Assistant Vice President, Structured Finance & Securitisation Counsel/Lawyer
About the Role
Morningstar DBRS’ European Structured Finance team is seeking a highly motivated, team-oriented lawyer to join as an Assistant Vice President in London.
In this role, the successful candidate will focus on legal analysis, collaborating closely with rating analysts to assign ratings to European structured credit transactions and fund finance transactions, including SME CLOs, Private Credit CLOs, Credit Fund ABL loans, Feeder Fund debt, and Subscription Loans.
The ideal candidate will hold a law degree and have experience with structured finance and/or fund finance transactions across multiple European jurisdictions (including the UK, Spain, Italy, Germany, and France), gained either at a law firm or as in-house counsel. They will combine strong legal and reputational risk awareness with financial literacy and commercial acumen, and be able to communicate complex legal and rating criteria clearly to both internal and external stakeholders.
Candidates should thrive in a collaborative, team-focused environment, demonstrating a strong work ethic, analytical mindset, and attention to detail. The successful candidate will also possess excellent interpersonal and presentation skills, enabling effective engagement with colleagues at all professional levels as well as external contacts, including external counsel.
Job Responsibilities
•
Reviewing the loan/transaction documents to be executed in the context of structured finance and fund finance debt issuances rated by DBRS on consistency with the DBRS’s methodologies
•
Support and advise analysts and rating committee with regards to legal aspects of the structured finance and fund finance transaction that may affect credit ratings
•
Communicate DBRS’s position on legal matters to issuers and relevant third parties
•
Engage and manage the document review process of external counsel, if appointed
•
Provide day-to-day legal analysis support and assistance to rating analysts and other members of the structured finance legal team by interpreting and analysing documentation
•
Summarise legal terms of complex structured finance and fund finance documentation (including, among others, term-sheets, prospectuses, cash management agreements) for further consideration and analysis by rating analysts and other members of the structure finance legal team; compile, organise and present summarised legal terms in a well written and concise fashion in rating committees
•
Provide support to analysts and other members of the structured finance legal team in the preparation and review of rating reports, and other related documentation
•
Perform research and analysis on various legal issues (including legal issues dealt with by newly enacted legislation) in connection with the structured finance and fund finance debt issuances rated by DBRS
•
Monitor legislative and case law developments and advise on changes as appropriate
•
Support drafting legal criteria and commentaries, contribute...