Assistant Counsel

MFS Investment Management • Boston, MA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

This position will provide legal counsel for significant and strategic regulatory initiatives and on-going operations, including complex, regulatory-related processes, policies and procedures. The Assistant Counsel will review, monitor and resolve related legal and regulatory issues as they pertain to assigned matters and other special projects/areas as determined by senior management. In particular, this role will focus on supporting the Legal team that provides legal support to U.S. registered investment companies and related Investment Company Act of 1940 (1940 Act) work. This position regularly interacts with individuals throughout MFS, including members of our investment, legal, compliance, distribution and client service teams.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree and Juris Doctorate Degree required.
• 4 to 6 years of work experience as an attorney in investment management, financial services or industry-related firm, or at least 3 to 5 years of work experience at a law firm.
• Equivalent experience in a non-attorney role will also be considered on a case-by-case basis.
• Strong working knowledge of the 1940 Act as well as the Investment Advisers Act of 1940.
• Must be a member in good standing of any State Bar, preferably Massachusetts, and maintain good standing for all necessary license(s) and/or professional qualifications.
• Have excellent interpersonal, organizational, communication, customer service, and problem-solving skills.
• 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.
• 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.
• Be able to present comfortably before groups and to educate and persuade audience with argument so as to gain acceptance and cooperation.
• May serve as a representative of MFS with regulators, at meetings, conferences, related industry events, etc.
• 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.
• Conduct on-line research and utilize applicable tools and employ and embrace the use of technology in performance of the job.

Responsibilities

• Provides legal advice and support relating to MFS-advised pooled investment vehicles, including the MFS' U.S. 1940 Act registered mutual funds and exchange-traded funds and external 1940 Act registered mutual funds that MFS sub-advises.
• Assists in providing legal advice to business clients for special projects, such as new funds, new classes, reorganizations and other product initiatives, such as changes to the name or investment strategies of existing funds.
• Assists in the research, preparation and/or review of a variety of legal documentation, board materials and regulatory filings (including reviewing the Funds' registration statements and financial reports), and ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, local or multi-jurisdictional laws.
• Monitor, review and assess implications of new or amended laws, rules and regulations related to assigned area/specialization and that impact MFS, its corporate subsidiaries or fund complexes.
• Apprise others of developments, recommend, and, when appropriate, decide on courses of action including new or updated relevant policies and procedures.
• Monitor company, competitive and regulatory developments and ensure best practices are developed and implemented within scope of position.
• Negotiate with internal and external parties on complex contracts, matters and/or transactions to satisfy the business objectives and applicable regulatory requirements.
• As needed, coordinate and participate in related audits and examinations and ensure business unit or area is audit/exam ready.
• Liaise with other departments and maintain effective relationships with same.
• Respond or participate in preparing responses to federal/state/offshore governmental regulators on assigned issues and matters.
• Make recommendations on changes to policies, procedures and manuals as well as standards and practices.
• Work with and oversee the work provided by outside counsel on a variety of legal matters ensuring that standards for service delivery and cost are met.
• Represent MFS at regulator and industry meetings and events.
• Work collaboratively with, and oversee certain work of, paralegals and other MFS Legal staff.
• Assume additional responsibilities as required.

Benefits

• MFS contributes an amount equal to 15% of your base salary to your retirement account that is separate from the company -sponsored 401(k)
• Education Assistance: MFS contributes $100 monthly up to $10,000 lifetime maximum directly to loan provider
• Education Assistance: Tuition reimbursement up to $8,000 annually
• Education Assistance: Access to discounted tutors and college coaches
• Generous time off and fully paid leaves including 20-weeks for maternity, 12-weeks for parental and caregiver leaves
• Choice of medical and dental plans and an and an employer contribution into the Health Savings Account
• Tax deferred commuter benefits & flexible spending accounts (medical & dependent care)
• Wellness Programs: Robust wellness webinars, employee assistance program with a focus on mental health, subsidized fitness benefit via Wellhub (formerly Gympass), where you can workout at gyms, studios and boutique fitness locations near you, join virtual personal training sessions and access a wide variety of well-being apps
• This position is eligible for competitive incentive bonus.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees