Legal Counsel, Banking / Financing (Project finance)

Job description

About Mistral At Mistral AI, we believe in the power of AI to simplify tasks, save time, and enhance learning and creativity. Our technology is designed to integrate seamlessly into daily working life. We democratize AI through high-performance, optimized, open-source and cutting-edge models, products and solutions. Our comprehensive AI platform is designed to meet enterprise as well as personal needs. Our offerings include Le Chat, AI Studio, Mistral Code and Mistral Compute — a suite that brings frontier intelligence to end-users. We are a dynamic, collaborative team passionate about AI and its potential to transform society. Our diverse workforce thrives in competitive environments and is committed to driving innovation. Our teams are distributed between France, USA, UK, Germany and Singapore. We are creative, low-ego and team-spirited. Join us to be part of a pioneering company shaping the future of AI. Together, we can make a meaningful impact. See more about our culture on https://mistral.ai/careers. Role Summary As our Banking / Financing Legal Counsel, you will work side by side with our corporate counsel and directly under the Head of M&A and Finance Legal Counsel, based in Paris. In close collaboration with our Finance and Business teams, you will be instrumental in structuring, drafting, and negotiating the financing transactions that fuel Mistral's external growth — from compute infrastructure and data center investments to strategic company acquisitions. Key responsibilities Financing Transactions • Structure, draft, negotiate, and close transaction documentation on non-dilutive financing transactions, including corporate loans, asset-backed financings, and project finance deals supporting our infrastructure and compute investments. • Act as the primary legal point of contact for banking and financing counterparties, working with LMA-standard documentation and bespoke structures alike. • Advise on financing structures for data center and compute infrastructure projects. • Coordinate with external law firms on cross-border financing structures and manage multi-jurisdictional transaction teams. Cross-functional Partnership • Partner daily with the Finance team (Treasury, FP&A) to ensure financing solutions are aligned with Mistral's capital strategy and operational needs. • Collaborate with M&A, Compute, and Business teams to support deal-specific financing structures. • Provide practical, hands-on legal guidance that enables the business to move fast while limiting legal risks. Legal Infrastucture • Build and maintain internal templates, precedents, and guidelines for financing documentation. • Support on ancillary legal topics as needed, including corporate compliance, insurance, and Sapin II-related matters. Qualifications and skills • Bachelor degree or above (LLB, LLM, Juris Doctor preferred) from an accredited law school in France or another EU country. Admission to practice law in at least one other jurisdiction, in particular in the USA, would be a plus. • A minimum of 7 years of relevant legal experience, including a minimum of 4 years in an international law firm. • Proven track record in structuring and negotiating non-dilutive financing deals, including corporate loans, bridge facilities, asset-backed and project finance transactions. Familiarity with LMA standard documentation is required. • Strong experience in project finance or infrastructure financing, particularly deals involving long-term capex or compute and data center infrastructure, is highly valued. • Demonstrated ability to navigate cross-border structuring questions and multi-jurisdictional financing deals, including coordinating with local external counsel. • Excellent written and verbal communication in both English and French. Strong ability to present complex legal concepts in a clear and understandable manner to non-legal stakeholders. • Sharp business acumen, honed through direct experience working within businesses — ideally across multiple industries — where you have delivered measurable impact and demonstrated a deep understanding of operational and strategic priorities. • Great negotiation skills, with a history of successfully leading critical discussions with banks, investors, and infrastructure partners, balancing assertiveness with collaboration, and maintaining positive, long-term relationships with all stakeholders. • An understanding of the tax implications of financing and structuring, allowing you to optimise outcomes and mitigate risks. • Knowledge and usage of Artificial Intelligence: an understanding of AI technologies, including machine learning, natural language processing and their applications, is important. • Analytical Skills: ability to analyse complex cross-border structuring questions, their interactions with financing topics, and to identify potential legal risks and solutions. • Adaptability: proactive, flexible, and able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. • Ethical Awareness: a strong understanding of ethical considerations related to AI, such as fairness, transparency, accountability, and bias mitigation, is important. • International mindset: international experience is a plus. What We Offer • Ability to shape the exciting journey of AI and be part of the very early days of one of the hottest AI companies. • A fun, dynamic, multicultural team and collaborative work environment — based in Paris, London, the USA and Singapore. • Competitive salary and bonus structure & Comprehensive benefits package. • Opportunities for professional growth and development. