance, Compliance, Risk, ESG, HR on legal matters relating to their day-to-day activities including commercial contracts; NDAs; and their advice to funds/accounts
• Coordinating and implementing any new strategic projects with Finance; external tax; external legal
• Assisting with the implementation and management of internal policies and procedures including GDPR
• Advising on any issues arising from ongoing advisory work by ARCH
• Assisting with supervision of any paralegal; trainee solicitor or company secretary
• Monitoring and tracking correspondence requiring responses and keeping General Counsel apprised of action points, following up on action points
• Assisting with the maintenance of internal legal precedents and presentations
• Review and negotiating general legal documents such as NDAs, Engagement Letters and MoUs
• Assisting with investment advisory committee meetings; follow up/action items; and providing advice on fund/account related matters vis-à-vis the constitutions
• General assistance with all legal fund raising and operational matters; group legal matters; preparation of legal documents; proof reading; filings; ancillary documentation and assisting with legal research/analysis
• Some support on fund/account transactional matters

Key requirements for role:

The successful candidate should have the ability to and be experienced in undertaking a broad range of work streams. Ideally the candidate will have experience of private fund formation/investments, reorganisations, account and general advisory matters from an investment management, financial services or private practice role. Key attributes include:

• Proven project management ability including managing cross border projects and solid understanding of potential cross border issues
• Solid understanding of the private equity industry
• Ability to understand legal entity structures and requirements within a corporate group and legal issues that may arise from cross border arrangements and reorganizations
• Desire to understand ARCH’s group business, interactions with various stakeholders and wider business growth strategy
• Pro-active and self-starting individual
• Proven ability to respond to multiple stakeholders (internal and external) in a fast-paced environment
• Strong level of communications skills and high attention to detail
• Excellent organizational skills
• Ability to work within an international business and being cognizant of local conditions and norms, business practices and international best practice
• Interest in emerging markets, ESG and/or responsible investing preferred

Language skills; regulatory knowledge (including GDPR and SFDR) and transactional knowledge would all be advantageous but not essential.

Qualifications:

• Qualified Solicitor (ideally at least 3 years PQE (or equivalent))

Please send your CV to nviljoen@archempartners.com and cc in legal@archempartners.com