Junior-Mid Structured Debt Associate

Our global securitisation and structured debt practice comprises highly experienced teams across the United Kingdom, Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, and the United States.

We offer bespoke, sophisticated, and highly innovative financing, forward-flow, and portfolio acquisition solutions in all key product areas, including:

• Residential mortgage-backed finance including RMBS, private warehouse and portfolio acquisition/sales


• Commercial mortgage-backed finance including CMBS, private warehouse and repackaging


• Covered bonds


• NPLs including NPL acquisitions/sales and financing


• Trade receivables and ABCP conduits


• Consumer and SME ABS including credit cards, buy-now- pay-later embedded finance and other unsecured consumer loans


• Auto securitisation including auto loans and auto leasing


• Esoterics including market-place lending structure, fleet securitisation


• Securitisation regulatory


• SME lending (loans and merchant cash advance structures)


Our services provided from the London team include comprehensive UK and EU regulatory compliance advice, seamlessly integrated into any cross-border or global structured debt transaction.

Our diverse clientele encompasses all types of market participants, including leading arrangers, acquirers, financiers (such as private capital, banks, and other investment firms), and originators across all market sectors.

Recent publicly recognised transaction highlights include:

• Advising Citi as senior note purchaser on the securitisation of instalment purchase receivables relating to solar systems in Germany. The assets involved receivables arising under the instalment purchase contracts are sold and assigned by Enpal. Enpal provides solar panels, heat pumps, batteries, wall-boxes and other solar equipment to private customers who can enter into lease agreements or instalment purchase contracts with Enpal. This transaction was awarded Deal of the Year Award at the Securitisation and Structured Finance: IFLR Europe Awards 2024.


• Advising Capital on Tap on structuring their debut standalone business credit card ABS issuance. This was a bespoke market-first standalone public credit card transaction.


• Advising Citi and Standard Chartered Bank on an agency CMBS of a £289,800,000 commercial mortgage loan advanced by Citi to various Blackstone sponsored entities secured by a portfolio of 37 UK logistics properties.


• Advising Sun King on the first-of-its-kind, bank-led and entirely Kenyan-Shilling-denominated $130 million sustainable securitisation transaction. - this transaction was awarded the "Editor's Choice Award" at the GlobalCapital European Securitisation Awards 2024 and "Structured Finance Deal of the Year" at the Bonds, Loans & ESG Capital Markets Africa Awards 2024.


• Advising NewDay Cards Limited as co-arranger on to the NewDay Funding Master Issuer plc Series 2023-1 issuance from NewDay's "direct to consumer" UK credit card master trust. Programme - this transaction was awarded the "ABS Deal of the Year" at the GlobalCapital European Securitisation Awards 2024.


• Advising the National Bank of Greece on its first securitisation of a portfolio of NPLs under the Hellenic Asset Protection Scheme. This transaction was awarded the NPL deal of the Year at the GlobalCapital European Securitisation Awards 2022


• Advising Vantage Data Centers on the first data centre lease ABS in Europe, involving the issuance of £100,000,000 Class A-1 Asset Backed Variable Funding Notes and £600,000,000 Class A-2 Asset Backed Fixed Rate Notes secured by its hyperscaler data centre campuses located in Wales.


The Structured Debt team in London is made up of 12 partners and approximately 60 lawyers and trainees.

The Structured Debt team sits within the wider SABRE (Structured Asset Backed and Real Estate Finance) team and benefits from strong team relationships and synergies across the real estate finance and structured debt landscapes.

Who you will work with

Our dedicated Structured Debt team is consistently ranked as a Tier 1 real securitisation practice in the UK, Europe and globally.

We are at the forefront of market trends and developments and have a strong bench of practitioners who are recognised in the market as leaders in the field, with a broad experience and a unique blend of specialist know-how.

What you will be responsible for

As a Junior-Mid Lawyer in our Structured Debt team, you will play a pivotal role in delivering exceptional legal services and driving the success of our clients' transactions. Your responsibilities will include,
• Transaction Management: Managing multiple complex structured debt transactions from inception to completion, ensuring all aspects are handled timeously, meticulously and efficiently.


• Document Drafting and Review: Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating a wide range of legal documents, ensuring accuracy, clarity, and compliance with relevant regulations.


• Client Advisory: Providing strategic and commercial legal advice to clients, addressing their needs and delivering tailored solutions to complex problems.


• Collaboration: Working closely with multi-jurisdictional and multi-disciplinary teams, coordinating efforts to deliver seamless and integrated legal services.


