Counsel - Fixed Term Contract

At MFS, you will find a culture that supports you in doing what you do best. Our employees work together to reach better outcomes, favoring the strongest idea over the strongest individual. We put people first and demonstrate care and compassion for our community and each other. Because what we do matters - to us as valued professionals and to the millions of people and institutions who rely on us to help them build more secure and prosperous futures.

What you will be responsible for:

PURPOSE:

Counsel provides legal counsel, planning and services to various subsidiaries of MFS Investment Management, including offices located in Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan (collectively, the "Companies"), in the distribution of retail and institutional investment products and the provision of investment management services.

PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Understand the regulatory and securities laws issues relevant to the distribution and management of investment products and services throughout Asia and Australia.
• Responsible for the drafting and review of a variety of financial and investment related regulatory documentation, including filings with the applicable regulatory authorities in Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan and other areas within Asia and the Pacific Rim.
• Review and interpret statutes, rules and policies which are relevant to the regulatory functions of the Companies, their branch offices and corporate affiliates in Australia, the Pacific Rim and other parts of Asia. Work closely with business personnel to meet their business objectives within the local regulatory environment.
• Under the supervision of APAC Senior Counsel, negotiate contracts or business arrangements for which the Companies and/or their corporate affiliates may enter into, such as investment management agreements with large institutional clients, distribution agreements relating to collective investment schemes for which the Companies act as the principal distributor or investment manager, and various services agreements related to the provision of investment management to clients in multiple jurisdictions.
• Manage staff resources, including decision making with regard to employment, compensation and performance. Ensure work is prioritized and delegated, as appropriate, and that it is supervised and completed within reasonable timeframes. Ensure continual development and training of staff, including establishing and communicating goals and objectives.
• Provide legal review and support, as requested, for non‐core business items relating to offices in Asia, Australia and the Pacific Rim, such as office leases, employment matters, Board and corporate maintenance, etc.
• Work closely with and serve as local legal consultant to the Companies' internal business personnel for projects such as new business initiatives, legal review of current or proposed business strategies and operations, etc.
• Prepare, and when requested, present materials at board meetings and to the managers of various business units within the Companies and their branch offices. Additionally, this individual may offer legal advice or identify issues of importance to the business managers within the Companies and their global corporate parents.
• Work with and oversees the legal assistance provided by outside counsel on a variety of legal matters, ensuring that standards for service and cost are met.
• Assume additional responsibilities as requested.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• Qualified to practice law in the Australian jurisdiction.
• Minimum of four years of legal experience in the area of financial services laws.
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, communication, customer‐service, team‐working and problem‐solving skills. Must be able to write effectively, and present research, analysis and conclusions in a persuasive manner. Must be polished, professional, mature, well‐mannered and well‐spoken.
• Proven ability to develop and foster strong interpersonal relationships and to maintain effective cross‐ functional teams throughout the organization.
• Experience managing the delivery of projects while ensuring the success of same and the cooperation of cross‐functional teams, with both domestic and international team members, is preferred.
• Proven ability to exercise judgment, pursue initiatives and implement changes necessary to align functional area with strategic/long‐term goals of MFS and of the Legal Department is required.
• An understanding of business operations and practices, procedures and controls specific to the business units supported is required as is the ability to apply same to dealings with the business units supported. Must maintain awareness of best practices and evolving issues within the scope of the position, and able to relate same to MFS' operations and practices, suggesting changes and modifications in practices and processes as necessary, and planning the implementation of same.
• Must be proficient in MS Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and able to develop proficiency in MFS systems as required to perform the duties of this position. Must be able to conduct on‐line research and to utilize applicable tools. Must employ and embrace the use of technology in performance of the job

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What we offer:

At MFS, we view our employees as family - and like you, we want our family happy and healthy. That's why we provide competitive benefits programs and family-friendly policies which support the work-life balance needs of our employees.

MFS is a hybrid work environment (remote/onsite) unless otherwise stated in the job posting.

If any applicant is unable to complete an application or respond to a job opening because of a disability, please contact MFS at 617-954-5000 or email talent_acquisition@mfs.com for assistance.

MFS is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer and it is our policy to not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or any other status protected by federal, state or local laws. Employees and applicants of MFS will not be subject to harassment on the basis of their status. Additionally, retaliation, including intimidation, threats, or coercion, because an employee or applicant has objected to discrimination, engaged or may engage in filing a complaint, assisted in a review, investigation, or hearing or have otherwise sought to obtain their legal rights under any Federal, State, or local EEO law is prohibited. Please see the EEO is the Law document and Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision, linked for your reference.