Assistant Vice President, Legal Counsel, Corporate Ratings

The Role:

Morningstar DBRS is seeking a highly motivated lawyer with a minimum of 3 years of transactional lending experience to support its U.S. Corporate Ratings business.

Reporting to the Vice President, Corporate Ratings, Legal, this individual will provide legal support to credit analysts on a broad range of legal and transactional matters within the Corporate ratings business, with specific emphasis on Project Finance, Infrastructure Finance and U.S Middle Market.

This position will be based in one of Morningstar DBRS’ offices within the New York metropolitan area.

Job Responsibilities

• Reviewing legal documentation underlying credit rating analysis and advising analysts and rating committee of legal issues that may have an impact on the credit risk
• Communicating Morningstar DBRS’ position on legal, structural and methodology related matters to internal and external stakeholders
• Supporting the analytical team in the evaluation of legal and reputational risk relating to credit ratings
• Providing support in the drafting, review and implementation of Morningstar DBRS policies and procedures and Corporate methodologies and criteria
   

Qualifications

• J.D. degree from an accredited ABA approved law school
• New York state bar admission is preferable
• The ideal candidate will possess a minimum of 3 years of relevant experience at a top tier law firm or in-house at a financial services company with emphasis on secured lending, securitization and/or sponsor/leverage finance transactions

About Us
Morningstar DBRS is a leading provider of independent rating services and opinions for corporate and sovereign entities, financial institutions, and project and structured finance instruments globally. Rating more than 4,000 issuers and 60,000 securities, it is one of the top four credit rating agencies in the world.

Morningstar DBRS empowers investor success by bringing more transparency and a much-needed diversity of opinion in the credit rating industry. Our approach and size allow us to be nimble enough to respond to customers' needs in their local markets, but large enough to provide the necessary expertise and resources they require. Market innovators choose to work with us because of our agility, tech-forward approach, and exceptional customer service.

Morningstar DBRS is the next generation of credit ratings.

Compensation and Benefits

At Morningstar we believe people are at their best when they are at their healthiest. That’s why we champion your wellness through a wide-range of programs that support all stages of your personal and professional life. Here are some examples of the offerings we provide:

• Financial Health
  • 75% 401k match up to 7%
  • Stock Ownership Potential
  • Company provided life insurance - 1x salary + commission

• Physical Health 
  • Comprehensive health benefits (medical/dental/vision) including potential premium discounts and company-provided HSA contributions (up to $500-$2,000 annually) for specific plans and coverages
  • Additional medical Wellness Incentives - up to $300-$600 annual
  • Company-provided long- and short-term disability insurance

• Emotional Health 
  • Trust-Based Time Off
  • 6-week Paid Sabbatical Program
  • 6-Week Paid Family Caregiving Leave
  • Competitive 8-24 Week Paid Parental Bonding Leave
  • Adoption Assistance
  • Leadership Coaching & Formal Mentorship Opportunities
  • Annual Education Stipend
  • Tuition Reimbursement

• Social Health 
  • Charitable Matching Gifts program
  • Dollars for Doers volunteer program
  • Paid volunteering days
  • 15+ Employee Resource & Affinity Groups

Base Salary Compensation Range

Bonus Target %

If you receive and accept an offer from us, we require that personal and any related investments be disclosed confidentiality to our Compliance team (days vary by region). These investments will be reviewed to ensure they meet Code of Ethics requirements. If any conflicts of interest are identified, then you will be required to liquidate those holdings immediately. In addition, dependent on your department and location of work certain employee accounts must be held with an approved broker (for example all, U.S. employee accounts). If this applies and your account(s) are not with an approved broker, you will be required to move your holdings to an approved broker.

Morningstar’s hybrid work environment gives you the opportunity to work remotely and collaborate in-person each week. While some positions are available as fully remote, we’ve found that we’re at our best when we’re purposely together on a regular basis, typically three days each week. A range of other benefits are also available to enhance flexibility as needs change. No matter where you are, you’ll have tools and resources to engage meaningfully with your global colleagues.