Mergers & Acquisitions and Strategic Transactions Legal Counsel

Purpose of the role

To ensure that the principal / own-account merger and acquisition and minority investment activities in addition to corporate reorganisations are conducted in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, and to help the bank manage legal risks associated with these activities. 

Accountabilities

• Development and implementation of best practice legal strategies to identify and manage compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations.
• Legal advice and support to the bank's mergers and acquisitions, minority investment and structuring teams on legal matters including due diligence, deal structuring, negotiation and drafting of legal documents and other transactional matters.
• Representation of the bank in legal proceedings related to mergers and acquisitions, minority investments or reorganisations such as litigation, arbitration, and regulatory investigations (together with Litigation).
• Creation, negotiation and review of legal documents such as acquisition and sale agreements, joint venture agreements, shareholder and other investment agreements and other transactional documents to ensure compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations.
• Legal research and analysis to stay up to date on changes in applicable laws, rules and regulations that may impact the bank's mergers and acquisitions, minority investment and reorganisation activities.
• Developing and delivering training programmes to educate employees on legal and regulatory requirements related to mergers and acquisitions, minority investment and reorganisations activities.
• Pro-active identification, communication, and provision of legal advice on applicable laws, rules and regulations (LRRs). Keeping up to date with regards to changes to LRRs in the relevant coverage area. Ensuring that LRRs are effectively allocated to, and adequately reflected within, the relevant policies, standards and controls.

Vice President Expectations

• To contribute or set strategy, drive requirements and make recommendations for change. Plan resources, budgets, and policies; manage and maintain policies/ processes; deliver continuous improvements and escalate breaches of policies/procedures..
• If managing a team, they define jobs and responsibilities, planning for the department’s future needs and operations, counselling employees on performance and contributing to employee pay decisions/changes. They may also lead a number of specialists to influence the operations of a department, in alignment with strategic as well as tactical priorities, while balancing short and long term goals and ensuring that budgets and schedules meet corporate requirements..
• If the position has leadership responsibilities, People Leaders are expected to demonstrate a clear set of leadership behaviours to create an environment for colleagues to thrive and deliver to a consistently excellent standard. The four LEAD behaviours are: L – Listen and be authentic, E – Energise and inspire, A – Align across the enterprise, D – Develop others..
• OR for an individual contributor, they will be a subject matter expert within own discipline and will guide technical direction. They will lead collaborative, multi-year assignments and guide team members through structured assignments, identify the need for the inclusion of other areas of specialisation to complete assignments. They will train, guide and coach less experienced specialists and provide information affecting long term profits, organisational risks and strategic decisions..
• Advise key stakeholders, including functional leadership teams and senior management on functional and cross functional areas of impact and alignment.
• Manage and mitigate risks through assessment, in support of the control and governance agenda.
• Demonstrate leadership and accountability for managing risk and strengthening controls in relation to the work your team does.
• Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of the organisation functions to contribute to achieving the goals of the business.
• Collaborate with other areas of work, for business aligned support areas to keep up to speed with business activity and the business strategies.
• Create solutions based on sophisticated analytical thought comparing and selecting complex alternatives. In-depth analysis with interpretative thinking will be required to define problems and develop innovative solutions.
• Adopt and include the outcomes of extensive research in problem solving processes.
• Seek out, build and maintain trusting relationships and partnerships with internal and external stakeholders in order to accomplish key business objectives, using influencing and negotiating skills to achieve outcomes.

All colleagues will be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship – our moral compass, helping us do what we believe is right. They will also be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Mindset – to Empower, Challenge and Drive – the operating manual for how we behave.

Join the Mergers & Acquisitions and Strategic Transactions (“MAST”) Legal team at Barclays as we seek to grow our VP talent outside of London. This is an exciting and unique opportunity to join a vibrant and dynamic team who are currently based in London and New York. The MAST Legal team covers all principal M&A, strategic minority investments, intragroup restructurings and other strategic transactions on behalf of the Barclays Group, globally. We advise on a wide range of transactions, including buying and selling businesses; portfolios of assets (such as loans, credit cards or other receivables); strategic internal reorganisations; joint ventures; strategic partnerships and collaborations; venture capital investments in companies such as fintechs, digital assets and climate startups (ranging from direct equity investments, investments in funds and partnerships, share warrants/SAFEs or convertible loan notes) or debt for equity transactions; in addition to general corporate and regulatory advisory work on portfolio companies. This role will involve engagement with a wider variety of stakeholders, including Corporate Development, Principal Investments, Principal Structuring, senior business stakeholders and members of the Legal Function as well as various other teams such as Legal specialists, Tax and Compliance.

The role includes the following responsibilities:

• Supporting or leading complex, cross border transactions across the full M&A transaction lifecycle, from early‑stage strategic assessment and structuring, through to due diligence, negotiation and signing and closing.
• Leading Principal Investments transactions.
• Preparing and presenting clear, concise legal advice and analysis for senior management, executive committees and the Board, supporting informed decision making on complex transactions.
• Identifying, assessing and coordinating the management of key legal and regulatory risks arising in transactions, working closely with subject matter experts across Barclays Legal and the wider Barclays Group.
• Selection, instruction and management of external legal advisers globally, ensuring high quality, commercially focused advice and effective cost and risk management across all transactions.
• Horizon scanning for legal risks, developing AI use cases, providing legal training to stakeholders and development of team know how.

To be successful as a VP in the MAST Legal team, you should have experience in all of the above, in addition to the following essential criteria: 

• Advising on all areas of UK Corporate/M&A law including UK Listing Rules
• Ability to prioritize a high volume of work and to operate both independently and as a global team, with strong project management and organisational skills
• A strong track record in the following:
  • Depth of relevant deal experience
  • Strong communication skills and attention to detail
  • Drive and commitment, including ability to deliver under pressure
  • Strong interpersonal skills to build key relationships with stakeholders
  • A strong risk and controls mindset

Some other highly valued skills include: 

• Experience in the financial services sector, either in-house or in private practice
• Experience in providing regulatory advice in the financial services sector
• Experience in US M&A and other corporate transactions
• Experience of UK Private Capital (BVCA) and NVCA model documentation

Location: Glasgow/ Birmingham/Manchester.

You may be assessed on key critical skills relevant for success in role, such as risk and controls, change and transformation, business acumen, strategic thinking and digital and technology, as well as job-specific technical skills.