Derivatives Lawyer

If you are a highly motivated and skilled Master Agreements Negotiator looking for an exciting opportunity to work with a dynamic and innovative legal company, we would love to hear from you.

COMPANY PROFILE

Cognia seamlessly extends corporates, banks and law firms’ legal capability to deliver sustainable outcomes. Our goal is to connect the legal sector, moving it from a siloed approach to integrated partnerships. We help in-house legal teams by bringing simplicity to complex matters and replacing broken procedures with efficient processes.

Cognia is a Chambers-ranked law company which integrates how legal services are provided so our team, partners, clients and communities thrive together with people at the heart of what we do. We encourage our people to bring their whole self to work and focus on enabling them to realise their full potential.

ROLE DESCRIPTION

Cognia Law is currently recruiting qualified lawyers or experienced in-house legal professionals with master trading documentation experience to form part of a dedicated project-based financial documentation negotiation team. We are also considering more senior candidates in this field. These senior individuals will need to have the skills and the aptitude to guide more junior team members but will also get to work on some projects.

ROLE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Working in partnership with an esteemed international client to provide financial documentation negotiation services to the Transactional Legal Department of an international investment bank.
• The scope of financial documentation includes several master agreements, including:
• International Swaps and Derivatives Association Agreements (ISDA),
• Global Master Repurchase Agreements (GMRA),
• Global Master Securities Lending Agreements (GMSLA),
• Credit Support Annexes (CSA),
• Cleared Derivatives Execution Agreements (CDEA), and
• Master Regulatory Reporting Agreements (MRRA).
• Daily tasks include:
• Preparing first drafts based on stakeholder instructions,
• Reviewing client templates and comments,
• Reaching out to the bank's various stakeholders to discuss terms, and
• Corresponding with the bank's clients directly to negotiate the terms of these agreements.

ROLE REQUIREMENTS

• Law degree from a top South African or UK/EU based tertiary institution.
• Experience at a law firm or in-house legal department drafting and negotiating financial markets documentation including but not limited to ISDA, GMRA, GMSLA, ISDA/FIA CDEA and CSAs.
• Strong banking and finance background.
• Asset management experience (desired but not compulsory).
• Excellent negotiation and drafting skills.
• Strong ability to collaborate and manage stakeholders effectively.
• Ability to analyse complex legal and contractual terms.
• Attention to detail.
• Awareness of, and experience with related regulatory and legal issues, and communicate effectively.
• Able to manage a large portfolio of multiple ongoing negotiations in a target-driven environment.
• Resilience in dealing with demanding clients.
• Languages: English – spoken and written (required).