Legal Counsel - Financial Services

JOB PURPOSE:The incumbent provides proactive, independent legal advice on a wide variety of matters relating to the effective functioning of our organization including but not limited to legislative development and drafting and sound corporate and commercial legal advice to our organization and its affiliated entities. This is coupled with the obligation to lead specialized legal projects that are of strategic nature and, where needed, assist in the resolution of disputes.KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES: Act as a key member of the organization's Legal Department by providing a proactive and all-round legal service to the organization and its affiliated entities including on regulatory, corporate, commercial, policy, strategic and company secretarial matters.Provide sound, business-oriented and effective legal advice on a wide variety of matters relating to the activities and functioning of all the organization’s business teams and functions (and those of its affiliated entities).Pro-actively support, as a trusted business-partner, the organization’s various departments to help them achieve their individual strategies, goals and objectives.Advise on and lead the drafting and/or review the organization’s legislative instruments including the organization's Regulations and Rules (including required updates and amendments) as well as our manuals, policies, procedures with input from key stakeholders.Advise on the establishment and regulation of various forms of corporate structures.Draft, review and advise on a wide variety of commercial contracts and other related documents (including those that may be used for marketing and litigation purposes) required.Lead or participate in regulatory investigations being conducted by our organization, whether internal or external, and whether in its own right or with another State body.Assist, and where required, lead on engagements with various State entities with the aim of resolving our strategic challenges through advocating policy positions, motivating strategically beneficial outcomes, writing opinions, developing official responses etc.QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE & SKILLS: Bachelor’s degree in law from a reputable university in a developed common law jurisdiction with solid academics.Post-graduate studies or financial services industry qualifications will be an advantage.Professional admission to, and membership of, the Law Society (or equivalent) of a developed common law jurisdiction.Minimum 7 years of relevant work experience in a reputable international law firm and/or relevant in-house entities advising on financial services activities (including regulated activities), finance related regulation and policy development and drafting, financial centres and government bodiesExperience in advising on the operation, policy and procedures of financial services industry-related bodies including FATF, IOSCO, OECD, SEC (USA), FCA (UK), ESMA (EU) etc.Advising on key financial services developments including those relating to AML/CFT and Ultimate Beneficial Ownership requirements etc.