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Moody's

Senior Counsel

New York, NY

Moody's is a developmental culture where we value candidates who are willing to grow. So, if you are excited about this opportunity but don't meet every single requirement, please apply! You may be a perfect fit for this role or other open roles.

Moody's is a global integrated risk assessment firm that empowers organizations to make better decisions.

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Role/Responsibilities

Moody's Analytics seeks a highly qualified Senior Counsel to provide support to the Americas Sales and Customer Service organization in Latin America and US. This position will be based in our offices in Sao Paolo, Brazil.

The Senior Counsel position, which reports into the Moody's Analytics Assistant General Counsel located in the US, presents an opportunity to provide business-critical professional services in an important and growing segment of the company.

The Senior Counsel- Latin America position will focus primarily on drafting and negotiating commercial transactions such as license, subscription and services agreements with Moody's Analytics' sophisticated customer base (including a diverse range of US and Latin American banks, brokers, insurers and large corporates as well Latin American government entities or government owned entities). The successful candidate may also draft and negotiate joint venture or partnership agreements with complementary technology and service providers and participate in due diligence and integration efforts for acquired businesses.

Responsibilities will include:

  • Providing support to the relevant regional Moody's Analytics sales and services organizations in a broad range of commercial transactions.
  • Conducting all aspects of contract drafting and lead negotiations concerning software and data licenses, SaaS product subscriptions and related service level agreements and maintenance schedules, professional services agreements and alliance partner/subcontractor agreements.
  • Supporting and implementing Moody's Analytics' business policies and practices, including preferred contract terms and compromise positions; gaining familiarity with and observing compliance policies such as anti-bribery, economic and trade sanctions and competition law policies; navigating privacy (LGPD) and information security issues relating to SaaS and cloud-based products; and observing Moody's Analytics' revenue recognition policies in the preparation and conclusion of contracts. The successful candidate must also have the ability to clearly explain these policies and procedures to others.
  • Ensuring compliance with the foregoing Moody's Analytics' business policies and practices, in connection with RFPs with private companies and in government bidding processes.
  • Working with other Moody's Analytics in-house lawyers, including subject matter experts and other in-house attorneys working in the region.
  • Working with contract specialists in sales operations. Working with finance staff, as well as product, support and delivery teams.
  • Navigating customer bureaucracies and working to effectively close deals in a timely manner on acceptable terms to Moody's Analytics.
  • Answering questions and offering professional legal advice on a wide range of issues including the local regulatory environment.
  • Managing and streamlining internal processes. We value employees who exercise initiative and display creativity in solving challenges and accomplishing business objectives.

Required Qualifications

  • Law degree from top tier law school in the US (JD or LLM).
  • Law degree from Brazil
  • Licensed to practice law in Brazil. Member of the bar in good standing in a US State (NY preferred).
  • 8 to 10+ years total legal experience, in the US and/or Brazil, of which: (i) at least 3 years of which are in a law firm, with a practice focused on IP licensing/tech transactions, corporate, securities, capital markets, financial services, M&A or other transactional based work; and (ii) the remaining years of experience are either with a law firm or with an in-house legal team, preferably with a technology, professional services or financial services company.
  • Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, and a strong team orientation; ability to communicate confidently with senior management on complex legal and contractual issues
  • Strong analytical and writing skills
  • Strong contract drafting and negotiation skills and a sound understanding of various types of software licensing and services transactions, subscription-based business models and familiarity with software revenue recognition principles
  • Experience in banking and financial services or a technology / software company is a strong plus, as are candidates who have a technical or financial background.
  • Hard working, well organized, detail-oriented and process-driven candidates who have a demonstrated ability to manage a diverse workload under demanding deadline pressures

Preferred Qualifications

  • Portuguese fluency is a must, especially to interact with Portuguese speaking clients and other stakeholders in Brazil.

For US-based roles only: the anticipated hiring base salary range for this position is [[$160,100]] to [[$232,100]], depending on factors such as experience, education, level, skills, and location. This range is based on a full-time position. In addition to base salary, this role is eligible for incentive compensation. Moody's also offers a competitive benefits package, including not but limited to medical, dental, vision, parental leave, paid time off, a 401(k) plan with employee and company contribution opportunities, life, disability, and accident insurance, a discounted employee stock purchase plan, and tuition reimbursement.

Moody's is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, gender, age, religion, national origin, citizen status, marital status, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. Moody's also provides reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities or based on a sincerely held religious belief in accordance with applicable laws. If you need to inquire about a reasonable accommodation, or need assistance with completing the application process, please email accommodations@moodys.com. This contact information is for accommodation requests only, and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.

For San Francisco positions, qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered for employment consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.

This position may be considered a promotional opportunity, pursuant to the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act.

Click here to view our full EEO policy statement. Click here for more information on your EEO rights under the law. Click here to view our Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination statement. Click here to view our Notice to New York City Applicants.
Candidates for Moody's Corporation may be asked to disclose securities holdings pursuant to Moody's Policy for Securities Trading and the requirements of the position. Employment is contingent upon compliance with the Policy, including remediation of positions in those holdings as necessary.

Client-provided location(s): New York, NY, USA
Job ID: moodys-3769
Employment Type: Other