Counsel, Private Funds

Over the last 20 years, Ares’ success has been driven by our people and our culture. Today, our team is guided by our core values – Collaborative, Responsible, Entrepreneurial, Self-Aware, Trustworthy – and our purpose to be a catalyst for shared prosperity and a better future. Through our recruitment, career development and employee-focused programming, we are committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive work environment where high-performance talent of diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives can build careers within this exciting and growing industry.

Job Description

Summary:

This is an exciting opportunity to take a lead legal role on European fundraisings for Ares. The primary focus of this role will be private fund formation and managing fundraising processes, and the successful candidate will be required to weave complex arrangements into a cohesive whole, provide superior business-related advice and help drive the group’s wider strategic objectives.  

Responsibilities:

• Providing expert legal counsel through fundraising periods, primarily in respect of Ares’ market leading European Private Credit and Real Estate platforms, with the opportunity to expand the role across multiple strategies (including Private Equity, Infrastructure and Secondaries) across Ares’ global platforms;
• Supporting all aspects of the fund formation and fundraising process, including in relation to fund structuring, preparation of legal documentation, investor negotiation, closings and regulatory considerations, with a focus on improving consistency across the Ares platforms;  
• Assisting in the implementation of the legal and operational infrastructure required to support the effective operation of the funds throughout the fund life;
• Developing a detailed understanding of the firm’s existing legal and operational infrastructure, and working proactively with colleagues across the business to optimise processes and introduce operational efficiencies where required;
• Understanding, disseminating and implementing responses to new laws and regulations in close collaboration with legal and regulatory colleagues;
• Collaboratively building strong cross-functional working relationships across the firm, especially with portfolio management, investor relations, finance & accounting, compliance and tax teams; and
• Managing the relationships with external legal counsel.

Required Experience:

• Deep experience in the fields of fund formation, fund documentation, fundraising and investor negotiation processes and advising on complex fund structures and governance arrangements, gained from a leading law firm or fund manager
• Significant familiarity with prevailing funds regulation, e.g. AIFMD, MiFID, SEC Private Fund regulations (including the upcoming Private Fund Adviser Rules) and Luxembourg funds, regulatory and tax considerations.
• 7+ PQE

Skills & Competencies Sought:

• Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills
• Collaborative team player who is a cultural fit and can effectively interact with groups across the entire platform
• Articulate and concise communicator with strong negotiation skills
• Highly organised and responsive
• Innovative
• Self-starter with the ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Proficient issue spotter who sees through complexity and can thoughtfully balance the legal and commercial aspects of an issue.

Reporting Relationships

There is no set deadline to apply for this job opportunity. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the search is no longer active.