Assistant General Counsel (Commercial Lending, SMB - Small Business Lending)

Valley Bank; New York (NY); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Valley Bank seeks an experienced Assistant General Counsel to provide legal support across SMB lending, Private Bank products, and consumer mortgage lines. You will draft and negotiate loan documents, advise on regulatory matters, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to enable compliant, scalable financing solutions.

The role emphasizes commercial lending experience, strong judgment, and high attention to detail, with a focus on serving SMB clients, private banking, and consumer lending

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school.
• Active bar membership in at least one US jurisdiction in good standing.
• Minimum of 6 years as a practicing attorney with lending/financial services experience (in-house preferred).

Responsibilities

• Provide legal counsel to SMB lending and credit teams on commercial loans and related products.
• Provide transactional support to Private Bank on lending products and to Residential Mortgage teams.
• Draft, review and negotiate standardized loan documents and related documentation.
• Advise on collateral structures, UCC Article 9 matters, lien priority, perfection, and enforcement.
• Advise on laws and regulations applicable to consumer and residential mortgage lending products.
• Collaborate with lending, risk, and operations teams to ensure compliant transaction execution.

Skills

Strong communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Attention to detail

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Job description

At Valley Bank, we believe in people's growth potential. We invest in it. We protect it. We focus it. For nearly 100 years, we've been the Bank that clients from every industry turn to for our expertise, strategies, and advice--building the kind of trust that can fuel every goal. We are the leading relationship bank built for growth--with over $60 billion in assets, 3,800 experts, and more than 200 consumer branches and commercial banking offices in communities across the US.

At Valley, we're all driven by an ambition that goes deeper than just having a job. That's why when you work for us, we make it our goal to help you focus on what drives you--working to turn your passions and strengths into assets you can use to propel your ambitions and build the professional legacy you want. Because when we say we're a relationship bank built for growth, that's not just reserved for our clients--that includes all our associates as well.

The Assistant General Counsel role provides legal support to the Bank's Small & Micro Business (SMB) segment, which delivers credit and banking products to small businesses and entrepreneurs, to the Bank's Private Bank on select lending products, and to the Bank's Consumer Lending and Residential Mortgage lines of business. The attorney will serve as primary legal counsel to the SMB, Private Bank and Consumer lending teams.

The role supports a high volume, standardized small business and consumer lending environment, requiring strong judgment, efficiency, and comfort operating at scale. The ideal candidate will bring commercial lending experience, a strong working knowledge of bank regulatory and operational frameworks, and the ability to advise business partners on banking matters affecting small business clients, private banking clients, and consumer lending clients, as applicable.

Responsibilities Include But Are Not Limited To

• Provide legal counsel to SMB lending and credit teams in connection with commercial loans to small businesses, including term loans, revolving credit facilities, and other secured and unsecured lending products.
• Provide transactional legal support to the Bank's Private Bank in connection with a number of lending products, including securities‑based lending, premium finance lending, and other related private banking credit products, and to the Bank's Residential Mortgage team.
• Draft, review and negotiate standardized loan documentation, including loan agreements, notes, guaranties, security agreements, amendments, waivers, and related documentation.
• Advise on collateral structures, UCC Article 9 matters, lien priority, perfection, and enforcement, in a manner appropriate to SMB and private banking lending programs.
• Advise on legal matters related to the origination, servicing and collection of the Bank's consumer and residential mortgage lending products.
• Advise on laws, regulations, and standards that are applicable to consumer and residential mortgage loan products, including, but not limited to, the Truth in Lending Act, Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act, and Unfair Deceptive and Abusive Acts and Practices Act.
• Partner closely with lending, credit, risk, and operations teams to support efficient transaction execution while ensuring compliance with legal, regulatory, and policy requirements.
• Support ongoing maintenance and enhancement of template documentation to promote consistency and scalability across the SMB, private banking, consumer and residential mortgage lending platforms.

Required Skills

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams.
• Ability to navigate a fast-paced environment and handle multiple projects.
• Impeccable attention to detail, unwavering commitment to excellence, and the highest standards of integrity.

Required Experience

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school and active bar membership in good standing in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• Minimum of 6 years as a practicing attorney with relevant lending and financial services experience, including in-house experience at a financial institution.