Job Opportunity
Counsel – Investment
TRS | Austin, TX
Job Summary
Provide complex counsel and related services regarding investment transactions and related matters. Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school. Licensed to practice law in the State of Texas and a member in good standing; or hold a valid, active law license issued by another state and be eligible for Texas licensure. 4+ years of full-time directly related, progressively responsible experience as a Transactional Attorney or related experience.
Details
Who We Are
Service, Respect, and Connection are core to the individual and collective TRS experience. We know that great service rests on a foundation of relationships that connect us all to an empowering and rewarding career. At TRS, we’re inspired by our community who bring authenticity and commitment to our mission to improve the retirement security of public education employees and retirees throughout Texas.
As a group of achievers, we tap collaboration and innovation to raise the bar in performance, administering and counseling pensions and healthcare benefits to ensure certainty for the future of our members. We invite you to join us, where both personal and career growth are respected and where you can make a difference in our members’ lives every day.
Few careers allow you to challenge yourself professionally while you give back to meaningful individuals who are dedicated to educating the youth of Texas. Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) manages retirement and healthcare plans for over 2 million public education professionals and we are growing. That growth means expanding talented teams who are dedicated to keeping the Trust financially healthy for a long time to come.
About the Role
The Investment Counsel is responsible for providing complex counsel and related services regarding investment transactions and related matters, preparing and negotiating investment transaction documents; providing general legal counsel and representation to executive management; and providing research and other legal support.
This position will proactively work with the Investment Management Division, the TRS legal team, Executive staff, members of TRS executive and leadership teams, and external stakeholders. This position reports to the Director, L&C Investment.
What Will You Do:
Investment Counsel
* Provide legal advice to and represents the agency regarding:
– Negotiation of investment management agreements with external managers and related matters
– Investments in hedge funds, private equity funds, real asset funds, energy and natural resources funds, related co-investment or principal investment funds, and derivatives transactions
– Investment operations, non-disclosure agreements, foreign investment documentation, investment policies, litigation analysis, and other duties as assigned
– The application of fiduciary duties to investment matters, policies, procedures, and operations.
* Participate in the selection and oversight of outside investment counsel, including coordinating workflow, evaluating work product, reviewing invoices, and negotiating fee reductions
* Prepare, review, and negotiate research and other investment-related arrangements including those involving commission credits or custody of pension assets, and advise the investment staff and agency management about such arrangements
Investment Contracts and Documents
* Prepare or review requests for proposal or qualifications, and draft and negotiate contracts with the vendors (e.g., custody agreements), investment consultants, external discretionary investment managers, outside legal counsel, clearinghouses, and prime brokers
* Review offering memoranda, subscription documents, and proposed contracts relating to private investments; provide legal advice and services, including drafting and negotiating transaction documents, as assigned; and supervise execution of documents according to agency policies and procedures
* Prepare memoranda, contracts, policies, guidelines, procedures, letters, bills, or analysis for legislative consideration, or other materials as assigned
General Legal Counsel and Representation
* Attend as needed meetings of the agency Board of Trustees, Board Committees, and internal investment committees; and assist with preparation of meeting materials, such as proposed resolutions, meeting minutes, and related materials
* Assist the senior attorneys and management in meetings and negotiations with other attorneys and external parties, including executive and legislative branches of Texas state government, auditors, investment consultants, and vendors
Research and Support
* Provide advice and assistance regarding all applicable existing or proposed federal, state, and agency laws, rules, and policies
* Conduct legal research and analysis with respect to assigned or referred matters
* Assist with preparing audit inquiry responses on behalf of the agency, as assigned
* Coordinate and review the related work of legal assistants, specialists, and support staff with regard to specific areas of responsibility
* Participate in special projects, as assigned (e.g., foreign office matters)
Perform related work as assigned
What Will You Bring:
Required Education
* Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school
Required Registration, Certification, or Licensure
* Licensed to practice law in the State of Texas and a member in good standing of the State Bar of Texas; or hold a valid, active law license issued by another state and be eligible for Texas licensure under Board of Law Examiners Rule XIII: Attorneys from Other Jurisdictions (candidate must obtain Texas license within eight months of hire date)
Required Experience
* 4 years of full-time directly related, progressively responsible experience as a Transactional Attorney or related experience
* 2 years of full-time directly related, progressively responsible experience in at least one of the following areas: transactional work in private equity, real estate, or energy and infrastructure transactions, derivatives contracts, or mergers and acquisitions
* Experience may be concurrent
Preferred Qualifications
* 2 years of experience providing legal services for transactional matters such as corporate, derivatives or private fund transactions
* Experience effectively and succinctly communicating with a high-level audience, such as a governing Board or executive management
* Experience overseeing and managing outside counsel
Knowledge
* Corporate law, partnership law, federal tax laws, federal regulation of securities and commodities, regulation of broker-dealers and investment advisers, and/or international investment law
* Legal issues and concepts in at least one area of law relevant to job functions pertaining to the agency investment program
* Fiduciary responsibilities or ethics issues
Skills
* Monitoring, reviewing, drafting, and advising on legislation
* Negotiating, mediating, and resolving agreements and disputes
* Performing legal research and analysis of relevant information, and rendering advice based on sound legal judgment
* Task management and organization, including setting priorities to meet deadlines and manage a high-volume workload in a fast-paced and -changing environment, while completing detailed work with a high degree of timeliness, appropriate brevity and economy, and accuracy
* Using a computer in a Windows environment with word processing, spreadsheet, and other business software (Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, Westlaw, Tamale, etc.)
* Written and verbal communications, including awareness of reactions to others; analyzing, developing, and advocating legal positions; giving advice; and preparing and presenting complex legal documents or reports to a variety of audiences
Abilities
* Establish and maintain harmonious, productive, efficient, and mutually beneficial working relationships of trust with co-workers, other agency staff, and external contacts (such as consultants, outside fund management, opposing counsel, state government personnel, and the public)
* Work effectively in a professional team environment
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- Job Reference #: req1330
- Min Education: JD
- Min Experience: 4 years