Team/Role Overview

Working as part of the Wealth Legal department, this role will be a core member of the global Capital Markets Legal team, focusing on the UK, Europe and Middle East business. The role involves a wide range of work, including advising on general regulatory implementation, transactional Capital Markets work and Capital Markets business projects and initiatives. 

This role requires a pragmatic, proactive lawyer with a general grounding of UK/EEA financial services/private bank/wealth management regulation, combined with awareness of the laws and regulations for the geographies in which we operate. We are looking for a candidate who can exercise sound legal judgement to help develop proactive, risk-appropriate, and commercially practical business-oriented solutions. As this role supports trading desks and front office personnel, timely and clear responses are critical.

This role is part of the Wealth Capital Markets Legal team and is based in Belfast. The Capital Markets Legal team covers a wide and diverse range of products and their regulation, including primary and secondary market equity/fixed income trading; multi-asset OTC derivatives and structured products, and exchange-traded derivatives.

The role sits within the wider Wealth Legal Team. A successful candidate would be familiar with UK/EEA financial services/private bank/wealth management regulation and legal principles and have an awareness of Capital Markets products, particularly securities (including structured products). This is an exciting role for a versatile and proactive candidate who is keen to learn about new products and regulations and commit to developing their technical knowledge of investment products sold to retail and professional clients.

What you’ll do

The role will provide key legal support and execution on Capital Markets matters, participating in client trading activities and business projects/initiatives. There will be a need to provide input/analysis on interpretation of relevant laws, rules, regulations, and industry practices, draft documentation and advise on legal matters impacting the Capital Markets business. In particular, the role will focus on primary and secondary market securities, structured products / derivative securities and more complex security trading, such as strategic equity solutions. There will be opportunity to cover the wider Capital Markets business as well as other Wealth initiatives from time to time. Familiarity with Digital Asset/Tokenised/Crypto products and related market initiatives will be advantageous too.

A successful candidate will:

• Provide real-time legal support in Capital Markets (with a particular focus on securities, including derivative securities/structured products) to front office business and Control partners, escalating where applicable. The candidate will have daily contact with Sales and Trading personnel and will develop a close relationship with them and wider stakeholders through timely and pragmatic legal advice, including on calls with the business.

• Negotiate and review trading and offering documentation, including Broker Agreements, Distribution Agreements and Termsheets. There will also be occasional need to draft bespoke side letters and other transaction-specific documentation.

• Review and draft product terms, offering documentation and related disclosures. Have knowledge of key regulations impacting the Business and keep up to date with regulatory developments affecting the coverage area, implementing those changes as part of regulatory change initiatives. For example: MiFID II, MAR, CSDR, PRIIPs, RIS and Consumer Duty.

• Assist the business to manage negotiations and dialogue with investment bank issuers/underwriters.

• Advise on cross-border marketing, sales and distribution requirements impacting Capital Markets products.

• Work with other stakeholders to develop policies, procedures and controls related to the product area.

• Collaborate across internal lines of business and control/support functions to achieve coordinated and efficient outcomes on matters of common interest; coordinate closely with the Legal team on a regional and global basis.

• Prioritise workload and execute on transactions/initiatives by proactive engagement and active management of legal issues, escalating novel situations with ‘first cut’ proposed solutions and risks.

• Maintain momentum across multiple parallel matters, meeting tight and competing deadlines.

• Assist in evaluating Wealth Capital Markets proposals and queries by applying institutional knowledge and risk appetite against industry standards, widely accepted business practices, laws, rules, and regulatory guidelines, escalating as appropriate.

• Determine when external legal support is required and manage external counsel (including on delivery timeframe and cost).

What we’ll need from you

  

• Bachelor’s degree.

• 7+ years of relevant experience.

• Previous experience working as a lawyer in a major international bank, a large law firm and/or a regulatory authority will be beneficial.

• Knowledge of financial services, either gained in-house or in private practice.

• Knowledge of Capital Markets products, particularly securities.  Knowledge of exchange traded derivatives and Digital Asset/Tokenised/Crypto products would be particularly beneficial.

• Experience either in private practice or in-house with investment products and applicable UK/EU and US regulation would be beneficial (e.g. some of MiFID/MiFIR, CSDR, PRIIPs, MAR, CASS, AIFMD, ESG-rules, Benchmark Regulation, Consumer Duty, EMIR, Dodd-Frank and Volcker). Experience of retail investment products would be particularly valuable.

• Technical ability and eagerness to develop that more deeply (including drafting skills), and analytical ability.

• Ability to analyse complex legal issues, assist in developing solutions and provide sound legal advice to the business.

• Team Work: Ability to engage with both legal and business teams on a partnership basis as well as an ability to work independently as required.

• Able to meet the time demands of a profitable and client and market driven business.

• Ability to assimilate complex issues and communicate concisely and clearly to all levels of the organisation. Calm and confident communicator.

• Able to identify legal risk and to escalate issues on an appropriate basis.

What we can offer you

We work hard to have a positive financial and social impact on the communities we serve. In turn, we put our employees first and provide the best-in-class benefits they need to be well, live well and save well.

By joining Citi Belfast, you will not only be part of a business casual workplace with a hybrid working model (up to 2 days working at home per week), but also receive a competitive base salary (which is annually reviewed), and enjoy a whole host of additional benefits such as: 

• Generous holiday allowance starting at 27 days plus bank holidays; increasing with tenure

• A discretional annual performance related bonus 

• Private medical insurance packages to suit your personal circumstances

• Employee Assistance Program  

• Pension Plan 

• Paid Parental Leave 

• Special discounts for employees, family, and friends 

• Access to an array of learning and development resources 

Alongside these benefits Citi is committed to ensuring our workplace is where everyone feels comfortable coming to work as their whole self every day.  We want the best talent around the world to be energized to join us, motivated to stay, and empowered to thrive. 

Sounds like Citi has everything you need? Then apply to discover the true extent of your capabilities. 

#LI-MF1

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Job Family Group:

Legal

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Job Family:

Legal - Product

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Time Type:

Full time

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Most Relevant Skills

Please see the requirements listed above.

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Other Relevant Skills

For complementary skills, please see above and/or contact the recruiter.

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