• Regulatory Compliance: Advising on UK and EU regulatory compliance matters, ensuring clients' transactions adhere to the latest legal standards and requirements.


• Legal Research: Conducting thorough legal research to support transaction structuring, regulatory compliance, and client advisory work.


• Business Development: Actively participating in business development activities, including client relationship management, thought leadership, and identifying new opportunities for growth.


• Mentorship and Training: Contributing to the development of more junior team members through informal and formal mentoring, training, and sharing your expertise and insights.


• Market Awareness: Staying abreast of the latest developments in the structured debt market, ensuring your advice is informed by current trends and best practices.


Additional Responsibilities

• Client Interaction: Building and maintaining strong relationships with clients, understanding their business objectives and providing proactive legal support and knowledge updates.


• Innovation: Contributing to the continuous improvement of our legal services by identifying and implementing innovative solutions and best practices.


• Responsibility and Initiative: Exercising autonomy and taking responsibility for work and, crucially, client relationships - demonstrating initiative in all aspects of your role, fostering a sense of ownership and accountability.


Associates play a crucial role in the success of our Structured Debt team and the satisfaction of our clients.

Your contributions will be instrumental in maintaining our reputation for excellence and innovation in the field of structured debt., From your very first day with us, you will embark on a journey of continuous growth and development. We are committed to providing you with a wealth of opportunities to enhance your skills and expand your knowledge.

Personalised Career Development

• Career Development Partners: You will be assigned two career development partners who will guide you through all aspects of your career progression in a confidential and supportive environment via an established and structured process.


• Formal Training: You will benefit from comprehensive training programmes that cover both technical and soft skills, ensuring you are well-equipped to excel in all areas of our practice.


• Legal Updates: Stay ahead with regular legal updates from our dedicated knowledge team, keeping you informed of the latest developments in the field.


• Coaching and Mentoring: Receive informal coaching and mentoring from experienced partners and senior colleagues, providing you with invaluable on-the-job learning experiences and enjoy opportunities to develop mentoring skills working closely with junior members of the team.


Active Supervision and Mentorship

• Supervision: You will be actively supervised and mentored by partners and senior professionals, ensuring you gain practical insights and hands-on experience in real-time.


• Resource Management: Our group includes a resource manager to oversee fair allocation of transactions, ensuring you have a balanced and enriching workload.


• HR Support: Benefit from dedicated HR support to assist with any career-related queries or concerns.


Opportunities

• Secondments: We offer genuine opportunities for secondments, whether to one of our international offices or with a London-based client.


• Social and Professional Environment: We pride ourselves on our informal, meritocratic, and diverse culture. Engage in regular social events, both spontaneous and organised, fostering a keen sense of community and collaboration.
  
  We are seeking a highly motivated and versatile Junior - Mid PQE Lawyer ideally with experience in Structured Debt.Your expertise will likely have been honed at a leading practice known for its work in structured debt, where you will have developed first-rate legal skills and a reputation for delivering commercial solutions to complex problems working across a breadth of asset classes and structures., Legal Expertise: experience in structured debt, including e.g., securitisations, asset-backed financing, and structured finance transactions. A solid background in general financing and familiarity with various financing products and transactions is desirable.


• Document Drafting: good document drafting skills, with an eye for detail and precision. You will be adept at producing clear, concise, and legally sound documentation.


• Transaction Management: an ability to manage complex transactions efficiently, ensuring all aspects are handled meticulously from inception to completion.


• Client Relations: a reputation among existing clients for providing and/or supporting pragmatic and commercial solutions. You will have a client-centric approach, understanding their commercial and legal needs and delivering tailored advice.


• Communication and Analytical Skills: excellent verbal and written communication skills, coupled with strong analytical abilities. You will be able to distil complex legal issues into clear, actionable advice.


• Commercial Awareness: commercial awareness, understanding the broader business context in which legal advice is given. You will be able to anticipate and address the commercial implications of legal decisions.


• Collaboration: experience of working effectively within multi-jurisdictional and multi-disciplinary teams. You will be a team player, capable of collaborating with colleagues across different regions and specialisations.


• Business Development: an appetite for business development, with a proactive approach to identifying and pursuing new opportunities and strengthening existing client relationships.


Additional Qualities:

• Adaptability: Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, managing multiple priorities and deadlines.


• Initiative: A self-starter who takes initiative and demonstrates a proactive approach to problem-solving and continuous improvement.


• Professionalism: High standards of professionalism and integrity, with a commitment to upholding the firm's values and reputation.


If you are a driven and talented lawyer with a desire to excel in a collaborative and innovative environment, we would love to hear from you.

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