Associate Attorney-at-law

Associate Attorney-at-law: Transactional Department

 Reports to: Transactional Partner

Summary: The Transactional Associate Attorney will form part of a team of the Firm’s attorneys and support staff members working on a variety of transactional and advisory matters for financial institutions and commercial clients. He/she will be required to interface both externally and internally in managing the overall conduct of a matter from inception to completion, taking day to day responsibility for the matter under the supervision of a firm partner or senior associate.

This attorney is energetic, inquisitive, thorough and resourceful. He/she is an analytical thinker who can apply his/her legal training to business transactions to craft (or support his/her supervising attorney in crafting) legal solutions to the commercial needs of the Firm’s clients.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Receives, reviews and critically analyses instructions from internal and external clients, identifying the legal issues required to be addressed and understanding the areas of law that are relevant to the matter.
• Ability to take ownership of and responsibility for effectively monitoring and moving forward an independent matter load seeking guidance as and when appropriate.
• Ensures that proper records are maintained of all client instructions and communications (including changes to transaction documents) and that all pertinent information relating to a matter is communicated to the team of attorney(s) and support staff resourced to the matter to ensure that there is a seamless work delivery to the client.
• Reviews/analyses governing documents (including articles of incorporation, statutes of incorporation, by-laws, shareholder agreements etc), statutes/case law, contracts, commercial agreements, real estate documents, insurance policies, permits, licences, approvals etc. to advise, counsel and provide legal representation to clients.
• Performs legal research effectively and efficiently using available resources, libraries and data systems.
• Drafts documents to provide legal representation to clients, including commercial agreements, loan and bond/note transaction documents including security documents, contracts, opinion letters, offering memoranda, correspondence with regulators.
• Formulates and issues well-founded, practical, business solutions-oriented written and verbal opinions to clients, in clear and understandable English.
• Effectively conducts negotiations to resolve matters on behalf of clients.
• Advises and communicates regularly with clients (and other firms members assigned to the matter) in person, via phone, e-mail and written correspondence regarding the status of their matter.
• Works collaboratively with assigned attorneys and support staff in preparing legal documentation and/or processing transactions and addressing the needs of clients.
• Participates in business development efforts, including writing of articles on legal and business topics.

Qualifications and Skills:

• Academic distinction
• Licensed to practice law in Trinidad and Tobago with 2 - 4 years post qualification experience, ideally in transactional matters
• Excellent writing and analytical skills to conduct detailed analysis of complex legal matters
• Strong computer skills including: MS Outlook, Word, Excel and legal research software. Experience in case management and billing software a plus.
• Commitment to providing superior client service.
• Highly motivated, self-sufficient with a strong work ethic.
• A critical thinker with the ability to creatively problem solve.
• Careful attention to detail.
• Strong and extremely meticulous organizational skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, time-sensitive environment that will at times call for multi-tasking.
• Interpersonal skills necessary to communicate with a diverse group of clients, attorneys, and staff, including the ability to break down and communicate complex issues in a manner that is clear and easily understood by business clients.
• Ability to capture time promptly and effectively.
• English proficiency – speaking, reading, and writing.