Waystone leads the way in specialist services for the asset management industry.Partnering with institutional investors, investment funds and asset managers, Waystone builds, supports and protects investment structures and strategies worldwide.
With over 20 years experience and a comprehensive range of specialist services to its name, Waystone is now serving assets under management in excess of $2Tn. Waystone provides its clients with the guidance and tools to allow them to focus on managing their investment goals with confidence.
Reporting to the General Counsel, Cayman & Americas, the Senior Legal Counsel will be an integral part of the teams success, responsible for advising and supporting the Waystone business in the Cayman Islands and North America. The Senior Legal Counsel will collaborate with the legal team, cross-functional teams and the local businesses in the Cayman Islands and North America to help Waystone execute long and short-term initiatives.
The candidate may be based in any of Waystones local offices in the Cayman Islands, New York, New Jersey or Ontario. The candidate will be required to provide support for each of Waystones Cayman Islands and North American businesses.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
As part of the global legal team, supports the General Counsel for Cayman and the Americas in the provision of the local legal function.
Supports a suite of financial services products, including fund administration, independent directorships, compliance consultancy solutions, registered office, international tax compliance, AML compliance and economic substance.
Provides expert professional legal advice and guidance to the business, to support business objectives and responsible growth, mitigate risk and ensure compliance.
Anticipates and identifies potential legal risks and proactively develops preventative measures.
Analyses, distils and advises on complicated legal documentation and concepts.
Develops and maintains contract templates, drafts, negotiates and reviews client and vendor agreements.
Conducts legal research and stays up to date with changes in relevant laws and regulations.
Prepares confidential correspondence, strategic and legal reports, and other complex documentation.
Supports corporate transactions, including involvement in due diligence process and regulatory approvals.
Supports and advises on new products.
Liaises with and co-ordinates relationship with external counsel on legal and regulatory matters.
Takes responsibility for general legal matters, including but not limited to: insurance notifications, employment law support, policy work, litigation support, support of regulatory inspections, information requests, involvement in local committees, etc.
Provides ongoing training to employees on relevant legal developments and internal policies and procedures.
REQUIREMENTS
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Experience:
Sector Experience: Possesses legal experience within the financial services industry (preferably with a fund administrator or fiduciary services provider) in the Cayman Islands and/or North America (with experience in both Cayman and North America a valuable plus).
Technical Knowledge: Demonstrates strong technical skills, with detailed knowledge of fund structures and documentation, local financial services laws and regulation and corporate law and a commitment to knowledge growth in other relevant jurisdictions.
Adaptability: Possesses flexibility and commitment to balancing workloads for multiple internal clients across several legal jurisdictions.
Drafting Skills: Demonstrates ability to draft, distil and negotiate complex commercial contracts.
Strategic Thinking: Demonstrates acute business judgement, clarity and pragmatism in evaluating multiple inputs and assessing the impacts of decisions or courses of action.
Resilience: Exhibits resilience, adaptability and ability to thrive in a fast paced, dynamic environment, balancing multiple competing projects and tasks.
Risk Management: Exhibits the ability to anticipate issues, estimate risks, and devise proactive solutions to eliminate or mitigate risks.
Interpersonal Skills: Complements the existing culture, collaborating effectively with peers within both the local team and the wider group and engaging with internal stakeholders.
Proactivity and Independence: Act as a proactive self-starter with a focus on risk prevention and minimization, capable of working autonomously and anticipating challenges.
Education:
Qualified attorney/solicitor with a minimum of six years PQE, with applicable qualifications to practice law in the Cayman Islands and/or North America.