Senior Legal Counsel

KM4

Position Purpose

The successful candidate will be primarily responsible for matters relating to the approval and distribution of investment products and services, including legal subject matter expertise with regards to the negotiation of the associated contractual framework. The incumbent will work closely with Legal Counsel based in London and in Luxembourg and provide legal advice and support to T. Rowe Price’s business operations in EMEA and Latin America, with particular focus on EMEA and the UK. The incumbent should expect a wide variety of predominantly asset management assignments around the region, and therefore should have knowledge of fund structures, in particular OEICs/ICVCs in the UK, cross border distribution, and investment management agreements. The incumbent will also provide guidance and expertise to associates responsible for corporate secretarial work for T. Rowe Price International Ltd, its European subsidiaries, and T. Rowe Price’s EMEA funds, and will handle general project work, as may be needed, for the region. The successful candidate should be commercially minded and be able to demonstrate a solid understanding of the asset management industry in the UK and EMEA.

Principal Responsibilities

• Reviews and updates fund documents and materials, in particular relating to the T. Rowe Price Funds OEIC and its prospectus. Works closely with colleagues in legal and product management on FCA submissions, ongoing dialogue with the regulator, as well as coordinating advice with external legal counsel.
• Reviews and negotiates fund distribution/platform and purchase agreements.  Works closely with colleagues in product management and intermediary liaison to identify legal, commercial and operational issues in such agreements and to negotiate resolution.
• Reviews and negotiates separate account advisory and investment management agreements and amendments for institutional clients such as banks, pension funds and sovereign wealth funds. Assists in completion of RFPs. Works closely with the client onboarding, investment and sales teams to identify issues and negotiate resolution.
• Undertakes complex legal projects and investment solutions launches, covering areas related to FCA consultations and policy statements, ESG etc. Undertakes research and summaries for senior legal and business colleagues.
• Reviews and negotiates general contracts (not directly related to separate account clients or funds). Implements intra-group arrangements as may be required for tax, legal or regulatory purposes e.g. transfer pricing / intra-company settlements.
• Ensures that continuing registration and corporate obligations are tracked and met by liaising with regulators, external legal counsel, internal finance, compliance and tax teams to ensure those obligations are correctly met.
• Monitors relevant regulatory developments. Works closely with the business to advise on regulatory changes pertaining to the asset management and trading sector, and their impact

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES / SKILLS / QUALIFICATIONS

Required:

• Bachelors Degree

• Professional qualification as a solicitor of England and Wales with a demonstrable interest in the financial services industry.
• Strong commercial experience gained in private practice and/or relevant in-house Legal department.
• Demonstrable experience in drafting, review and negotiation of fund-related documentation, asset management-related documentation and commercial contracts.

• Fluent In English.

• Excellent written and oral skills.
• Attention to detail and ability to work under tight timeframes and meet deadlines.
• Ability to interact with a diverse group of internal and external contacts.
• A team player who can work independently as well

Preferred:

• Work experience within the financial services area, preferably relating to OEICs/ICVCs in the UK, the FCA.
• Commercially aware and attuned to the needs of a global business.
• Must have a collaborative and client-enabling approach to the provision of legal support.