Structured Finance Lawyer

Term: Permanent
Department: Financial Markets and Products
Location: London
The Team

The structured finance team at Fieldfisher is looking to recruit an experienced lawyer.  Ideally, the candidate will have experience advising on securitisation, structured finance and capital markets transactions and/or similar financing arrangements, but the team will consider outstanding candidates with other relevant experience looking to specialise in this area.

The team is part of the Financial Markets and Products Group at Fieldfisher which has been a market-leading practice for 25 years. The Group is highly ranked in all the leading directories, including the Legal 500, Chambers and IFLR.  The Group has been described as providing 'faster, more tailored advice than many competitors' and as 'sensible, approachable and commercial'. The Group services an impressive client base, which includes global and second tier investment banks, commercial banks, brokers, asset managers and wholesale markets service providers.

The structured finance team currently compromises of five partners, a director, a senior associate and three associates (with support from the wider Group and related professional support lawyers, trainees and paralegals). The team regularly works with other specialist teams in the London office and with our other UK and European offices. The team advises on securitisation, asset backed finance, loan portfolio servicing and trustee and agency matters. Recent quotes about the team from Legal 500's securitisation review include:

‘The team is responsive and helpful. Their ability to get to the crux of the matter from our perspective sets them apart.’

‘Their attention to detail and the level to which they care makes them so easy to work with.’

 ‘The mix of excellent client focus and deep expertise makes their offering unique. The team works hard to provide a first-rate result. All departments at Fieldfisher interact well together to give an all-round service which is at least the equal of its Magic Circle peers.’

 ‘The firm has great strength in structured finance and alternative finance. They spearhead virtual bondholder meetings using technology. They are very innovative.’

 ‘The team is extremely personable, generous with its time and supportive of my business.

The team advises on a wide range of transactions.  Recent examples include:

- Acting for arrangers on a new $500m receivables-backed securitisation involving assets in the US, Singapore, France and Switzerland;

- Acting for the senior bondholders on the restructuring of a PFI backed social housing bond;

- Advising bond issuers and trustees on the restructuring of multiple residential mortgage-backed securitisation transactions totalling in excess of £10bn that had been affected by counterparty rating downgrades and LIBOR discontinuance;

- Acting for a bond issuer on the warehouse refinancing of five residential mortgage-backed securitisations totalling £292m;

- Acting for an oil and gas company on a new privately placed mini-bond listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange;

- Acting for a loan servicer on the establishment of its securitisation loan servicing business in Milan in Italy (supported by our Milan office);

- Acting for a film finance company on its launch of a £250m innovative finance ISA offering;

- Acting on the securitisation of bridging and development loans for a number of leading specialised lenders.

The team prides itself in its friendly, collegiate and supportive culture and its non-hierarchical structure.

Responsibilities
  • Proactively manage own matters
  • Support the partners and senior lawyers on larger transactions and lead transactions on a supervised basis, where appropriate.
  • High levels of direct client contact – candidates would be expected to demonstrate the ability to communicate effectively with clients.
  • Contribute towards business development strategy of the team by preparing briefing papers, attending and presenting at client seminars and developing their own contacts within organisations.
Key Skills & Experience

The candidate must have the following skills qualifications and experience:

  • Legal understanding of structured finance;
  • A keen interest in structured finance;
  • Must be a qualified lawyer in England and Wales or another common law jurisdiction;
  • Experience with a well-reputed City or international firm, ideally working on structured finance transactions;
  • Experience in advising on structured finance transactions, which may involve complex features, extensive documentation and multiple jurisdictions;
  • Good Bachelor's Degree from a good University;
  • Good legal skills including attention to detail in drafting and a genuine interest in the needs of the client;
  • An ability to think laterally and identify related issues and problems;
  • Excellent communication skills;
  • Able to work as a team and independently;
  • A confident and professional manner.

 

The Firm

Fieldfisher is a European law firm with market leading practices in many of the world's most dynamic sectors. We are an exciting, forward-thinking organisation with a particular focus on technology, finance & financial services, energy & natural resources, life sciences and media.

Our growing European network of offices supports an international client base alongside our Silicon Valley and China colleagues. We also work in a number of other jurisdictions through dedicated country teams.

Clients choose to work with us because we deliver commercial, pragmatic and innovative solutions through our exceptional legal expertise and experience, on time and on budget.  Our lawyers are legally astute, but commercially realistic.

Our network has more than 1000 people working across 20 offices providing highly commercial advice based on an in-depth understanding of our clients' needs.

We operate across our offices in Amsterdam, Barcelona, Beijing, Belfast, Birmingham, Bologna, Brussels, Dublin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Guangzhou, Hamburg, London, Luxembourg, Madrid, Manchester, Milan, Munich, Paris, Rome, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Turin and Venice.

Fieldfisher was ranked in The Times Best Law Firms 2021 for the third year in a row.  The ranking, based on recommendations from peers, is an endorsement of the firm's client focus and legal expertise.

Fieldfisher aims to ensure equality of opportunity and we are actively working towards improving the diversity of our staff