Natixis is a French multinational financial services firm specialized in asset & wealth management, corporate & investment banking, insurance and payments. A subsidiary of Groupe BPCE, the second-largest banking group in France through its two retail banking networks, Banque Populaire and Caisse d\xe2\x80\x99Epargne, Natixis counts nearly 16,000 employees across 38 countries. Its clients include corporations, financial institutions, sovereign and supranational organizations, as well as the customers of Groupe BPCE\xe2\x80\x99s networks.

Natixis Middle East is focused on:

Structured finance in our four core sectors, Natixis being one of the leading banks in financing renewable energy.

Global Markets, Fixed Income, Equities and Commodities.

Trade Finance Solutions

Islamic Finance

Investment Banking, DCM, ECM and M&A

Coverage

Natixis Middle East region spans 14 countries from Egypt to Turkey, but our main focus is in the GCC countries.

Poste et missions

Global Markets

• Legal review of structured/secured Repo and Derivatives documentation from a local perspective;
• Jurisdictional due diligence, enforceability analyses on GCC as well as other Middle Eastern jurisdictions, including in relation to transactions under the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) Master Agreement, the ISDA/IIFM Tahawwut Master Agreement, the Global Master Purchase Agreement (GMRA) and the Global Masters Securities Lending Agreement (GMSLA).
• Responsible for obtaining netting opinions (in particular in context of regional legislative and judicial developments).

Islamic Finance

• First point of contact within Natixis globally for any transactions with Islamic Finance components.
• Drafting and negotiation of Islamic Repo, Derivatives, Islamic Deposit, Islamic Option, Islamic loan Agreements.
• Responsible for firm-wide initiative on the ISDA/IIFM Tahawwut Master Agreement (Islamic ISDA Master Agreement) and be part of IIFM working groups (e.g., on LIBOR).
• Responsible for Islamic Debt transactions (Sukuk) with regards to Islamic legal aspects.
• Monitoring of relevant case law on principles of Shariah and implementation in relevant agreements.

Financing, Global Trade (GT) and Investment Banking

• Review and negotiation of loan facility documentation as well as financial advisory agreements and mandate letters including financial institutions and corporates.
• Advising on securities including pledge and collateral mechanisms.
• Drafting, reviewing and/or negotiating contractual documentation related to GT transactions.

General

• Working in close cooperation with the front office teams in charge of structuring, originating and syndicating structured products and understand complex structures mainly for Global Markets and Islamic Finance products.
• Taking all necessary steps to ensure a proper understanding of legal risks incurred by Natixis and providing appropriate solutions in order to control and reduce legal risks including by implementing appropriate procedures and templates
• Monitoring and anticipating regulatory changes and following up on any new developments in terms of local laws and regulations.
• Be part of working group on regulatory and transversal legal topics (e.g., local law data protection, GDPR, LIBOR\xe2\x80\xa6etc).
• Managing dispute resolution processes as required.
• Provide legal advice on account of the Dubai branch as necessary including but not limited to in relation to HR, IT, supplier contracts and client agreements.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Give accurate and timely advice in a variety of legal topics.
• Responsiveness and strong team spirit will be required to work with demanding front office desks and collaboratively with colleagues.
• Draft and review agreements, internal governance policies, legal guidelines and regularly memos.
• Research and evaluate different risk factors regarding business decisions and operations.
• Apply effective risk management techniques and offer proactive advice on possible legal issues.
• liaise with external counsels.
• Reporting to Head of Legal - Middle East.

MAIN SKILLS:

• Excellent technical skills and analytical ability, adaptability, client centric, skills necessary to adapt to multiple legal systems.
• Capacity to work independently and identify legal risks, report and escalate issues is essential.
• Solid understanding of derivatives and some experience with repos and different forms of financing arrangements. However, a securitisation lawyer or structured finance lawyer can apply.
• Good knowledge of Islamic Finance and its application amongst GCC countries.
• Outstanding communication skills (both written and oral) and client management skills.
• Strong business judgment and commercial attitude.
• Good transactional skills and attention to detail.

• Ability to prioritize effectively and operate well under pressure.
• Team working skills are essential.
• Bilingual (English/French or English/Arabic) an advantage, however English (writing and speaking) is essential.

• Preference for a 7/10 PQ candidate (post-qualification major law firm experience) and or in-house experience gained either in a current position or through a secondment.

Profil et comp\xc3\xa9tences requises

• 
  Providing legal and regulatory advice to the bank\xe2\x80\x99s various business lines in the Middle East as well as any other additional jurisdictions to meet business needs.
• Drafting, reviewing and/or negotiating contractual documentation, and liaise, when necessary, with external counsel.
• Review and maintenance of legal opinions and analysis in order to facilitate business need across the Middle East region.