Job Description
Job Description
A global financial institution is seeking an experienced ISDA Negotiator & Legal Counsel to join its New York-based legal and markets documentation function.
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This is a hybrid position combining two complementary areas of responsibility. The primary focus will be negotiating derivatives and global markets documentation, with additional responsibility for providing broader legal support to institutional banking and markets businesses in the U.S. and Europe.
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The position is well suited to a markets lawyer or legally qualified documentation professional who has strong derivatives expertise, enjoys negotiating complex agreements, and can provide practical advice in a fast-paced institutional banking environment.
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Key Responsibilities
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Derivatives & Markets Documentation
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\n - Draft, review, negotiate, and finalize ISDA Master Agreements, Schedules, Credit Support Annexes (CSAs), and related derivatives documentation with institutional counterparties.
\n - Negotiate supporting agreements such as guarantees, netting arrangements, electronic trading documentation, and other credit support documents.
\n - Review partnership agreements, guarantees, and similar materials relevant to counterparty authority and credit support.
\n - Advise front-office and internal stakeholders on documentation terms, negotiation issues, derivatives requirements, and related legal considerations.
\n - Incorporate applicable KYC, regulatory, risk mitigation, collateral, and credit requirements into documentation.
\n - Coordinate with legal, risk, trading, collateral, tax, and other internal functions to resolve negotiation points and obtain required approvals.
\n - Support day-to-day questions from business stakeholders and provide practical solutions to complex documentation matters.
\n - Contribute to improvements in documentation processes, controls, workflows, and market practices.
\n - Partner with documentation and legal colleagues across multiple international offices.
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Legal Advisory
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\n - Provide practical legal guidance to institutional banking and markets businesses, with particular emphasis on global markets, institutional lending, and commodities.
\n - Draft and negotiate transactional agreements and other commercial or financial documentation.
\n - Analyze legal and regulatory developments affecting relevant products and business activities.
\n - Identify, assess, and help mitigate legal risk in accordance with established governance standards and risk parameters.
\n - Engage and manage external counsel when specialized or jurisdiction-specific advice is required.
\n - Develop strong relationships with business leaders and control functions while delivering responsive, commercially focused legal support.
\n - Collaborate with legal colleagues across jurisdictions on cross-border transactions and regulatory matters.
\n - Identify opportunities to simplify processes and improve the delivery of legal services.
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Qualifications & Experience
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\n - Approximately 3–5 years of relevant experience as a New York markets/derivatives lawyer in good standing or as an ISDA negotiator with appropriate legal qualifications.
\n - Strong working knowledge of ISDA Master Agreements, ISDA Schedules, Credit Support Annexes, and related documentation.
\n - Experience supporting derivatives products such as interest rate, foreign exchange, credit, and equity derivatives.
\n - Experience negotiating with a range of institutional counterparties, which may include hedge funds, private investment firms, asset managers, insurance companies, trusts, partnerships, and other sophisticated financial institutions.
\n - Ability to independently review guarantees, partnership documentation, and other forms of credit support associated with derivatives transactions.
\n - Familiarity with Variation Margin, Initial Margin, close-out netting, and relevant derivatives and financial-services regulatory requirements.
\n - Experience with additional markets documentation—such as GMRA, GMSLA, give-up arrangements, or trade confirmations—is beneficial.
\n - Prior banking and finance experience is required; experience gained within a leading law firm and/or an in-house financial institution is particularly relevant.
\n - Cross-border or international markets experience is advantageous.
\n - Strong technical legal and negotiation skills, including the ability to quickly identify and resolve complex documentation issues.
\n - Ability to manage a substantial transaction pipeline, maintain accurate documentation and records, and prioritize competing matters effectively.
\n - Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to work effectively across front office, legal, risk, collateral, tax, and other functions.
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