Legal Counsel

NatWest Group; London; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial institution in London is seeking an experienced Legal Counsel to provide expert legal advice and support Capital Management activities. The role involves working closely with stakeholders to deliver legal strategies and manage legal risks effectively. Ideal candidates will have a strong background in banking law and experience in credit risk insurance products and secondary loan trading.

Qualifications

• Experience providing legal and commercial advice in-house or at a leading UK law firm.
• In-depth knowledge of general banking law and financial services.

Responsibilities

• Deliver legal strategy and provide expert legal advice.
• Support Capital Management activities and manage legal costs.
• Ensure timely delivery of legal advice to stakeholders.

Skills

Legal Advice

Commercial Awareness

Relationship Management

Job description

Join us as a Legal Counsel

• This is an excellent opportunity to join us as a Legal Counsel, where you’ll deliver the legal strategy and provide expert, accurate and cost-effective legal advice
• Your role will sit within our Commercial & Institutional Banking business area, so we’ll need you to have an understanding of associated legal issues
• You’ll be recognised as an expert in your field, and be exposed to stakeholders across the bank and externally

What you'll do

We’re looking for an experienced Legal Counsel to primarily support Capital Management activities, including secondary loan trading, credit risk insurance transactions and credit default swaps (CDS) as well as assist more generally with the management and coordinated delivery of legal advice supporting our Asset and Invoice Finance, Business Banking, Commercial Mid-Market and Customer Lending Support business areas. The role offers great breadth of learning and experience and an opportunity to make a difference to the success of the bank and its customers. You’ll work closely with stakeholders and legal colleagues to ensure the timely, effective and efficient delivery of all issues, projects and initiatives, either directly or through a team.

Additionally, you’ll be:

• Making sure that legal advice is readily understandable to non-lawyers, delivered within relevant timescales, and manages and minimises legal risks
• Delivering continuous improvement in operating practices and processes, including identifying efficiencies, improvements and opportunities to reduce costs
• Providing the communication of internal and external legal advice and helping to deliver transactions and projects to stakeholders in a commercial, user friendly and efficient manner
• Managing legal costs through the use of e-billing, auctions and other cost tools and driving a culture of disciplined cost management and controls

The skills you'll need

To be successful in this role, you’ll need experience of providing legal and commercial advice in relation to transactions and projects in-house, or in a leading UK law firm. We’ll expect you to have in depth knowledge of general banking law and practice, and the financial services industry, coupled with the ability to establish and maintain strong relationships across the bank. Although not a pre-requisite, it is highly desirable that you have experience in credit risk insurance products, Credit Default Swaps, secondary loan trading and a familiarity with syndicated lending.

You’ll also need:

• Knowledge of the commercial and institutional banking business activities, the commercial environment within which it operates and associated legal issues
• Experience of working with leading law firms and other professional advisers and consultants
• The ability to keep up to date with and share relevant legal and market developments
• A proactive attitude to developing skills in the business areas which our team supports