Legal Counsel - Gas & Power

Our client is looking to appoint a Legal Counsel with strong experience in Gas & Power trading. This is a hands-on role providing legal support to trading and commercial stakeholders, with an initial focus on financial Gas & Power trading and the scope to support physical trading activities as the business develops. The position will report to the Head of Legal and work closely with stakeholders across the business.

Key responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day legal support across Gas & Power trading activities, initially with a particular focus on financial trading.
• Draft, review and negotiate ISDA documentation, including master agreements, schedules, confirmations and relevant credit support documentation.
• Advise on legal matters arising from exchange-traded and OTC Gas & Power transactions, including relevant exchange rules and trading requirements.
• Support the business on derivatives, collateral, guarantees and other credit support arrangements.
• Provide legal advice as the business develops its physical Gas & Power trading activities, including relevant trading agreements and operational arrangements.
• Advise on contractual matters including non-performance, defaults, termination, force majeure and disputes.
• Work closely with Trading, Operations, Credit, Risk, Finance and Compliance to identify and manage legal risk while facilitating commercial activity.
• Support broader legal matters and projects where required.

Profile

• Common-law qualified lawyer.
• Approximately 5–7 years' PQE, although relevant experience and technical expertise will be more important than a precise level of seniority.
• Strong experience within Gas & Power, energy or commodities trading.
• Strong knowledge of financial and derivatives trading, including hands-on experience with ISDA documentation.
• Good understanding of exchange-traded activity, relevant exchange rules and related legal issues.
• Experience can be stronger in either gas or power, provided there is some exposure to the other.
• Good understanding of the European physical Gas & Power trading environment, even where the candidate's core expertise is financial trading.
• In-house experience within a commodity trader, energy company, utility or similar environment would be highly advantageous.
• Strong drafting and negotiation skills.
• Commercial, pragmatic and solutions-oriented, with the ability to provide clear and actionable advice.
• Comfortable working directly with traders and other commercial stakeholders.
• Able to operate autonomously and manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Fluent English required; additional European languages would be an advantage.

The opportunity

This is an opportunity to take ownership of legal matters supporting Gas & Power trading within an international environment, working closely with the trading business from an early stage.

The role will initially have a strong financial trading focus, with the opportunity to broaden further into physical Gas & Power trading over time.