Associate Lending Counsel

Position Information

Hiring Manager:

Principal, Lending Counsel

Department:

DL - Direct Lending

Department Overview

The Middle Market Lending Team provides senior, one-stop and second lien loans to U.S. middle market companies. The team structures financing solutions with hold positions of up to $700 million. We also underwrite and syndicate senior credit facilities and a proprietary suite of GOLD (unitranche) facilities up to $2 billion. The Middle Market Lending Team has specialty teams in five verticals:  Consumer, Restaurant and Retail, Diversified Industries, Financial Services, Healthcare and Software & Technology services. The team has an outstanding track record of closing deals on time and at the agreed-upon terms, utilizing deep industry knowledge to identify, advise on and implement value creation strategies. Key responsibilities include origination and underwriting of loans. The team works closely with all areas of the Firm to ensure seamless execution.

The Direct Lending (“DL”) Legal Team leads in structuring, negotiating and executing these complex transactions for the Firm’s private equity clients. Key functions performed by the team include:  structuring new, and restructuring existing, debt and equity investments; coordinating among underwriting, sponsor coverage and capital markets to deliver uniquely tailored financing solutions; interacting with Investment Committee to discuss key issues and solicit feedback; managing external counsel and mitigating institutional risk. The DL Legal Team also supports the Firm’s Workout and Special Situations Team and collaborates closely with the Firm’s leadership and business unit heads.

Position Responsibilities

We are seeking an experienced legal professional to be a key contributor to the success of the Firm’s close-knit, 6-member DL Legal Team. The primary responsibilities of this position include:

• Legal Documentation
  • Individual will prepare initial responses to financing terms grids (including terms for broadly syndicated, “large cap” and traditional middle market transactions)
  • Prepare initial drafts of debt financing commitment letters and term sheets with input from leveraged finance and middle market senior underwriters
  • Work collaboratively with the Leveraged Finance, Capital Markets and Middle Market Underwriting Teams (and external counsel) to negotiate all legal documentation in connection with Golub Capital agented lending transactions
  • Provide fatal flaw legal documentation reviews for syndicated “on the right” transactions and middle market club participations
  • Assist in evaluating legal documentation in connection with Investment Committee deal approvals
• Internal Legal Strategy
  • Serve on internal Firm legal committees and projects including those related to maintaining relationships with outside counsel
  • Manage external counsel to ensure that review of legal documentation comports with the Firm’s guidelines and best practices
  • Screen new law firms, monitor and review external legal counsel for Gold Standard execution and service
• Legal Documentation Training and Database
  • Conduct legal documentation training and education for junior underwriters
  • Prepare and update the Firm’s form legal documents – e.g., credit agreements, debt financing letters, engagement letters and term sheets
  • Create and maintain database of key terms across all Firm lending transactions

Candidate Requirements

Qualifications & Experience:

• JD degree from a top tier institution
• Admitted to practice law in one or more relevant jurisdictions
• Minimum of 5-7 years of relevant legal experience in leveraged finance
• Self-starter with demonstrated ability to work in close collaboration with outside counsel and internal stakeholders
• Heightened attention to detail – must be meticulous, consistently accurate and comfortable working under tight deadlines
• Strong organizational skills and ability to work with others and manage multiple time sensitive matters in a demanding, fast-paced environment
• Motivated team player with ability to work independently and potential to lead as necessary
• Ability to take initiative, anticipate, identify and analyze issues, generate potential solutions, elevate to senior management in a timely manner and make decisions with minimal direction / supervision
• Exceptional interpersonal, analytical, written and oral communication skills – must be able to resolve complex, time-sensitive issues and to articulate them in a clear, concise and understandable way to the Firm’s senior management
• Enthusiastic about working in office and creating a Gold Standard hybrid work culture

Critical Competencies for Success

Our Gold Standards Model defines key behaviors and competencies across 4 dimensions:  Leadership, Achieving Results, Personal Effectiveness and Thinking Critically. These behaviors and competencies drive our ability to win together.

• Leadership:  Role models in this area consistently focus on the right goals and priorities and continually develop themselves and others. Always team players, they influence and engage with others to contribute to a supportive and inclusive culture where all feel welcome.
• Achieving Results:  Role models in this area are high achievers who develop careful plans and deliver consistently and effectively. They hold themselves and others accountable for delivering high quality results, and they remove barriers to ensure others can contribute and grow.
• Personal Effectiveness:  Role models in this area build strong relationships, treat others with respect and communicate effectively. They are driven to exceed expectations and are adaptable to changing circumstances.
• Thinking Critically:  Role models in this area understand our business, rely on analytical reasoning and seek diverse perspectives to solve problems. They are forward thinking, anticipating issues and addressing them in advance.

The department-specific competencies define the knowledge, skills and abilities that are needed to successfully perform the functional or technical work of this role.

• Deal Execution:  Evaluates, structures and executes investment opportunities and transactions.
• Relationship Management:  Establishes, develops and manages internal and external relationships.
• Portfolio Management:  Actively monitors portfolio companies to identify risks and opportunities that may impact overall performance.
• Risk Management:  Demonstrates credit acumen by leveraging tools and analyses and interpreting due diligence findings to guide decisions while balancing risks and rewards.
• Financial Analysis:  Uses financial analyses to generate insights and support fact-based decision making.
• Competitive Positioning:  Demonstrates knowledge of the Firm's capabilities, the Firm’s position in the industry, competitors’ capabilities and end markets. Recognizes implications of knowledge on Firm’s positioning.
• Legal Documentation:  Demonstrates knowledge of legal documentation, processes and procedures.

Compensation & Benefits

For Illinois and New York Only: It is expected that the base salary range for this position will be $300,000 to $400,000. Actual salaries may vary based on factors such as skills, experiences and qualifications for the role. The total compensation package for this position may also include other elements and discretionary awards in addition to a full range of medical, financial and / or other benefits (including 401(k) eligibility and various paid time off benefits such as vacation, sick time and parental leave) dependent on the position offered. Details of participation in these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer of employment. If hired, the employee will be in an ‘at-will position’ and the Firm reserves the right to modify base salary (as well as any other discretionary payment or compensation program) at any time including for reasons related to individual performance, Firm or individual department / team performance and market factors.

Golub Capital is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Due to the highly regulated nature of Golub Capital’s business and because of the sensitivity of the information that all personnel have access to, Golub Capital performs extensive and thorough pre-hire screens to ensure that its personnel act with expected levels of integrity, professionalism and personal responsibility.