Location: London
Working Pattern: Hybrid – 2/3 days per week in the office
Duration: 12 months
Rate: Competitive day rate
A leading international financial institution is looking to appoint an experienced Legal Counsel to join its London-based Legal team on a 12-month contract.
The role sits within the Asset Finance & Corporate Lending function and will have a particular focus on Trade Finance, supporting the business across a broad range of complex and high-value transactions across the EMEA region.
The Role
You will work closely with senior business stakeholders, advising on the structuring and execution of transactions and providing pragmatic, commercially focused legal advice.
Key responsibilities will include:
- Drafting, reviewing and negotiating a broad range of trade finance documentation, including letters of credit, guarantees, supply chain finance arrangements, receivables purchase agreements, trade loans and risk participations.
- Advising on asset finance, corporate lending and general banking documentation, including facility and security documents.
- Supporting complex and bespoke transactions across multiple jurisdictions.
- Advising on legal, structuring, due diligence and execution matters.
- Working closely with Front Office, operational and back-office teams and other senior stakeholders across the business.
- Monitoring relevant regulatory and market developments affecting trade finance.
- Identifying and mitigating legal, regulatory and reputational risk.
- Supporting wider legal projects, process improvements and legal technology/AI initiatives.
About You
The successful candidate will be a qualified lawyer with 4+ years' PQE and strong experience in trade finance and general banking, gained either in-house or within a leading law firm/financial institution.
You will ideally have:
- Strong experience handling complex trade finance transactions across multiple jurisdictions.
- Excellent knowledge of market-standard trade finance documentation, including BAFT and LMA documentation.
- Familiarity with relevant trade finance products, structures and ICC rules.
- Strong drafting, negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
- The ability to provide commercially focused advice and work with a high degree of autonomy.
- Experience managing multiple matters and competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- A proactive and collaborative approach, with the ability to build strong relationships with senior stakeholders.
This is an excellent opportunity for a Trade Finance lawyer to join a sophisticated financial services legal team, working on a broad and varied portfolio of transactions with significant exposure across the EMEA business.
Please note: This is a 12-month contract role paid on a day-rate basis.