Act Paralegal

Job Description

The Global Product team’s mission is to work in partnership across internal and external networks to create and maintain an innovative, diverse product and solutions suite. The client is at the heart of all we do as a Product team, ensuring adequate framework facilitates the launch and ongoing management of the global product range. Product Governance represents the client voice within the organization.

This function ensures that all products and related vehicles ("Aberdeen Products") are supported by appropriate legal, regulatory, and contractual documentation. The team ensures products meet obligations required by relevant laws and regulations and monitor for changes in regulations, as well as support investor services with shareholder/client engagement and is responsible for the end-to-end product lifecycle for all public market asset classes in the Americas region.

In addition, the team actively participates in strategy changes, restructuring and any other special projects for the public market asset class funds. The 40 Act Paralegal will support the Senior Product Governance Managers, US Counsel – Head of Product Governance, with specific responsibility for supporting Product Governance processes and activities to ensure all products meet their corporate, legal and regulatory obligations, as well as corporate initiatives, with a particular focus on supporting Aberdeen’s U.S. registered open-end funds, ETFs and closed-end funds.

• Assists senior members of the Product Governance team with updating fund registration statements on Forms N-1A, N-2 and S-3 and fund proxy statements.
• Prepares and files forms under Section 16 of the Exchange Act, Forms N-CSR, N-PX and other routine SEC filings for registered funds.
• Prepares and files corporate governance forms and correspondence with US exchanges (i.e. NYSE, NYSE American, Nasdaq).
• Coordinates with client services to provide information to sub‑advised clients for their fund filings.
• Assists in the review of fund shareholders reports.
• Works closely with senior members of the Product Governance team to update fund disclosure and to organize, track and maintain disclosure updates.
• Assists with closings of fund capital structures (leverage/preferred shares/overdraft facilities), as needed.
• Assists in preparation of Section 15(c) advisory contract renewal materials.
• Prepares draft amendments to fund contracts, as necessary.
• Assists in preparation of memoranda to fund boards relating to special projects and drafts special resolutions, as needed.
• Monitors and updates internal databases to ensure accuracy as it pertains to certain fund data.
• Maintains fund files and retrieves requests for fund documentation, as needed.
• Work closely with and assist other members of the Product Governance - Legal/Regulatory team.

• Team Mentality.
• Demonstrates Aberdeen’s corporate values (Client First, Empowered, Ambitious, Transparent) and behaviors consistently.
• Takes a proactive approach to contribute to a high performing team culture.
• Strives for efficiencies in delivery on the team’s obligations.
• Promotes and encourages an inclusive environment to adapt and excel to ever evolving client needs and market dynamics.
• Champions a strong desire for continual personal development.
• Client, Market and Competitor Insight – seeks internal and external perspective to enhance all activity.
• Global Linkage – works with colleagues globally to advise and support improvements in product governance in the Americas.
• Prioritization – focuses on delivering what matters, laying out a clearly prioritized and agreed activity plan, delivering to meet corporate and strategic objectives.
• Risk Mindset – undertakes all activity with a focus on key risk mitigation and management frameworks.
• Process – continual process optimization to deliver governance objectives in a timely and efficient manner.
• Leadership – inclusive with a passion and drive for excellence.

• 4-year College Degree.
• Minimum 2+ years’ experience in the mutual fund or financial services industry.
• Has a solid understanding of U.S. registered funds (open-end funds, ETFs or closed-end funds),…