Legal Counsel

The Role

We are looking to add a Counsel or Senior Counsel to our growing Legal & Compliance Department.  Reporting to the Assistant General Counsel, Head of Corporate Governance & Securities Law, this role will work closely with other members of the Company’s Legal and Compliance department in New York, Chicago, London, Amsterdam and Singapore. In this role, candidates can expect to be a corporate generalist, advising on a variety of corporate and commercial legal issues and expand their skillset to various aspects of MarketAxess’ business.  

How You’ll Help Take us There

This role is multi-faceted with the following three main responsibilities:

1. ’34 Act compliance and corporate governance (including ESG initiatives) (40%)
   • Assist in the preparation of the Company’s ’34 Act filings, including 10-K’s, 10-Q’s, 8-K’s and Proxy Statement.
   • Become the primary drafter of Section 16 filings.
   • Assist in the preparation of the Company’s ESG report and CDP Climate Change Questionnaire, as well as data collection related to the Company’s carbon footprint and other ESG topics.
   • Assist with the administration of the Company’s Insider Trading Policy and Code of Conduct
   • With the assistance of outside counsel, provide securities law advice to Company and senior executives.
   • Assist with resolving shareholder matters, including transfer agent issues and shareholder proposals.
   • Analyze and summarize new rules and regulations
2.     Procurement, Information Technology & Data Privacy (30%)
   • Serve as a primary point of contact in contractual processes for third-party vendor management with minimal supervision
   • Negotiate commercial contracts for a wide range of services supporting MarketAxess’ businesses, including vendor agreements, software-as-a-service (SAAS) agreements, software license agreements and data protection agreements, while ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations
   • Develop a uniform framework for legal review of MarketAxess’ third-party services, coordinating with the Company’s Risk department, as necessary
   • Coordinate with internal stakeholders on automatic renewals of agreements and terminations of existing contracts
   • Develop expertise and help lead implementation of new and existing regulations relevant to onboarding of vendors, such as the E.U.’s Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), the E.U. and U.K. versions of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the cloud outsourcing guidelines promulgated by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA), including by performing gap assessments on and potentially re-negotiating existing agreements to ensure compliance with relevant regulations
3.   Legal aspects supporting human resources and corporate functions. (10-15%)
   • Assist in the preparation of various employment and compensation related agreements.
   • Organize books and records of MarketAxess Holdings Inc. and its US subsidiaries.
   • Assist in administration of MarketAxess Legal Department Diversity Policy
   • Assist on in-house legal issues as they arise (ie., cybersecurity and litigation). Be ready to tackle any matter requiring legal assistance—every day brings a new type of agreement, rule or challenge.
4.     M&A, strategic relationships & corporate finance (10-15%)
   • Assist with legal aspects of M&A and strategic relationships, including drafting term sheets, conducting due diligence, overseeing closing process and managing outside counsel.
   • Advise the Company on post-acquisition integration efforts, including rationalizing vendor agreements and amending client agreements/forms as needed.
   • Draft term sheets and operative documents for strategic industry relationships (such as joint marketing agreements, cooperation agreements or market making agreements).
   • Draft and negotiate NDA’s.
   • Provide assistance with corporate finance initiatives as needed.

What We're Looking For

• Lawyer with 4-5 years’ experience;
• Experience working in a public company advisory or capital markets practice group in a big law firm required; additional in house experience at a domestic US public technology company preferred
• Experience drafting information technology agreements
• Familiarity with the E.U.’s Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), the E.U. and U.K. versions of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and the cloud outsourcing guidelines promulgated by the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) preferred
• Strong disclosure and contract drafting skills as well as a strong understanding of contract law;
• Admitted in NY;
• Knowledge of / experience with technology and/or financial services is a plus;
• Interest in practicing as a corporate generalist and learning new areas of law (e.g., employment);
• Enthusiasm to do all levels of work in a cooperative small team ‘all hands on deck’ environment;
• Intellect to learn the technology of the business to a detailed level and apply that knowledge to legal issues;
• Ability to communicate effectively and succinctly in person and on paper with the business stakeholders;
• Organized, highly efficient, diligent and able to prioritize proactively;
• 100% reliable and responsive; and
• Must have strong organizational skills; be detail-oriented; and be able to function well independently and as part of a team.

What You Can Expect from Us 

In addition to working on cutting edge technology and in our culture of innovation, collaboration, and openness, we offer:

• Hybrid Environment: Our employees enjoy a mix of working in the office and from home
• Free Food: We provide free lunch for employees when they are working in the office. Plus, our offices are stocked with snacks.
• Paid Time Off: Competitive PTO package including vacation and personal days, sick leave and charity days
• Generous Parental Leave: Up to 20 weeks fully paid leave
• 401(k): Dollar-for-dollar employer match up to $17.5K
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan: Employees can purchase MarketAxess common stock at a discount
• Wellness Stipend: We provide employees with up to $1K annually towards gym memberships, home office equipment and more
• Onsite Healthcare: We offer convenient access to world-class care through Mount Sinai at our Hudson Yards location 
• Tuition Assistance and Professional Training: Benefit from on-demand learning, boot camps, and opportunities to attend conferences
• Core benefits: Highly competitive medical, dental, and vision programs

For job positions in NYC, NY, and other locations where required, the estimated salary range for a new hire into this position is $150,000 USD to $200,000 USD. Actual salary may vary depending on job-related factors, which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location. You may also be eligible for annual cash incentives, equity, and other benefit programs.

MarketAxess Corporation and its affiliates provide equal employment opportunities to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic in the location in which the candidate is applying.

All of your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.