Managing Director / Managing Counsel, Institutional Distribution, Americas

About the job

Managing Director / Managing Counsel, Institutional Distribution, Americas

The Opportunity

State Street Investment Management is seeking a seasoned attorney and strategic legal leader to serve as Managing Director, Managing Counsel, Institutional Distribution, Americas.
Reporting to the Chief Legal Officer for State Street Investment Management, this individual will lead and manage the legal team supporting the Client Coverage Group and institutional distribution activities across the Americas, covering the United States, Canada and Latin America. The Managing Counsel will provide practical, commercially focused, and actionable legal advice regarding institutional client relationships, investment management agreements, investment guidelines, separately managed accounts, institutional funds, and related distribution and marketing activities.

This is an important leadership role requiring deep investment management expertise, strong business judgment, and the ability to advise senior leaders on complex legal, regulatory, commercial, operational, and reputational matters. The successful candidate will translate sophisticated legal and regulatory considerations into clear guidance that supports business priorities while appropriately managing risk.

What You Will Be Responsible For

• Institutional Distribution and Client Matters
• Lead the legal team supporting the State Street Investment Management Client Coverage Group and institutional distribution activities across the Americas, covering the United States, Canada and Latin America.
• Oversee the drafting, review, negotiation, and interpretation of institutional client contracts, including investment management agreements, investment guidelines, amendments, side letters, and related documentation.
• Provide legal advice regarding separately managed accounts and subscriptions into institutional investment funds.
• Support significant client negotiations, escalations, and issue-resolution matters with practical, solutions-oriented advice.
• Develop consistent legal approaches, contracting standards, and governance practices across institutional client relationships.
• Partner with client-facing teams to deliver timely, commercially informed legal guidance that supports client service and business growth.

• Strategic Legal and Regulatory Advice
• Serve as a trusted advisor to the Chief Legal Officer, senior business leaders, and the Americas Client Coverage Group on legal, regulatory, commercial, operational, financial, and reputational matters.
• Monitor and analyze proposed and emerging regulatory developments affecting institutional clients and investment management activities in the Americas, including matters involving ERISA and U.S. Department of Labor requirements.
• Advise on applicable U.S. securities and banking laws and, as appropriate, the Commodity Exchange Act, CFTC requirements, and NFA rules.
• Provide coordinated legal guidance concerning Canadian and Latin American institutional investors and applicable regulatory considerations, working with local counsel and legal colleagues in other jurisdictions when appropriate.
• Evaluate complex legal and regulatory risks, develop practical recommendations, and escalate significant matters to executive management as needed.
• Translate complex legal issues into clear and actionable guidance for business, operational, and control stakeholders.

• Product, Operations, and Marketing Support
• Partner with Funds Management, Operations, Compliance, Risk, and other stakeholders on the onboarding of separately managed accounts and investments in institutional funds.
• Advise on legal and regulatory considerations associated with institutional investment products, strategies, client structures, and distribution activities.
• Establish and maintain controls and processes for the legal review of marketing and offering materials relating to U.S.-registered funds and institutional investment strategies.
• Support new products, strategic initiatives, operating-model changes, and process improvements affecting institutional distribution and client onboarding.
• Promote consistent, scalable, and efficient legal practices across contracting, marketing review, and client-support activities.

• Leadership and Team Management
• Lead, manage, mentor, and develop a team of experienced attorneys supporting institutional distribution and client coverage in the Americas.
• Establish team priorities, allocate legal resources effectively, and ensure high-quality and timely execution across complex and competing matters.
• Build a collaborative, accountable, inclusive, and high-performing team culture grounded in sound judgment, integrity, and ethical leadership.
• Provide coaching, feedback, and professional development opportunities while strengthening succession and talent planning.
• Promote coordination and knowledge sharing across global Legal teams and related business and control functions.
• Drive operational excellence through effective delegation, prioritization, resource management, and continuous improvement.

What We Value

The successful candidate will be a strategic, commercially minded legal executive who can operate effectively at the intersection of law, regulation, institutional client service, business strategy, and operational execution.

• Executive presence and the credibility to advise and influence senior business, legal, and control leaders.
• Exceptional judgment and the ability to make well-reasoned decisions in complex, high-pressure, or ambiguous situations.
• A practical, business-oriented approach to legal advice and problem-solving.
• The ability to identify the issues that matter most and communicate clear, actionable recommendations.
• Strong leadership capabilities and a demonstrated commitment to developing legal talent.
• A collaborative approach and the ability to build trusted relationships across businesses, functions, and jurisdictions.
• A commitment to integrity, accountability, ethical leadership, and disciplined risk management.
• The ability to thrive in a global, dynamic, and team-oriented environment.

• Education and Preferred Qualifications
• Juris Doctor from an accredited U.S. law school.
• Active license to practice law in good standing in the applicable work location or another appropriate U.S. jurisdiction.
• Approximately 12 to 15 or more years of relevant investment management legal experience within a law firm or the legal department of a financial services organization, preferably including experience in both environments.
• Demonstrated experience leading, managing, mentoring, and developing attorneys or other legal professionals.
• Extensive knowledge of U.S. securities laws, U.S. banking laws, ERISA, and related regulatory requirements affecting institutional investment management.
• Familiarity with the Commodity Exchange Act, CFTC requirements, and NFA rules.
• Strong understanding of the asset management industry, including the distribution and marketing of institutional investment products and strategies.
• Significant experience drafting and negotiating investment management agreements, investment guidelines, institutional client contracts, and related documentation.
• Experience advising on separately managed accounts, institutional funds, client onboarding, and investment-management operations.
• Familiarity with Canadian and Latin American institutional investors and relevant legal or regulatory considerations.
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate and communicate legal, financial, regulatory, operational, and reputational risk.
• Proven ability to advise senior executives and coordinate with legal colleagues across jurisdictions and areas of substantive expertise.
• Exceptional drafting, negotiation, communication, research, client-service, planning, and organizational skills.
• Ability to work independently while operating effectively in a global, collaborative, and fast-paced environment.
• Strong academic credentials.

Salary Range:
$170,000 - $282,500 Annual
The range quoted above applies to the role in the primary location specified. If the candidate would ultimately work outside of the primary location above, the applicable range could differ.

Employees are eligible to participate in State Street’s comprehensive benefits program, which includes: our retirement savings plan (401K) with company match; insurance coverage including basic life, medical, dental, vision, long-term disability, and other optional additional coverages; paid-time off including vacation, sick leave, short term disability, and family care responsibilities; access to our Employee Assistance Program; incentive compensation including eligibility for annual performance-based awards (excluding certain sales roles subject to sales incentive plans); and, eligibility for certain tax advantaged savings plans.
For a full overview, visit https://hrportal.ehr.com/statestreet/Home .

About State Street

Across the globe, institutional investors rely on us to help them manage risk, respond to challenges, and drive performance and profitability. We keep our clients at the heart of everything we do, and smart, engaged employees are essential to our continued success.

We are committed to fostering an environment where every employee feels valued and empowered to reach their full potential. As an essential partner in our shared success, you’ll benefit from inclusive development opportunities, flexible work-life support, paid volunteer days, and vibrant employee networks that keep you connected to what matters most. Join us in shaping the future.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we consider all qualified applicants for all positions without regard to race, creed, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, age, disability, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, citizenship, marital status, domestic partnership or civil union status, familial status, military and veteran status, and other characteristics protected by applicable law.

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