Senior Legal Counsel

About Northern Trust:
Northern Trust, a Fortune 500 company, is a globally recognized, award-winning financial institution that has been in continuous operation since 1889.

Northern Trust is proud to provide innovative financial services and guidance to the world’s most successful individuals, families, and institutions by remaining true to our enduring principles of service, expertise, and integrity. With more than 130 years of financial experience and over 22,000 partners, we serve the world’s most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service.

Role/ Department:
Northern Trust Global Services SE (NTGS SE) is Northern Trust’s EU Bank headquartered in Luxembourg. NTGS SE services Northern Trust’s rapidly growing Continental European client base. In addition to the headquarters, NTGS SE has branches throughout Continental Europe, and in a number of other non-EU locations.

Senior Legal Counsel in Luxembourg is a key member of the Continental Europe Legal Team. The team consists of five lawyers located in a number of jurisdictions across Continental Europe. The team works closely with members of the broader EMEA Legal Department. This is a pivotal role in providing legal counsel to business stakeholders in Luxembourg.

The key responsibilities of the role include:

- Provide advice to internal clients in Luxembourg, including senior management
- Review and negotiate asset servicing contracts, including on boarding documentation and product specific agreements such as master custody, depositary and fund administration agreements, and ancillary agreements relating to reporting, regulatory and cash products and services
- Review and negotiate ad hoc legal documentation such as non-disclosure agreements, service level agreements, powers of attorney, and vendor agreements
- Maintain templates and ensure agreements and ancillary documentation entered into with external clients and third parties accord with current regulatory requirements and NTGS SE’s risk parameters
- Advise business and compliance teams in respect of: existing and new products and services (to be) offered to clients, regulatory matters and developments, and cross border licensing issues
- General project work, including regulatory change projects and new product development
- Engaging with and supporting Compliance and Risk Management in analysing the requirements of new laws and regulations impacting the businesses and the implementation of processes and procedures in order to comply with such requirements.
- Instruct and liaise with external counsel, as necessary, and review and analyse advice and opinions from external counsel
- Active participation in forums and committees, for example, in relation to new business and business unit activity

Skills/ Qualifications:

- Experience working in the Fund Services industry in Luxembourg, with a strong knowledge of the regulatory framework in connection with both (i) the provision of fund administration and depositary services in Luxembourg, and (ii) the day to day operation of a Luxembourg bank regulated by the CSSF and ECB
- Knowledge of (Luxembourg) market driven and industry standard terms and conditions in connection with Fund Services documentation and agreements across a range of fund types (SIF, SICAV, AIF, UCITS, FCP, RAIF, ELTIF)
- Excellent contract negotiation skills across a range of fund products and services and in connection with a range of fund types, with experience negotiating with external clients and their appointed external counsel
- Agility and the ability to prioritise and work to set deadlines within a challenging environment
- Strong commercial/pragmatic sense and understanding of business needs
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Excellent inter-personal skills
- The ability to analyse complex legal issues and explain outcomes in plain English
- Fluency in French would be an advantage, but is not essential

Working with Us:
As a Northern Trust partner, greater achievements await. You will be part of a flexible and collaborative work culture in an organization where financial strength and stability is an asset that emboldens us to explore new ideas.

Movement within the organization is encouraged, senior leaders are accessible, and you can take pride in working for a company committed to assisting the communities we serve Join a workplace with a greater purpose.

Reasonable accommodation


We hope you’re excited about the role and the opportunity to work with us. We value an inclusive workplace and understand flexibility means different things to different people.