Associate Counsel, Emerging Markets

Job Scope Associate Counsel, Emerging Markets owns transactional and commercial legal matters across the firm’s emerging markets business (asset management and solutions) across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa and other emerging markets: investment and fund documentation, advisory and program agreements, government and sovereign mandates, and the legal structuring and operationalisation of new vehicles and entities. It converts the strategic direction of the firm into signed, actionable documentation, and carries direct accountability for the quality, timeliness and commercial soundness of legal outputs across the regional portfolio and for managing external counsel across jurisdictions.

Key

Responsibilities Lead legal execution on investment transactions across emerging markets, including term sheets, subscription and shareholder agreements, SAFEs and convertible instruments, follow-on rounds, secondaries and exits, from initial review through to closing. Own the drafting, negotiation and closing of commercial agreements for the emerging markets business, including advisory and program agreements, government and sovereign mandates and tenders, partnership and sponsorship agreements, and vendor contracts, translating commercial terms agreed at Partner level into clear and enforceable documentation. Provide risk-adjusted, commercial legal advice to investment, program and business development teams, giving clear recommendations on structure, risk allocation and negotiation positions rather than issue-spotting alone. Execute entity formation, maintenance, licensing and wind-down across the firm’s ex-US entities (including Korea, Japan, Singapore, Malaysia, Egypt, UAE and KSA) within the policy and parameters set, coordinating external providers and tracking compliance obligations, licensing and key deadlines across the footprint. Establish and maintain the library of templates, precedents and standard positions for the emerging markets business, keep legal records and repositories accurate and complete, and monitor regulatory developments in relevant jurisdictions, flagging implications for investing, program and fundraising activity. Support fund and regulatory matters, including fund formation and licensing, regulatory filings and compliance calendars, and the legal workstream for bringing legacy fund structures in-house. Collaborate with the People Team on the legal aspects of employment documentation for non-US entities, including employment and contractor templates, localisation of policies and handbooks, and advice on engagement structures.. Engage and manage external counsel across jurisdictions, defining scope, controlling cost and timelines, and reviewing outputs so that advice is fit for purpose and consistent with 500 Global positions and precedents.

Requirements Required

Qualifications Qualified lawyer admitted to practise in at least one jurisdiction, with a law degree from a reputable university. At least 5 years post-qualification experience in private practice and/or in-house roles, with a sustained focus on corporate, venture and commercial transactions. Direct experience advising on venture capital or private equity transactions, including term sheets, shareholder agreements and convertible instruments, and comfort working at speed across a high volume of deals. Prior experience in or advising a fund manager, including fund formation, LP documentation and side letters, is a strong advantage. Strong drafting and negotiation skills, with the judgement to distinguish material risk from nice-to-haves and to give clear, commercial recommendations under time pressure. Experience managing external counsel across multiple jurisdictions, including scoping, budgeting and quality control. Clear, concise written and verbal communication in English, with the ability to explain legal positions to investment partners, founders and government or institutional counterparties. Comfortable operating across time zones and cultures in a distributed, fast-moving organisation, with a high degree of discretion and integrity. Exceptional attention to detail and a bias to action, taking ownership of matters end to end and moving them to closure.