Senior Legal Counsel, MSS (Equities)

We are seeking a Senior Lawyer to join a growing team covering Equities and Cross Asset Securities Financing in Asia Pacific. Reporting to the Head of Global Markets Legal for Equities, Asia Pacific, the successful candidate will support the accountable executive within the Legal function, providing expert legal advice and managing legal risk across these product lines.Product coverage includes equity wrappers (OTC, repo, stock loan, cash prime), cash equities, equity derivatives (including market access transactions), and securities financing, with flexibility to work across other asset classes.

In this role you will be:

• Providing legal advice on a range of matters, including complex issues with material impact.
• Acting as a trusted adviser to Corporate and Institutional Banking (CIB), delivering commercially pragmatic and cost-effective legal support.
• Advising Markets and Securities Services on legal risks within the jobholder’s area of expertise. Proactively advising the business on material legal developments and their implications.
• Executing policies and procedures to fulfil Legal’s second line of defense role.
• Keeping senior legal management fully briefed on major issues and legislative changes  and advising management on non-standard legal, conduct, and reputational risks while delivering fair customer outcomes and maintaining orderly, transparent financial markets.
• Evaluating and responding to changes in legal and regulatory requirements.
• Providing expert legal advice to ensure legal and reputational risks are identified, reported, and mitigated.
• Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating contracts and transaction documentation. Identifying legal, regulatory, and market developments affecting business activities and advising business teams accordingly.
• Maintaining positive working relationships with business managers, stakeholders, and the Global Legal function.
• Recommending panel law firms and external advisers as appropriate.

Qualifications

• Qualified lawyer with significant experience (exceptional candidates with slightly less experience will be considered), including a minimum of 5 years in at least one of cash equities, prime brokerage, securities financing and equity derivatives.
• Experience with, or demonstrated interest in, applying artificial intelligence to legal work.
• Excellent negotiation and drafting skills with demonstrated commercial and legal judgement.
• Up-to-date knowledge of industry developments.
• Ability to manage diverse issues under pressure in a high-volume, fast-paced environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to distil complex legal risks for business stakeholders. Strong problem-solving and lateral thinking skills with a strong sense of ownership and client-service orientation.
• Collaborative team player who can also work independently with initiative.
• Chinese language skills desirable but not essential.