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, primarily focused on Root’s lending and related activities. Responsibilities involve supporting the full range of business operations in the region, including, but not limited to, drafting and review of lending documentation and consulting arrangements, advice on due diligence,  troubleshooting on transactions, advice on collections strategies, assistance with employment matters, compliance with local registration and regulation of Root activities where relevant, legal analysis of proposed new business initiatives (e.g., local currency lending), 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
• Drafting, reviewing, amending, and supporting the Credit Administration team in negotiating lending documentation
• Reviewing updating consulting agreements used in Latin America
• Ensuring that Root is compliant with all relevant statutes and regulations in its countries of operation in Latin 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 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 a Latin American country in which Root has an operating presence, preferably Peru or Costa Rica
• 5-7 years of general legal experience in commercial and civil law
• 4-6 years of specific experience in lending law, including drafting, reviewing, amending, and enforcing loan documentation, as well as transactional experience and collections and workout experience
• Strong preference for legal experience with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), especially with lending to the agricultural sector and small-scale agriculture
• Fluent in English
• Demonstrated success in managing a time-sensitive portfolio of legal issues and effective prioritization of work streams
• Excellent communications and negotiation skills in Spanish and English
• 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 occasionally (1-2 times per year)
• Understanding of and commitment to Root’s mission

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.