The New York City Comptroller’s Office works to promote the financial health, integrity, and effectiveness of New York City government, in order to strengthen trust, secure a thriving future for all New Yorkers, and build a more just, equitable, and resilient city. Led by an independently elected citywide official, the comptroller’s office provides checks and balances needed to hold City government accountable for budgeting wisely, investing responsibly, operating efficiently, acting fairly, living up to its obligations and promises, and paying attention to the long-term challenges we face together. The Comptroller’s Office of General Counsel leverages the expertise of its diverse team of attorneys to provide high quality legal advice, counsel, and support to the Comptroller and the Agency’s various bureaus. OGC facilitates and advances the Office’s strategic objectives in advising on the various legal and operational opportunities and risks, while ensuring compliance with the Agency’s Charter mandate, as well as local, state, and federal laws. The Office of General Counsel (OGC) is responsible for all legal matters relating to the activities of the Comptroller’s Office. This includes transactions for the five New York City Retirement Systems (Systems) and their public market and private market investments; accounting practices and disclosures; procurement rules and City contracts; settlement of claims brought on behalf of and against the City; prevailing wages on City projects; records access; public policy; and proposed federal, state, and local legislation. OGC interacts with many city agencies, including the New York City Law Department and works closely with all of the divisions within the Comptroller’s Office, including the Bureau of Asset Management (BAM), which is responsible for oversight of the approximately $210 billion investment portfolios of the Systems. The selected attorney will primarily work with BAM related to investments of the Systems including (i) private market commingled funds and separately managed accounts in private equity, hedge funds, real estate, infrastructure and opportunistic fixed income, and (ii) arrangements with external managers of publicly traded equity and debt. The attorney will also provide legal support to other divisions of the Comptroller’s Office, primarily on contract and procurement matters, including the Agency Chief Contracting Officer (ACCO), and Bureau of Contract Administration (Contracts). Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following: • Negotiate, draft, and review a variety of documents with respect to private markets transactions, including limited partnership agreements, side letters and subscription documents; • Negotiate, draft, and review a variety of documents with respect to (i) public markets transactions including investment management agreements, (ii) requests for proposals, and (iii) consultant agreements; • Work closely with other Comptroller’s Office staff members of OGC, BAM, Contracts and ACCO to identify and resolve legal, contracting, policy and procurement issues, including development and execution of internal policies and procedures; • Manage, supervise and direct outside counsel, who are retained for substantially all new private markets transactions; • Review the Systems’ board and internal governance and investment guideline materials as relevant to transactional work; • Provide legal counsel on a wide range of legal and regulatory matters as they relate to pensions transactions, conflicts of interest and prohibited conduct, and BAM’s day-to-day operations; and, • Perform related assignments and special projects as may be required.
Minimum Qualifications: Admission to the New York State Bar; and four years of recent full-time responsible, relevant, satisfactory legal experience subsequent to admission to any bar, eighteen months of which must have been in the supervision of other attorneys, in an administrative, managerial or executive capacity, or performing highly complex and significant legal work. Incumbents must remain Members of the New York State Bar in good standing for the duration of this employment.
Preferred Skills: • 5 or more years of full-time relevant legal experience subsequent to bar admission, at least 3 years of which must be in performing complex and significant transactional legal work, drafting and negotiating transactional documents, and managing and leading transactions, preferably including private fund investments and/or government contracts; • Experience with City contracts (including the procurement, award and approval of such contracts); • Experience with public and private market investment transactions; • Experience working in the investment/contracts departments of pension systems or other institutional investors, investment funds, or law firms ideal; • Ability to work under pressure in a fast-paced environment, both independently and collaboratively, with excellent interpersonal, time-management, conflict management and negotiating skills; • Excellent organizational skills and demonstrated project-management skills involving numerous personnel within and outside of the organization; • Exceptional oral communication and writing skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Office; and, • Demonstrated ability to analyze and communicate complex legal issues to various audiences.
Salary : $135,000 - $155,000
