Latin American Counsel

Mission & History of Root Capital

Root Capital is a nonprofit whose mission is to grow rural prosperity and build the resilience of farming families around the world. We support the growth of agricultural enterprises so they can transform rural communities. These businesses purchase crops such as coffee, cocoa, or grains from smallholder farmers. With growth, they become engines of impact that can raise incomes, create jobs for the next generation of leaders, level the playing field for women, and take urgent action against climate change.

We supply these businesses with vital credit and capacity building to foster their growth and resilience. We work in hard-to-serve communities where others don’t. To date, we’ve distributed $1.5 billion to improve the lives of over 10 million people in farming families.

Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Root Capital currently has associated offices in Costa Rica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Colombia, Peru, Ghana, and Kenya.

Position overview

The Latin American Counsel (LAC) is responsible for building and maintaining a Latin American-based legal function, focused on both corporate governance matters and programmatic legal advice. Responsibilities involve supporting the full range of business operations in the region, including, but not limited to, drafting and review of consulting arrangements, advice on lending due diligence and collections strategies, assistance with employment matters, legal oversight of compliance with local registration and regulation of Root activities where relevant, etc. The LAC will also facilitate management of local counsel in operating countries.

Responsibilities

• Reporting to and supporting the GC in delivering legal advice and support, specific to the Latin American portfolio.
• Facilitating Root’s business activities generally by ensuring appropriate legal memorialization.
• Reviewing and updating consulting agreements used in Latin America.
• Ensuring that Root is compliant with all relevant statutes and regulations in its countries of operation in L. America (primarily Peru, Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Mexico).
• Advising regional management on issues relating to a range of risks, including those associated with litigation, defaults, collections, fraud, malfeasance, and other matters arising.
• Identifying, engaging, and supervising local counsel in the Latin American region and providing advice to the recovery team on the strategy proposed by local counsel.
• Advising Root regionally and support the General Counsel globally on emerging regional legal issues, including those relating to new products and services.
• Performing desk-based legal research on business operations in new Latin American countries.
• Supporting Root’s regional activities generally, including those of the Lending, Advisory, Risk, and Impact teams.
• Advising regional management on legal due diligence, which includes the review, understanding, and evaluation of the legal risks associated with credit and advisory operations (legal structure, roles, actors, transactions).
• Providing advice and support to the GC regarding a range of legal matters affecting Root’s regional and global activities.
• Promote awareness of legal matters across all teams operating in the region.

Qualifications and Experience

• Appropriate legal qualifications in either the United States, or a Latin American country in which Root has an operating presence, preferably México, Peru, or Costa Rica. LLM preferred but not required.
• 5-7 years of general legal experience in commercial law. Experience in the area of development finance is favored but not required.
• Strong preference for legal experience with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), especially with small-scale agriculture.
• Fluent in both Spanish and English, both written and oral.
• Demonstrated success in managing a time-sensitive portfolio of legal issues and effective prioritization of work streams.
• Very strong analytical skills and meticulous attention to detail.
• Ability to effectively integrate the legal and business aspects of Root’s operations in a practical manner.
• Ability to work independently as well as in collaboration with regional and global colleagues.
• Ability to respond rapidly and effectively to emerging issues in a demanding work environment.
• Willingness to travel occasionally (1-2 times per year).
• Understanding of and commitment to Root’s mission.
• Maintain a current work permit.

To apply

More information about Root Capital is available at www.rootcapital.org. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Candidates are encouraged to apply using the form below as soon as possible, making sure to include a resume and cover letter that describes your interest, qualifications, language abilities, salary requirements, and how you learned of the position. Finalist candidates will be required to provide at least three work-related references.

Root Capital provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, active military or veteran status, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy (which includes pregnancy, childbirth, medical conditions related to pregnancy and childbirth, and breastfeeding and expressing breast milk), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law. Root Capital is committed to creating a dynamic work environment that upholds our leadership principles of empowerment, equity, integrity, service, and transparency.