Legal Counsel, Legal Affairs

Job Description

This is a unique role to assist the European Legal team of one of the world’s largest institutional investors. Based in our European hub in London and also covering our Paris office, the Senior Legal Counsel will have the opportunity to work with a diverse and talented set of deal lawyers across the whole gamut of asset classes in the private capital industry: private equity, infrastructure, real estate and private credit. We are looking for a bright, motivated commercial problem-solver willing to partner with the business to drive execution and provide sound guidance all throughout the investment cycle.

What you will do

• Assisting in the negotiation, structuring and execution of complex cross-border M&A transactions in private equity, funds, infrastructure and real estate (in such industries as energy/renewables, transportation, health and technology);
• Proactively collaborating with investment teams in identifying issues and mitigating risks in post-investment support of portfolio companies, investment platforms and their respective follow-on/build-up investments and any related financings;
• Assisting Directors in the Legal team, both in Europe and in other regions, in transaction execution and portfolio management issues;
• Devising creative solutions to help achieve CDPQ’s commercial objectives and protect its legal and reputational interests;
• Collaborating across multiple offices with internal functions such as Tax, Risk and Public Affairs, with a view to ensuring consistent application of CDPQ policies across its portfolio holdings;
• Cooperating with external advisors and stakeholders such as co-investors, regulators and lenders in order to manage and ensure timely transaction execution;
• Ensuring compliance with all applicable laws and regulations, not limited to commercial, securities/capital markets, tax, antitrust, foreign investment, corporate governance and ABC/AML, as well as CDPQ’s constating legislation: the Act respecting the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec;
• Adopting strategies to prevent commercial disputes, or managing any that do arise, while minimising risk and liability related to litigation/arbitration for CDPQ, its subsidiaries or their portfolio companies;

Who you are

You stand out by your :

• Strong drafting skills with an ability to synthesise complex information and succinctly highlight key points to colleagues at all seniority levels;
• Ability to operate in a fast-paced environment while juggling competing deadlines and prioritising issues and workstreams;
• Commercial mindset and ability to use legal skills, judgment and experience to achieve a practical outcome;
• Strong professional judgement to identify key issues and risks beyond legal ones (e.g. reputational and commercial);
• Ability and desire to grow your skills beyond your current areas of expertise in a dynamic and evolving environment;
• Ability to collaborate with professionals from different disciplines and work cultures, across various geographies in a multi-cultural environment.

What you bring

• Law degree with three to five (3-5) years of PQE (indicative) gained in a leading international law firm and/or large global corporate; experience in an institutional investor or investment fund would also be an asset;
• UK-qualified or qualified in an EU jurisdiction; qualification in another common law jurisdiction or in the US would also be an asset);
• Familiarity with public pension fund managers or sovereign or state-backed investors would be an asset;
• Experience in corporate and M&A (private, public and cross border) and in private equity or infrastructure transactions (including in the energy/renewables, transportation, health and technology sectors) is essential, ideally with a mix of private practice and in-house experience;
• Experience in funds investments, particularly LPA and side letter negotiation, is also highly desirable;
• A well-rounded background and experience in asset management and/or general in-house corporate matters, ranging from corporate/commercial contracts, projects, regulatory, compliance, and litigation experience is highly desirable;
• Strong cross-border transactional experience across Europe is essential; experience in the UK, France, Spain, Germany and the Nordics is of particular interest.
• Experience in managing external attorneys and legal professionals would be an asset;
• Full professional proficiency in English and French (spoken and written); any other European language (spoken and written) to be considered strong assets;
• Availability for international travel is preferred.

Feeling that my role is important. Having fun every day. Growing in step with my ambitions. Earning compensation that reflects my contribution. That’s the professional experience CDPQ offers!

We carefully review each application and directly contact those selected for an interview.

CDPQ offers equal employment opportunities to everyone. Women, visible/ethnic minorities, Indigenous people and individuals with disabilities are all encouraged to apply. If you’re interested in this job and even if your application does not meet all the criteria, do not hesitate to apply or contact us!

CDPQ is also committed to promoting equity, diversity and inclusion as key values and sees them as a source of enrichment and pride for all its employees. Please let us know if you require adopted measures for the recruiting process.

CDPQ represents la Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec and its subsidiaries.