Capital Markets & Derivatives Associate (2-5 PQE) - London

A fantastic opportunity has arisen within our leading Capital Markets and Derivatives (CMD) team, to work on a wide range of structured finance, derivatives and capital markets transactions.

About CMS

CMS is a Future Facing firm with more than 80 offices in over 45 countries and 5,800+ lawyers worldwide. We combine deep local market understanding with a global perspective. We are passionate about building strong relationships with our clients, our people, and the communities we work in.

We take a bold, dynamic, and agile approach to ensure our clients are able to face the future with confidence. We are driven by emerging technologies such as generative AI and readily embrace the possibilities it opens up for developing new and better ways of working.  Our aim is to inspire, impact and support our clients and our people, helping them to maximize their potential and thrive.

About the Role

We have an extremely strong and enviable client base of financial institutions, including leading investment banks, insurance companies, asset and investment managers, and institutional and corporate clients, including trustees and pension schemes. The team forms a part of CMS’s Finance practice comprising more than 100 lawyers. The CMD team is international in its approach, regularly working with clients and CMS colleagues across Europe and globally.

We have a strong reputation for quality work and a client-centric approach, so we always look for these attributes in all our associates. Our partners are actively involved in matters so we are looking for an ambitious associate who will take responsibility for matters, working closely with partners and be comfortable facing clients. We pride ourselves on the breadth of expertise we offer our clients, so our lawyers work on a variety of matters, applying the skills they learn to different types of products and clients.

The CMD team is collegiate, collaborative and offers a wide range of challenging and stimulating work, including securitised derivatives and structured products, repackagings, OTC derivatives, repos, stock lending, strategic equity financings and a range of debt capital markets transactions. We are an entrepreneurial and flexible team, looking for a bright, proactive lawyer who is keen to learn, develop and help us continue excellent work for our valued clients.

About You

We will invest in your ongoing training and development to support your professional goals and help you to thrive in your role from day one. Our opportunities are open to all suitably qualified applicants, so to be considered for this role, you must meet the following skills and experience.

You will be an ambitious and talented derivatives, structured finance and/or debt capital markets lawyer looking to join a market-leading team based in London. Although experience in a range of products/areas covered by the team is a bonus, given the depth of our expertise, we place particular value on your ability to learn and to apply existing skills to new product areas.

To be successful in this role, you will:
•    Be 2-5 years PQE
•    Have experience drafting and negotiating a range of derivatives and structured finance documentation
•    Be able to build and maintain strong client relationships
•    Have excellent drafting skills and the ability to translate legal theory into practical advice
•    Exercise sound judgment and have good interpersonal and consultancy skills
•    Have excellent presentation and marketing skills
•    Be enthusiastic, energetic and keen to experience a wide range of work and clients

What’s in it for you?

We want to reward you today and help you plan for tomorrow. We appreciate that everyone is different, therefore we have designed a benefits system that offers choice and flexibility based on individual needs and lifestyles. To name a few, these include:

•    Competitive basic salary (reviewed annually)
•    Flexible, hybrid working policy
•    Generous bonus scheme
•    Up to 25 days holiday (rising to 28 days with service)
•    Holiday exchange scheme
•    Private medical insurance
•    Enhanced parental leave
•    Reasonable adjustments and accommodation for disabled talent in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.

If you would like to read more information regarding our range of benefits, please visit our Rewards & Benefits page on our website.

At CMS, we place diversity and inclusion at the centre of our culture and the heart of our organisation. As a firm we recognise, celebrate, and embrace the diverse talent our society has to offer because we know that to solve big problems, we need the best and brightest minds available to us.  In support of this goal, we commit to actively breaking down barriers which stand in the way of those from diverse backgrounds and play our part in levelling the playing field. 
 
As a Future Facing Firm, we strongly believe that a career in law should be open to people from all walks of life, because not only does diversity of thought and experience make our firm a stronger and more sustainable business, but it also makes it a more rewarding place to work.
 
When recruiting, we prioritise attracting talented people and we actively promote a flexible working environment which enables all our team members to thrive. If you see a role you are interested in, but don’t feel you meet 100% of the criteria we encourage you to still consider making an application. We also welcome applications from those who may be looking to return to the workforce after a career break. 
 
We are proud to say our leadership in creating an inclusive working culture has been celebrated and recognised externally, including being listed for a number of years in the Times Top 50 Employers for Women and the Social Mobility Index.
 
We are a Level 2 Disability Confident Employer, and we actively encourage applications from people with disabilities, whether visible or invisible. We are committed to promoting equality of opportunity throughout our recruitment process and in every element of the employee life cycle. If you require assistance, or if you would like to discuss any accessibility requirements or adjustments as part of the recruitment process, please contact Becky Lowe at TalentAcquisition@cms-cmno.com who will be happy to support you.

Ready to apply? Here are the next steps.

We look forward to receiving your application online via the CMS careers site. Please contact our Talent Acquisition team if you have any questions. 

Please note that we have a preferred agency panel in place. Only applications submitted via the portal at the point of instruction will be accepted.

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