Staff Legal Counsel

About the role

Staff Legal Counsel is responsible for various duties within the bank’s legal department, including handling and reviewing consumer and commercial bankruptcies, researching and advising bank management on legal issues, and keeping leadership informed of developments. This position is based at Great Southern Bank corporate headquarters in Springfield, MO.

Responsibilities

• Review and handle a diverse range of consumer and commercial bankruptcy cases from multiple jurisdictions, including filing proofs of claim, submitting motions, assessing court treatment of loans, collaborating with outside counsel, and providing case-handling recommendations (25% of time).
• Review new and existing lending transactions to ensure all required documentation for loan file closing is complete, including loan documents prepared by outside counsel, due diligence materials (title information, flood certificates, appraisals, surveys, lien searches, and borrowing entity documents) (25% of time).
• Review new and existing contractual agreements affecting the bank, ensuring documentation meets bank policy and procedures and securing necessary internal approvals (20% of time).
• Research and advise bank associates on legal issues and challenges facing the institution to improve policies, procedures, and documentation (15% of time).
• Cure documentation defects for lending and deposit transactions, including resolving issues not covered by standard software and documenting discrepancies (10% of time).
• Assist the Special Assets and Collections Departments with workout and foreclosure files as directed (5% of time).
• Maintain regular attendance, clear communication, and adherence to company policies, banking regulations, and laws (including BSA/AML).
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

• J.D. degree (Law) required, with a minimum of 3 years of relevant experience.
• Proficiency with desktop/laptop computers, operating systems, and specialized software.
• Basic experience with alphanumeric data entry, PowerPoint, Excel, and word processing.
• Ability to perform basic arithmetic operations.

Physical Requirements

• Semi-repetitive, low-physical activities with periods of concentration for varied time cycles.
• Frequently required to talk, hear, sit, use hands, and reach with hands and arms; occasionally required to stand, walk, climb, balance, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• Occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Additional Requirements

• Occasional travel and overnight stays may be required.

Schedule

8:00 AM – 5:00 PM, 40 hours per week.