Legal Counsel - Private Assets

Legal Counsel – Private Assets 

Who we're looking for
We are looking for a qualified funds lawyer with a good understanding of the commercial regulatory environment within which an investment management firm operates.
 
 

About Schroders Greencoat
Schroders Greencoat is one of the largest specialist energy transition infrastructure investment managers globally, with ca. £10bn under management across a range of publicly listed and private markets fund vehicles. Founded in 2009, we have been at the vanguard of the energy transition infrastructure opportunity for over a decade and have the ambition to be a global leader in the fast-growing alternative asset class of energy transition. Our expertise includes “traditional” renewable energy assets like wind and solar and newer sectors such as battery storage, residential and commercial heat networks and green hydrogen. 

Since 2022, we are part of Schroders Capital, the Schroders Group's ca. €96 billion private assets business that also includes private equity, real estate and private debt and credit alternatives. The Schroders Capital Infrastructure pillar encompasses the energy transition capabilities of the Schroders Greencoat team in Europe and the U.S., the recently onboarded Schroders Capital Infrastructure Asia team in China, and the legacy Paris-based infrastructure equity team that focuses on essential infrastructure.  Schroders plc is a global investment manager. We help institutions, intermediaries and individuals around the world invest money to meet their goals, fulfil their ambitions, and prepare for the future.

Both Schroders Greencoat and Schroders plc are committed to sustainable investment principles and to developing market leading sustainable investment and impact solutions for clients. Specifically, Schroders Greencoat believes that the energy transition offers investors a significant opportunity to play their part in the transformation of the global energy system, contribute to energy security, help control the costs paid by consumers and abate carbon emissions. The outcomes associated with investments in the energy transition sector are inherently connected to both financial returns and broader environmental objectives. Therefore, Schroders Greencoat considers its investment beliefs to be completely aligned with a responsible investment approach, and ultimately investors’ expectations of the funds it manages. Further, as a leading investment manager in the sector, Schroders Greencoat believes that it has a responsibility to actively promote best practice in operation, sound governance and ethical business conduct. 

The base
We moved into 1 London Wall Place in 2024. We're close to our clients, in the heart of the UK's financial centre. We have everything we need to work flexibly but expect 3 days in the office each week. 

The team

You will be part of the small legal team supporting the Schroders Capital Infrastructure / Schroders Greencoat business. The team supports the strategic growth of the business and giving legal effect to new business opportunities, and is also responsible for identifying, managing and reporting legal risks.  In this role you will be primarily involved in all legal aspects of the private fund and product structuring process but also work on adjacent investment, corporate and contractual matters. 

What you'll do 

You will be part of a team managing all legal aspects of the fund and product structuring process as well as adjacent investment, corporate and contractual matters including: 

• Project managing the legal workstreams of new product launches and/or co-investment initiatives
• Working alongside other teams to identify appropriate fund or mandate structures and preparing outline terms for discussion and term sheets
• Setting up new GPs and fund vehicles, assist with non-complex corporate re-organisations, assist with the dissolution of redundant entities
• Reviewing fund documentation prepared by external counsel
• Assisting in investor negotiations and managing the investor negotiation process 
• Review and negotiate agreements with service providers and clients, including administration and depositary agreements, investment management agreements, distribution agreements, placement agent agreements 
• Assisting with regulatory disclosures and product governance and target market assessments
• Managing the legal workstreams in the preparation of new Offering Memoranda and subsequent supplements 
• Managing fund closings of new investor commitments 
• Managing MFN processes
• Assisting with intra-group arrangements e.g. sub-advisory agreements, distribution or introducer agreements or other services agreements
• Answering ad hoc queries in relation to the terms of existing fund documentation or other product related queries
• Assisting with the maintenance of the fund obligations tracker and other precedents / know-how shared folders 
• Assisting with investment transactional activity on co-investments, such as establishment of investment holding vehicles, reviewing equity commitment letters, shareholders’ agreements, share subscription agreements, shareholder loans and board minutes and assisting with the legal project management of co-investment transactions 
• Assisting with other ancillary tasks involving NDAs, engagement letters, secondment agreements, assisting with KYC requests
• Participating in internal project working groups and liaising with other functional teams within Schroders Greencoat and the wider Schroders group
• Assisting with developing further internal templates, precedents and processes to make the above work steams more effective and efficient, including providing training for the business teams on certain topics so they can be more self-sufficient

The knowledge, experience and qualifications you need

• Demonstrable PQE (3-5 years) gained in the private / alternative investment funds team in a leading City or international law firm or in-house (ideally within a small team or a division of a larger business) within the asset management industry.
• Technical expertise with a range of private funds structures globally and understanding of how they invest.
• Working knowledge of key applicable regulatory regimes and the commercial and regulatory environment within an investment management firm.

What you’ll be like

• Interested in applying skills across a breadth of areas as meets the needs of the business and confident with approaching new areas and developing broad expertise 
• Effective communicator
• Resourceful, flexible and adaptable with a positive and ‘can do’ attitude
• Happy to roll up sleeves, willing to take the initiative and drive the execution of projects
• Good under pressure and with competing priorities while maintaining a high level of personal and professional integrity
• Comfortable making decisions and prepared to make a personal commitment to ensure success 

Under the Financial Conduct Authority’s Senior Manager & Certification Regime, this role will be within the scope of the Financial Conduct Authority’s Conduct Rules.

We recognise potential, whoever you are

Our purpose is to provide excellent investment performance to clients through active management. Diversity of thought, facilitated by an inclusive culture, will allow us to make better decisions and better achieve our purpose. This is why inclusion and diversity are a strategic priority for us and why we are an equal opportunities employer. You are welcome here, regardless of your age, disability, gender identity, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, or any other protected characteristic.