Assistant General Counsel - Private Credit

About the Role

As the lawyer primarily dedicated to the private credit investment team, you will use your legal knowledge and experience to assist the business team in evaluating private placement bonds, loans, asset backed securities and alternative assets investments. You will identify, evaluate and effectively communicate legal risks and business issues to appropriate parties, ultimately recommending and negotiating appropriate solutions, with the support of dedicated paralegal and operational staff. 

About the Team

The Private Credit Team, which includes Managing Directors, Private Credit Analysts, Product, Legal and Information Technology specialists, invests in a full range of privately placed corporate, asset backed, infrastructure and other esoteric types of transactions. This role is adding a key member of the team to support the Loomis Sayles Private Credit business.

Job Responsibilities

• Collaborate with business colleagues to analyze complex investment transactions, assessing risk, recommending mitigation strategies and negotiate solutions with internal and external third parties. Draft and negotiate all necessary and recommended legal documents.
• Provide legal and strategic advice to executives and management regarding highly complex, strategic or sensitive matters which may have a material dollar impact. Exercise wide latitude to consider total situation, evaluate risks and rewards, and create practical and effective solutions.
• Leverage sound risk management practices to create valuable recommendations and achieve the most advantageous business objectives in ambiguous and unique circumstances.
• Provide a high level of comprehensive transactional legal support directly to business clients independently, with minimal guidance, including responsibility for analyzing, drafting and negotiating complex legal documents and deal structures while supervising the management of transactions with internal and external parties from analysis through the closing of private transactions.
• Participate in developing, refining and documenting processes, procedures, guidelines, and controls that will govern all portfolio activity across private credit and bank loan strategies.
• Review and negotiate purchase and sale agreements and supervise the drafting of bond powers, certificates and other documents in connection with secondary sale transactions. Evaluate requested amendments, consents, and waivers with respect to private credit securities and bank loan investments, analyze proposed changes, make recommendations and coordinate responses from the business team.
• Work with multiple teams across the firm, including operations, investment product and fund services, legal & compliance, portfolio management, tax and information technology.
• Maintain knowledge of trends in the industry, have familiarity with relevant statutes, regulations and other legal requirements and guidelines, and use that knowledge to identify legal issues, research, suggest and implement improvements in procedures.
• Be a team player with strong interpersonal skills who acts as a mentor and resource for colleagues and participates in cross training, temporary assignments and special projects as needed.
• Review data sites for private credit deals for material non-public information ("MNPI") and follow the firm's insider trading protocols when MNPI is present.

Qualifications & Education Requirements

• Member of a state Bar (Massachusetts preferred); Juris Doctor from top-tier law school; strong academic credentials.
• Minimum of 5 years of corporate finance legal experience required, in a law firm or in a corporate transactional group. Preferred experience supporting the end-to-end lifecycle of private credit or bank loan investments, including experience reviewing private loan documents (credit agreements, note purchase agreements, amendments, etc.) for key terms, advising on data points, material nonpublic information and operational nuances; advising on settlements for private investments--including US and international money movement and physical certificate registration.
• Experience independently drafting and analyzing various types of complex commercial loan and investment related documents is required. Experience with private placement bond transactions, bank loan transactions and/or workouts is preferred.
• A good understanding of private credit and real estate fund concepts across a range of strategies, including investment grade private placements, asset backed securitizations, infrastructure investments, bank loans and specialty lending is strongly preferred.
• Strong organizational, critical thinking, analytical and problem-solving skills are required, along with the ability to anticipate needs and recommend next steps. Ability to form creative solutions to innovate, lead change and mitigate risk.
• Team player with excellent interpersonal skills who has a can-do attitude and enjoys acting as a mentor and resource for colleagues and participating in cross training, temporary assignments and special projects as needed.
• Strong sense of curiosity and desire to learn complex corporate finance and investment concepts.
• Exceptional communication skills to explain transaction structures and legal risks to colleagues, project a professional image, and negotiate complex lending and investment transactions with various external business partners.
• Possesses a high level of initiative, be self-directed, highly motivated and able to work under pressure handling numerous complex transactions with short deadlines concurrently.
• Familiarity with federal securities laws (Investment Advisers Act and Securities Act), general corporate laws, and demonstrated ability to address implicated business situations in a practical and collaborative fashion.
• Commitment to our culture, values and way of doing business.
• Adept with technology. Experience in Microsoft Office as well as the ability to learn new document management systems.