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Benefits 💰 Competitive cash salary and equity 🥕 Daily lunch vouchers : Swile meal vouchers with 10,83€ per worked day, incl 60% offered by company 🥎 Sport : Enjoy discounted access to gyms and fitness studios through our Wellpass partnership 🚴 Transportation : Monthly contribution to a mobility pass via Betterway 🧑‍⚕️ Health : Full health insurance for you and your family 🍼 Parental : Generous parental leave policy 🌎 Visa sponsorship 🤝 Coaching: we offer BetterUp coaching on a voluntary basis The personal data you submit as part of your application will be processed in accordance with Mistral AI's Applicant Privacy Policy. About Mistral At Mistral AI, we believe in the power of AI to simplify tasks, save time, and enhance learning and creativity. Our technology is designed to integrate seamlessly into daily working life. We democratize AI through high-performance, optimized, open-source and cutting-edge models, products and solutions. Our comprehensive AI platform is designed to meet enterprise as well as personal needs. Our offerings include Le Chat, AI Studio, Mistral Code and Mistral Compute — a suite that brings frontier intelligence to end-users. We are a dynamic, collaborative team passionate about AI and its potential to transform society. Our diverse workforce thrives in competitive environments and is committed to driving innovation. Our teams are distributed between France, USA, UK, Germany and Singapore. We are creative, low-ego and team-spirited. Join us to be part of a pioneering company shaping the future of AI. Together, we can make a meaningful impact. See more about our culture on https://mistral.ai/careers. Role Summary As our Project Finance - Banking / Financing Legal Counsel, you will work side by side with our corporate counsel and directly under the Head of M&A and Finance Legal Counsel, based in Paris. In close collaboration with our Finance and Business teams, you will be instrumental in structuring, drafting, and negotiating the financing transactions that fuel Mistral's external growth — from compute infrastructure and data center investments to strategic company acquisitions. Key responsibilities Financing Transactions • Structure, draft, negotiate, and close transaction documentation on non-dilutive financing transactions, including corporate loans, asset-backed financings, and project finance deals supporting our infrastructure and compute investments. • Act as the primary legal point of contact for banking and financing counterparties, working with LMA-standard documentation and bespoke structures alike. • Advise on financing structures for data center and compute infrastructure projects. • Coordinate with external law firms on cross-border financing structures and manage multi-jurisdictional transaction teams. Cross-functional Partnership • Partner daily with the Finance team (Treasury, FP&A) to ensure financing solutions are aligned with Mistral's capital strategy and operational needs. • Collaborate with M&A, Compute, and Business teams to support deal-specific financing structures. • Provide practical, hands-on legal guidance that enables the business to move fast while limiting legal risks. Legal Infrastucture • Build and maintain internal templates, precedents, and guidelines for financing documentation. • Support on ancillary legal topics as needed, including corporate compliance, insurance, and Sapin II-related matters. Qualifications and skills • Bachelor degree or above (LLB, LLM, Juris Doctor preferred) from an accredited law school in France or another EU country. Admission to practice law in at least one other jurisdiction, in particular in the USA, would be a plus. • A minimum of 7 years of relevant legal experience, including a minimum of 4 years in an international law firm. • Proven track record in structuring and negotiating non-dilutive financing deals, including corporate loans, bridge facilities, asset-backed and project finance transactions. Familiarity with LMA standard documentation is required. • Strong experience in project finance or infrastructure financing, particularly deals involving long-term capex or compute and data center infrastructure, is highly valued. • Demonstrated ability to navigate cross-border structuring questions and multi-jurisdictional financing deals, including coordinating with local external counsel. • Excellent written and verbal communication in both English and French. Strong ability to present complex legal concepts in a clear and understandable manner to non-legal stakeholders. • Sharp business acumen, honed through direct experience working within businesses — ideally across multiple industries — where you have delivered measurable impact and demonstrated a deep understanding of operational and strategic priorities. • Great negotiation skills, with a history of successfully leading critical discussions with banks, investors, and infrastructure partners, balancing assertiveness with collaboration, and maintaining positive, long-term relationships with all stakeholders. • An understanding of the tax implications of financing and structuring, allowing you to optimise outcomes and mitigate risks. • Knowledge and usage of Artificial Intelligence: an understanding of AI technologies, including machine learning, natural language processing and their applications, is important. • Analytical Skills: ability to analyse complex cross-border structuring questions, their interactions with financing topics, and to identify potential legal risks and solutions. • Adaptability: proactive, flexible, and able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment. • Ethical Awareness: a strong understanding of ethical considerations related to AI, such as fairness, transparency, accountability, and bias mitigation, is important. • International mindset: international experience is a plus. What We Offer • Ability to shape the exciting journey of AI and be part of the very early days of one of the hottest AI companies. • A fun, dynamic, multicultural team and collaborative work environment — based in Paris, London, the USA and Singapore. • Competitive salary and bonus structure & Comprehensive benefits package. • Opportunities for professional growth and development. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. Benefits 💰 Competitive cash salary and equity 🥕 Daily lunch vouchers : Swile meal vouchers with 10,83€ per worked day, incl 60% offered by company 🥎 Sport : Enjoy discounted access to gyms and fitness studios through our Wellpass partnership 🚴 Transportation : Monthly contribution to a mobility pass via Betterway 🧑‍⚕️ Health : Full health insurance for you and your family 🍼 Parental : Generous parental leave policy 🌎 Visa sponsorship 🤝 Coaching: we offer BetterUp coaching on a voluntary basisThe personal data you submit as part of your application will be processed in accordance with Mistral AI's Applicant Privacy Policy.