Sr. Counsel - Corporate Banking Products and Services

Job Description

The Senior Counsel provides oversight, legal advice and support to TD Bank management in Corporate Group Functions and Business Units. Functions as legal expert in one or more defined subject matter areas and/or specific business lines. Provides high level legal advice to specific business area(s), may prepare resolutions, contracts, memoranda to management, litigation documents and forms and participates in major legal actions.

Foresets and protects the Company against legal risks.

Department Overview

The Corporate Products and Services (CP&S) Legal Team supports the Commercial Banking organization, covering deposits, payments and cards, treasury management, merchant services, and digital platforms for small business, commercial and government customers. Our small team is at the forefront of strategic initiatives to advance business transaction banking across TD. As product and business counsel, we enable business strategies while managing legal risks for both new initiatives and day-to-day operations. We work closely with senior leadership, product managers, relationship/sales teams, retail and operations teams, and regulatory/compliance and risk functions.

Depth & Scope

• Manages paralegal and administrative staff, assigns responsibilities and evaluates results
• Leads, coaches, counsels and guides staff
• Supervises external counsel providing advice or other legal services of the Company
• Works closely with General Counsel, department attorneys and external legal counsel on specific legal issues related to the Company's business
• Provides practical support and assistance to contemporaries, junior attorneys and staff
• Volunteers expert advice and experience
• Verifies the information has been understood
• Serves in one or more permanent or ad hoc practice groups or cross-practice teams of attorneys and staff
• Aids in the management of expenditures for external counsel
• Advise lines of business on best practices that help minimize legal and litigation risk
• Might assist General Counsel in developing and managing departmental budget for both internal and external legal spend
• Anticipates client needs
• Deals with complex legal issues
• Clearly delivers difficult messages without jeopardizing client relationships
• Gives pragmatic legal opinions with reasons and rationale
• Identifies and prevents future legal risks
• Identifies and takes action on future opportunities
• Resolves most situations where conflicts arise between the needs and desires of specific business units and the interests of the Company without requiring intervention of more senior attorneys
• Demonstrates highest professional ethical and behavioral standards and complies with all applicable Bar Rules and Codes of Professional Responsibility, and corporate ethical and behavioral standards
• Participates in special projects and performs additional duties as required

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required
• J.D. from an accredited law school required
• 10+ years of related experience
• Strong knowledge of at least one area of law relating to banking/financial services operations and issues
• Integrity and high moral standards
• Strong negotiation and conflict resolution skills
• Strong legal and analysis skills
• Detail oriented
• Must be able to apply legal knowledge to the business
• Ability to exercise sound judgment
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Strong teamwork and client skills
• Highly motivated
• Ability to provide difficult, complex and unwelcomed legal advice credibly and convincingly to management
• Strong technology aptitude including proficiency with standard office software and ability to learn and apply new technologies in work environment and capacity to understand current and emerging technologies in the industry and how they affect business objectives
• Identify problems and barriers, and effectively implement solutions to advance business strategy
• Operates with creativity and innovation; seeks different perspectives and new ideas
• Works in a fast-paced environment and manages multiple deadlines and priorities
• Understands the value of knowledge management, builds and supports systems and tools that efficiently connect people to the knowledge they need to do their job

Preferred Qualifications

• Corporate/Finance transactional or regulatory legal experience in a law firm or in-house environment
• Experience drafting and negotiating customer agreements or other legal documentation related to financial services, lending or technology products and services
• Interest and experience working in cross-disciplinary and cross-functional environments, including explaining and navigating legal issues with non-legal business partners
• Familiarity with commercial banking or fintech services is a plus
• Familiarity with laws, rules, and regulations applicable to payments or banking
• Experience working in a regulated industry is a plus

Physical Requirements

• Performing sedentary work – Continuous
• Performing multiple tasks – Continuous
• Operating standard office equipment – Continuous
• Responding quickly to sounds – Occasional
• Sitting – Continuous
• Standing – Occasional
• Walking – Occasional
• Moving safely in confined spaces – Occasional
• Lifting/Carrying (under 25 lbs.) – Occasional
• Lifting/Carrying (over 25 lbs.) – Never
• Squatting – Occasional
• Bending – Occasional
• Kneeling – Never
• Crawling – Never
• Climbing – Never
• Reaching overhead – Never
• Reaching forward – Occasional
• Pushing – Never
• Pulling – Never
• Twisting – Never
• Concentrating for long periods of time – Continuous
• Applying common sense to deal with problems involving standardized situations – Continuous
• Reading, writing and comprehending instructions – Continuous
• Adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing – Continuous