Overview
This role involves providing legal advice on all aspects of the Fund's investments and related activities, including the negotiation of agreements and documents for multiple asset classes in global public and private markets. The incumbent will also advise on complex international investment transactions and legal instruments.
Tasks Summary
- Works in the area of international commercial law and independently handles a wide range of highly complex, and often sensitive and/or conflicting legal matters involving issues relating to international, public, private commercial and administrative law, to include interpretation and application of instruments in that area.
- Provides advice on all legal aspects of the Fund's investments and related investment activities, including the negotiation of a wide range of agreements and documents relating to the investment of multiple classes of assets in global public and private markets, as well as associated custody, advisory and other related arrangements.
- Provides legal advice on a wide range of highly complex international investment transactions in sectors such as private equity, real estate and infrastructure.
- Provides legal advice on the interpretation of legal instruments and legal frameworks as well as UN and UNJSPF regulations, rules, and policies.
- Coordinates with external legal advisors engaged by the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs.
- Supervises the work of other legal officers dealing with legal questions related to the investment of the assets of the UNJSPF and the UNU Endowment Fund.
- Provides legal advice on a diverse range of highly complex or novel substantive and procedural questions of law relating to the investment activities of the Fund.
- Organises and supervises research studies and the preparation of legal opinions, as well as performs extensive legal research and analysis on highly complex or novel legal issues/questions and prepares legal opinions, studies, briefs, reports, and correspondence.
- Undertakes the review and drafting and/or supervision of drafting of highly complex or novel contracts, agreements, institutional and operational modalities, legal submissions, and other legal documents; develops new legal modalities to meet unique needs/circumstances.
- Advises on and supervises the review, negotiations and drafting of legal instruments, documents or submissions required in connection with the resolution of commercial disputes, as well as contracts, agreements, and other legal documents; develops new legal modalities to meet unique needs/circumstances.
- Supervises the defence and pursuit of claims, negotiates settlement of major claims and prepares legal documentation relating to such settlements.
- Provides legal advice to senior officials on the interpretation of legal instruments.
- Serves in various standing boards, committees, ad hoc working groups and task forces of the UNJSPF and/or the UN Secretariat, as required; promotes the work of the United Nations and represents the Organization at meetings, conferences, seminars, etc.
- Contributes to the review and design of new, or new applications of, legal instruments, policy, guidelines, systems, etc.
- Supervises and participates in preparing legal publications of the unit.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Experience Requirements
A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in commercial law (including international commercial law) including legal analysis, research and writing, acquired at a law firm or at the legal department of a global investment institution, government or multilateral development bank, or in the legal office of an international intergovernmental organization is required. Progressively responsible experience providing legal advice on investment matters is desirable. Experience representing institutional investors is desirable. Experience providing comprehensive general legal services on commercial matters to an international organization is desirable. Experience providing legal advice on derivatives transactions is desirable. Experience in working with the status and the privileges and immunities of international organizations is desirable. Experience representing limited partners and/or fund managers in legal aspects of private markets investment transactions (private equity, real estate, infrastructure) is desirable.
Qualification Requirements
Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in law is required. A first-level university degree in law in combination with two additional years of qualifying work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree. Admission to the practice of law, or otherwise qualified to practice law, in a Member State of the United Nations is required.
