Description:
This Senior Legal Counsel – Commercial provides practical legal advice and strategic counsel to business leaders and colleagues on commercial lending, banking, compliance, and risk matters. This role serves as a trusted advisor to assigned lines of business, with a primary focus on commercial lending documentation and related transactions.How you will spend your time:
- Identify, research, and analyze various complex legal and regulatory issues; provide business-focused recommendations on mitigation of associated risk while assuring legal compliance.
- Advise and counsel assigned lines of business on key legal issues and emerging trends related to commercial lending and banking matters.
- Review, negotiate, and draft agreements. Heavy emphasis on documentation which supports the bank's commercial lending activities, including loan documentation and loan portfolio management.
- Manage the engagement of outside counsel, participate in the negotiation of loan documentation, and act as a liaison between senior leaders and outside counsel to advise assigned lines of business regarding risk.
- Participate in projects and process improvements.
- Collaborate with different lines of business and corporate support functions to ensure that operations and strategies are managed in compliance with applicable laws and regulations and the highest standards of ethics and integrity.
- Develop in-depth substantive knowledge of assigned lines of business' products, services, and the relationships the business unit has with its significant clients.
- Serve as a legal advisor to senior leaders and be the primary consultant for internal clients on legal issues.
- Monitor and analyze evolving legal requirements and proposed regulations and legislation in assigned practice areas and advise senior management of potential risks associated with new developments.
- Review and approve legal billing submitted by outside counsel, work with line of business to correct or address any discrepancies or deviation from corporate policy.
- Other duties as assigned.
- JD and licensed to practice law with at least 8 years of commercial legal experience. Preference for at least 10 years commercial lending experience.
- Experience in production agriculture and food and agribusiness lending.
- Strong leadership capabilities and the ability to operate both independently and collaboratively.
- Exceptional interpersonal, negotiation, and written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong working knowledge of legal issues in assigned areas.
- Strong skills in relationship building, critical thinking, strategic vision, and ability to mitigate risk in decision making.