Trainee Negotiator

Trainee Negotiator

MCS Group is delighted to be exclusively working in partnership with Donaldson Legal Consulting, as they wish to appoint Trainee Negotiators to their growing team.

About Donaldson Legal Consulting

DLC was founded in 2005 by Managing Partner Alison Donaldson who realised that there was a more efficient and cost-effective way in which to provide legal services. After creating and establishing a market presence, DLC became a wholly owned subsidiary of Fieldfisher LLP in November 2017.

They are known for offer in-house knowledge, insight, and expertise that deliver real value and service flexibility that their clients love.

As a boutique ALS firm, they provide managed service solutions, subject matter expertise, and operational excellence to international clients, including Tier-1 Global Investment Banks. DLC help them navigate and meet legal, regulatory, risk, and compliance challenges.

DLC's clients appreciate their personalised professionalism, skilled team, and smart solutions. Their negotiators are client-facing, directly supporting trading documentation needs.

They are driven by their values, agile in their operations, and they appreciate their people for their individuality. At DLC, you're not just a number, and you're more than the work you do.

In their recent employee feedback exercise, where they had an exceptional 100% response rate, their team affirmed that their values genuinely reflect everything they do and how they do it:

• Leadership?– taking a proactive approach in all that they do.
• Love of learning?– facing new challenges with excitement and working out solutions to any problems.
• Creativity?– understanding the required outcome and finding the best solution and way to get there.
• Teamwork?– a seamless service is provided to and in conjunction with their clients.
• Perseverance?– working hard to deliver on their promises and ensure that they achieve the best outcome for their clients.

The Opportunity
DLC operate in a specialised area of legal services, which is why a love of learning and humility are essential. The learning curve may be steep, but you'll have their support, guidance, and encouragement every step of the way.

Serving clients is paramount. You will negotiate directly with parties and handle documentation, requiring you to be conscientious, determined, diligent, resilient, and aligned with our values.
Your key tasks will be:

• Drafting and negotiating a range of trading contracts - prepare and negotiate the terms and related documents and schedules such as ISDA Master Agreements, repurchase agreements and lending agreements and other trading documentation.
• Reviewing and Analysing Legal and Regulatory Requirements - ensuring all documentation complies with relevant legal and regulatory requirements, including Dodd-Frank, EMIR, and other applicable regulations.
• Client and Counterparty Communication - liaising with clients, counterparties, and other stakeholders to negotiate terms, resolve disputes, and ensure mutual agreement on contract terms.
• Risk Assessment and Management - identifying and mitigating legal and operational risks associated with derivatives transactions, ensuring all agreements reflect the risk policies of the organisation.
• Maintaining Documentation and Record Keeping - keeping accurate records of all negotiations and agreements, ensuring all documentation is up-to-date and accessible for audit and compliance purposes.

?The person
To excel in this role, you need:?
Essential

• A degree (or higher) in a highly analytical subject such as law, engineering, mathematics, or science.
• A strong desire to support the financial services industry, including global investment banks.
• Ability to build effective and positive relationships quickly, fully embracing the importance of client service.
• Highly organised and meticulous, with keen attention to detail and a commitment to high-quality standards.
• A self-starter with a proactive approach, a genuine desire to serve our clients, and the ability to work independently.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.

?Desirable?(Desirable means these are helpful but not essential)

• Relevant experience, preferably at an in-house legal department or leading law firm drafting and negotiating contracts
• Postgraduate professional legal course (i.e. LPC/BPTC/IPLS)
• Legally qualified, in any recognised UK or European jurisdiction
• Experience with other agreements such as Commodities Agreements, Bonds or Loan Documentation
• Previous exposure to the Financial Services sector in particular working closely with a sales/trading desk
• Understanding of the present and upcoming regulatory challenges for financial services firms

What is in it for you?
?Their people live and breathe their values with empathy and compassion. They have a culture of sharing and enriching each other personally and professionally.?

They demonstrate/develop the skills and behaviours that support us to deliver our business strategy, as well as our own personal and professional goals. This is important to the work they do for their business, their clients and their people.?

In addition to the client projects and unrivalled training from the best in the industry, their people are also rewarded with various other benefits offered as part of your employment

• Competitive salary?
• Firm funded comprehensive healthcare with the option to add your family members
• Training personalised to your needs, ability and ambitions
• 33 days standard holiday pro rata, with options to increase this through your benefits package and incremental increases with length of service
• Hybrid working policy
• Wellbeing initiatives and firm funded access to Apps
• Provision of a group pension plan and all the usual life assurance plans etc.
• Access to Fieldfisher training programmes
• Cycle to work scheme

Plus lots more

To speak in absolute confidence about this opportunity please send an up-to-date CV via the link provided or contact Samuel Neilly, Legal Recruitment Specialist at MCS Group on

Not all agencies are the same…MCS Group are passionate about providing a first-class service to all our customers and have an independent review rating of 4.9 stars on Google.

Even if this position is not right for you, we may have others that are. Please visit MCS Group to view a wide selection of our current jobs www.mcsgroup.jobs