Job Title: Senior Legal Counsel – Switzerland – Asset Management

Location: Zurich

Business area: Legal Team

About Group

The firm is a leading provider of active asset management, advisory and wealth management. Few investment managers can match the combination of capabilities and global reach that firm offers. This breadth of services across public and private markets allows for distinctive solutions for the diverse needs of clients, who look to the firm to provide superior long-term investment outcomes.

We work as a global network of specialised, entrepreneurial teams. We combine a global perspective with local market expertise to serve institutional and private wealth clients. Our offering spans the whole active market and private markets universe and provides access to unique capabilities across the market.

The firm has deep expertise in creating bespoke solutions for institutional clients and is committed to providing scalable capabilities across the spectrum of risk, return and sustainability and impact objectives.

Supported by the resources, experience, and institutional framework of one of the world’s leading asset managers, the firm is dedicated to helping investors achieve their goals and is at the forefront of product innovation to meet the evolving needs of investors.

We see our role as being a driver of positive change drawing on deep skills to select, acquire, and improve the assets we own.

The team

Based in Zurich, you will be part of the legal team supporting the active asset management business and fast growing active ETF business. The team, which is located in Zurich, London, Jersey, Luxembourg and Shanghai, is part of the larger Legal team supporting the strategic growth of the business, and identifying, managing and reporting legal risks.

Working as part of the Legal Team, you will manage all legal aspects of the asset management fund and mandate structuring process and adjacent corporate and contractual matters.

The role

1. Providing legal advice to senior management in matters relating to the organisation and license of Investment Management (Switzerland) AG as a fund management company and regarding regulatory conduct duties under CISA and FinSA;
2. Providing legal advice relating to the financial regulation in Switzerland and the provision of financial services (e.g. CISA, FinIA, FinSA) as well as to applicable self-regulations;
3. Assisting in structuring, launching and life-cycle management of Swiss and Lux domiciled collective investment schemes and drafting, reviewing and updating relevant fund documents;
4. Providing legal advice in relation to the listing and maintenance of listing of the funds on the SIX Swiss Exchange (e.g. capital increases);
5. Drafting, reviewing and negotiating standard and complex investment management agreements for collective investment schemes or segregated mandates (including traditional and non-traditional asset classes (e.g. insurance linked securities (ILS)) with a broad range of professional and institutional clients;
6. Drafting, reviewing and negotiating other fund-related agreements and operational documents (e.g. custodian agreements, advisory agreements, delegation/outsourcing agreements (incl. operating memoranda), representative and paying agency agreements);
7. Advising on placement and/or distribution matters for collective investment schemes in Switzerland (incl. cross-border matters),
8. Drafting, reviewing and negotiating a broad spectrum of commercial agreements (e.g. employment agreements, marketing agreements, lease agreements, consulting agreements);
9. Reviewing and assessing offshore investment structures and related legal documents;
10. Advising on privacy and data protection matters;
11. Acting as Corporate Secretary to the Executive Board and the Board of Directors.

The knowledge, experience and qualifications

1. Law Degree (Master) and admitted to the bar in Switzerland;
2. LL.M. degree from a foreign university as an asset;
3. Strong experience in the financial services industry or similar experience in a top tier law firm;
4. Profound knowledge of collective investment schemes regulation Swiss and Lux,
5. If possible working experience/knowhow on ILS or other private assets;
6. Strong analytical skills;
7. Business-oriented person/business enabling spirit, always ready to make things possible;
8. Ready to take key decisions that will have a significant financial and/or operational impact on the firm
9. Ability to communicate with and influence clients at the most senior level;
10. Able to plan own workload typically against a backdrop of changing priorities and / or external events for the week ahead;
11. Awareness of and participation in the development of legal issues outside the Firm but within the industry and ability to use this to provide internal thought leadership both to clients and legal teams;