Litigation Paralegal - Securities

Burford Capital is the leading global finance and asset management firm focused on law. Its businesses include litigation finance and risk management, asset recovery and a wide range of legal finance and advisory activities. Burford is publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: BUR) and the London Stock Exchange (LSE: BUR), and it works with companies and law firms around the world from its principal offices in New York, London, Chicago, Washington, Singapore, Hong Kong and Dubai.

The Firm has created a Underwriting Paralegal position to support Burford’s international securities litigation finance business, as well as general data integrity, policies and process maintenance for the larger Litigation Funding department. This is a great opportunity for a talented, ambitious and process-minded paralegal to join an exciting and growing business at the intersection of law and finance.

Burford’s securities litigation team works with the world’s largest asset managers, sovereign wealth funds and other institutional investors to identify, evaluate and pursue securities litigation globally. The role will support members of the Underwriting and Business Development teams and help register and onboard institutional investors participating in group securities litigation financed by Burford. Strong organizational and oral and written communication skills, attention to detail and accuracy, as well as a track record for document and process management in a complex legal environment are the keys to success in this role.

The Underwriting Paralegal will regularly interface with in-house counsel and fund operations and accounting staff in the asset management industry, and knowledge or a demonstrated interest in investment management will be critical to the role. The Underwriting Paralegal will also have primary responsibility for making use of existing technology, developing operational enhancements and rationalizing workflows to further scale Burford’s client relationships with institutional investors. It is an excellent opportunity for an ambitious paralegal seeking an “outside the box” position in which to take on new challenges and grow professionally.

The role will report to the Underwriting Paralegal Manager and be based in Burford’s London office. Title and compensation to be commensurate with experience.

www.burfordcapital.com

COMPANY OVERVIEW

Burford Capital is the largest and most experienced provider of commercial finance to the legal sector in the world, with a core expertise in identifying and optimizing the value of legal assets for companies and law firms.  Since its founding in 2009, Burford has worked with hundreds of law firms and corporations, including 94 of the AmLaw 100 and 92 of the Global 100 largest law firms. Our team has grown from five people at the end of 2009 to over 150 people today, including over 45 lawyers.

Burford possesses the resources and expertise of a large company while retaining the flexibility and creativity of a startup.  Team members are smart, creative, collaborative, curious, and confident.  Everyone rolls up their sleeves to perform and engage collectively for the overall success of the business.  Burford values rigorous thinking, clear communication, and efficient execution. Burford is an “always on” environment in which everyone needs to be accessible by email when outside the office, including during evenings and weekends.

Burford pays base salaries consistent with the financial services industry and favors incentive compensation to reward performance.  Burford Capital is committed to increasing diversity and maintaining an inclusive workplace culture.  We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of their ethnicity, race, gender, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, age, marital status, whether or not they have a disability.

Position Requirements

Client Outreach and Onboarding Support
• Perform the initial drafting, execution, distribution, and electronic archiving ofclient registration documents required for participation in multi-party securitieslitigation (e.g., litigation funding agreements, law firm engagement letters, powersof attorney) under the guidance and supervision of the responsible underwriter
• Use financial databases to research and identify business development targets forparticipation in group shareholder litigation; build and maintain client contactlists, prepare and distribute client outreach materials and coordinate and report onclient communications by members of Burford’s business development team
• Request, assemble, organize, and upload diligence and supporting documents fromclients; collect and organize client trading data and serve as point of contact forlegal counsel and economic experts

Legal Research & Underwriting Support
• Research new case funding opportunities by monitoring news alerts, court docketsand capital markets developments
• Set up and monitor electronic dockets, case contacts, upcoming due dates, andother activities related to the progression of funded litigation; prepare anddistribute summaries of case developments
• Prepare redlines and document comparison analyses and assist with PDF assemblyupon request
• Maintain all case and client-related information in Salesforce CRM and clientdocuments in iManage DMS
• Produce pipeline and portfolio reports summarizing recent and upcoming activityfor weekly meetings, chase any missing entries, attend meetings and provideaction items for follow-up post meeting

• Produce summary of monthly case update reports and provide back up support for Board reporting

Other Responsibilities
• Participation in Underwriting Paralegal team projects to standardize and improve efficiencies of underwriting practices globally
• Documentation of underwriting processes and procedures
• Attend Underwriting Paralegal team meetings and training programs
• Oversee litigation support vendors, including legal outsourcing providers and economic experts

SKILLS DESIRED

Qualifications & Experience
• Paralegal certification or college degree
• 3 to 5 years’ experience in a fast-paced law firm, corporate legal department or equivalent setting in a role that includes a combination of transactional diligence, preparation of deal closing documentation, legal research and/or litigation case file management;
• Prior experience in asset management, custodian banking, financial services middle office support or equivalent setting is highly desirable
• Experience with Bloomberg Law, Lexis and DocuSign and familiarity with FactSet, DocketBird or LexMachina a plus
• Highly proficient in Microsoft Excel, Word and Outlook
• Prior experience with Salesforce and iManage highly desirable

Core Competencies & Skills
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Pro-active self-starter able to complete assignments on time with limited supervision; ability to work both independently and to collaborate as part of a close knit team
• Problem solver; able to adapt to Burford’s hybrid finance/legal requirements with innovative solutions
• Flexible working style; willing to take on whatever is needed for the business and multi-task among many small daily responsibilities and some larger project work
• Extremely organized, strong attention to detail, and the ability to follow-through independently
• Effective interpersonal skills to gain the confidence and trust of the attorney underwriters, as well as the ability to ensure their adherence to institutional norms and global standards with a soft touch
• Professional demeanor, pleasant manner, and patience in all interactions with clients and potential clients