Intern, Financial Law Unit
Department Overview
The Legal Transition and Knowledge Management Team of the Bank (LTT) administers the Legal Transition Programme (LTP) within the EBRD's Office of the General Counsel (OGC). The LTP is the EBRD's initiative to contribute to the improvement of the investment climate in the Bank's countries of operations by helping to create an investor-friendly, efficient, transparent and predictable legal environment. The Financial Law Unit within the Team is a specific, dedicated unit focusing on products (debt and equity), and institutions (regulator, financial institutions, courts and registries) needed for an efficient financial and corporate sector. As such, the Legal Transition Team in the Office of the General Counsel are currently seeking an intern, initially on a six month basis to be based in London at the EBRD Headquarters
Role Overview
The Intern will provide research and operational support in particular (but not exclusively) to the Unit in the work on all legal reform projects related to the Unit's scope of work, with a particular emphasis on the new SEMED region where the Bank is starting its operations. The Intern may also be requested to provide support to the LTT Chief Counsel or other Counsel on a variety of projects related to EBRD's legal transition activities in its countries of operations.
The work will focus, in particular but not exclusively, on the practical implementation of laws by the development of institutions (e.g. registries), education and information about the laws (to users, general public, professionals, judges), and the building of further awareness of the reforms' economic context and impact, including by evaluation techniques and monitoring.
The work will also explore specific aspects of the legal framework which is proving to be especially deficient in EBRD transition economies and would require tailored-made reform - for example the treatment of secured creditors in insolvency, debt restructuring.
Particular emphasis will be made on analysis of corporate governance of companies operating in the region (they be limited liability companies, listed companies or financial institutions) and the changes to structures and practices that could enhance such governance.
The intern will also provide support for the developing of expertise in specialised areas and markets related to access to credit: for example capital market development (derivatives transactions, repos, listing and disclosure, etc); mortgage finance, covered bonds and securitisation; SME and microfinance; agribusiness finance legal issues (as such commodity warehouse receipt laws and land investment issues); and credit bureaus and credit reporting system.
Finally, the intern will participate to the Team's effort to maximise the catalyst effect of individual projects across the region or indeed beyond the region.
Such support will consist of, inter alia:
- Preparing specific legal and practical information notes and memoranda in relation to projects-related issues so that apposite comparison can be made across the EBRD region (especially the SEMED region) and other jurisdictions which could serve as useful reference point for EBRD countries. - Review legal and regulatory developments in the region for systematically identifying, bringing forward and developing a project pipeline in the areas which are critical to the Financial Law Unit. - Provide support and background in the development of assessment tools and methodology, based on EBRD past assessments; conduct empirical research by contacting the appropriate sources of information, obtaining the information and making all the necessary follow up. - Liaising with international and bilateral agencies providing legal reform assistance in areas overlapping or related to the subject areas to define their respective field of activities, past, present and future; assess the results of past activities and how it can provide useful pointers or lessons for similar work undertaken by EBRD; co-ordinate to ensure that EBRD projects and activities are truly additional with other providers, and possibly create a synergy between EBRD and other international and bilateral agencies. - Assist in appropriate dissemination of the projects' results or findings or coordination efforts with donors and technical assistance providers involved in related projects to ensure maximum impact. This may involve writing or contributing to the writing of articles, press releases, or other materials publicising the projects; co-ordinating with press and other media for appropriate media coverage of the EBRD legal reform activities; assist in the development of EBRD web pages, etc. - Maintain knowledge and legal database on the laws and regulations. - Generally supporting the Counsel, Legal Specialist and Head of the Financial Law Unit in carrying out projects and activities - Performing any other tasks as instructed by LTT Chief Counsel.
The Intern will adopt a very flexible approach to the job throughout the assignment.
Essential Skills Experience
- Excellent academic qualifications, including a Law degree from a country of North Africa and the Middle East, encompassing commercial law subjects, in particular company law, corporate governance, capital markets, secured transactions and insolvency, and ideally a post graduate degree from a Western University
- Demonstrated knowledge of or interest in the EBRD's countries of operations, in particular in the new Southern and Eastern Mediterranean region
- Commitment to EBRD mission and ethics values, in particular that of legal reform as a means for development
- Expertise and/or experience in the following areas of law: company law, corporate governance, capital markets, secured transactions and insolvency
- Excellent legal research and analytical skills
- Excellent spoken and written English
- Arabic and French language skills would be a distinct advantage
- Russian or another language from EBRD countries of operations would be an advantage
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