Legal Counsel

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HSBC is one of the largest banking and financial services organisations in the world, with operations in 62 countries and territories. We aim to be where the growth is, enabling businesses to thrive and economies to prosper, and, ultimately, helping people to fulfil their hopes and realise their ambitions.

We are currently seeking an experienced professional to join our team in the role of Legal Counsel

Business: Legal

Principal responsibilities

• Assisting onshore Senior Transaction Manager with all aspects of loan execution (bilateral or multi-banked loans) and advisory on the structure of a transaction, including:
• Drafting/reviewing term sheets;
• Reviewing facility agreements for policy points/term sheet tick back of key terms;
• High level review of minimum standard report (i.e HSBC's policy document) and finalising the report with external Lender counsel;
• Reviewing, negotiating and settling release letters, reliance letters, legal opinions, fee letters, deeds of priority, deeds of subordination, CP sat letter, insurance broker letters and deeds of release;
• Explaining common risks (both commercial and legal) associated with complex loan transactions;
• Drafting Lender counsel scope of work;
• Drafting simple fee indemnity letters;
• Drafting internal dispensations for non-compliant policy points;
• Supporting and advising UK Commercial Banking clients and the above-mentioned key stakeholders by interpreting legal advice/concepts and explaining impact and associated risks.
• Negotiating and agreeing key terms embedded within term sheets and LMA facility agreements, ensuring compliance with HSBC'S internal policy, relevant credit approvals, common market practices in line with any external regulatory requirements.
• With the support of Coverage, CMBO and other key stakeholders, participate in all parties calls on legal and policy points alongside with key commercial issues.
• Responsible for delivery of volumes and quality, whilst working in a pressurized, time sensitive environment.
• Effective and timely communication of matters requiring consideration and decision to the function heads, onshore SMEs and various internal stakeholders.
• As team lead, leading, mentoring and supporting the team, fostering a high-performing, collaborative, and inclusive team culture, including:
• Allocating work, setting clear expectations, and ensuring timely, high-quality delivery of outputs aligned with business priorities by the team members;
• Providing regular performance feedback, and development support to team members, including through goal-setting, regular/real-time feedback, mid-year checks, and year-end assessments;
• Driving team engagement and professional growth through knowledge sharing, upskilling initiatives, and stretch opportunities;
• Acting as a point of escalation for team members, resolving issues and supporting decision-making where required;
• Collaborating with stakeholders to assess capacity, aligning resource planning, and ensuring optimal team utilization; and
• Supporting hiring, onboarding, and integration of new team members, contributing to a strong team bench and succession planning.
• Helping the team to achieve team goals.
• Following appropriate processes, procedures and understanding statutory and regulatory obligations.
• Fulfill appropriate training & development requirements periodically and maintaining a mindset of continuous growth and learning.
• Addressing any areas of concern in conjunction with line management and/or the appropriate department.

Requirements :

• Legal qualification with 8-10 years of relevant work experience within the banking/financial services industry. Though not mandatory, it would be beneficial to have some private practice or law firm background, including exposure to diverse legal issues and client interactions.
• Experience in drafting, reviewing, and negotiating complex credit and lending agreements/ loan documentation, security documents/arrangements and ancillary lending transaction documents in line with industry standards. Examples include: bilateral uncommitted/committed facilities, syndicated facility/loan agreements, guarantees and guarantee confirmation letters, mortgage/hypothecation/pledge documents, term-sheet mapping, ancillary documentation (for example corporate authorizations, commitment letter, fee letter, etc). Experience with LMA templates would be beneficial.
• Demonstrable comprehensive knowledge of credit and lending laws, regulations, and practices.
• Experience in delivering legal advice and guidance on credit transactions, risk management, and regulatory compliance to business counterparts and other stakeholders.
• Prior experience in a people leadership or team management role, preferably in an in-house or law firm environment.
• Proven ability to coach, mentor, and develop junior team members.
• Strong organizational and delegation skills, with a track record of managing workflows and delivering through others.
• Though not mandatory, it would be beneficial to have prior experience in managing cross-border lending deals, considering the legal and regulatory requirements of multiple jurisdictions, coordinating with internal and external stakeholders across different regions for smooth facilitation of cross-border deals. Good understanding of compliance with anti-money laundering (AML), know-your-customer (KYC), and other regulatory obligations in cross-border dealings.
• A genuine interest to develop your technical and commercial skills relating to the loan market.
• A desire to work towards leading the documentation process for LMA facilities from both a commercial and legal perspective and advising internal stakeholders on key issues.
• A strong desire to develop structuring skills and to lead negotiations on complex corporate loan transactions including refinances, Sustainable Linked Loans, MBO's, "cashouts", acquisition finance and post IPO financing is preferable.
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills, alongside an eye for detail, with some experience of successfully influencing others, negotiating effectively.
• Ability to effectively engage and negotiate with senior stakeholders, demonstrating considered foresight and highly developed interpersonal skills.
• Experience of successfully working with teams of highly skilled individuals.
• Willingness to undertake internal and/or external training for personal and professional development and to bolster the skill set that will be developed while in this role, including documentation training.
• Able to deal with and constructively resolve conflicting views and where necessary, escalate to and advise senior management in a clear and succinct manner.
• Be change oriented, open to receiving and acting on feedback, and able to cope with pressure and tight deadlines.
• What additional skills will be good to have?
• Ability to understand and consolidate diverse and complex business information and identify/mitigate risk issues.
• Evidence of very good prioritizing, planning and organizing skills.
• Ability to comprehend and minimize operational risks including wide understanding of Legal risk, audit controls and compliance requirements.
• Ability to deal effectively with ambiguity, complex matrix environment and multiple stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of HSBC Group policies, values and businesses.
• Experience of working in a role with a proven record of senior stakeholder navigation and influencing skills.

You'll achieve more at HSBC 

HSBC is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a culture where all employees are valued, respected and opinions count. We take pride in providing a workplace that fosters continuous professional development, flexible working and, opportunities to grow within an inclusive and diverse environment. We encourage applications from all suitably qualified persons irrespective of, but not limited to, their gender or genetic information, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, social status, medical care leave requirements, political affiliation, people with disabilities, color, national origin, veteran status, etc., We consider all applications based on merit and suitability to the role."

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