Senior Legal Counsel

We are currently seeking a high calibre professional to join our team as a Senior Legal Counsel.

HSBC’s International Wealth and Premier Banking (IWPB) business is pursuing an ambitious growth strategy to become the leading international wealth manager. To support this growth in Asia, we are seeking a senior lawyer to join the Wealth and Premier Solutions (WPS) legal team.

This is a products-focused legal role covering the full product lifecycle (from ideation and development through to demise), and the full client continuum (from retail through to ultra-high-net-worth (UHNW) clients), on a regional basis. The role also involves broader support beyond pure product work, which is an integral part of the position.

Role Purpose

IWPB operates across ten Asian markets. This role is based in Hong Kong.

The successful candidate will report to the Regional Head of WPS Legal, working closely with Private Banking and Wealth lawyers in Hong Kong, Singapore and across the region.

The Senior Legal Counsel will:

• Provide products-focused legal support to WPS across the full product lifecycle (ideation, development, operation and demise) and across all client segments (retail to UHNW).  The main focus of the work will be on products offered to Private Bank clients.
• Advise on investment products, sales management, suitability, and product operations and risks, delivering clear, commercial and risk-mitigated guidance.
• Support in-market lawyers by providing regional oversight, challenge and guidance, and identifying opportunities for regional and global collaboration.
• Provide day-to-day legal support to the business, including the WPS teams in Hong Kong and Singapore.
• Support IWPB Asia’s strategic growth initiatives on a regional basis.

The diversity of HSBC’s business means the range of matters to be managed and advised upon is wide. Key stakeholders will primarily be executives in the relevant business areas and functions. The individual will establish close working relationships with other members of the WPS Asia Legal team and the wider Global Legal function.

In this role you will:

• Working with the WPS business regionally on products across the full product lifecycle and for all client segments (retail to UHNW), with a focus on Private Bank products.
• Advising on matters that are complex or have potential for significant legal, financial or reputational impact.
• Collaborating with lawyers in other business lines, particularly Private Bank and Retail Banking & Wealth.
• Providing ad hoc legal advice on IWPB-related matters outside the products remit, e.g. regulatory queries, governance matters, incident management and ad hoc advisory support.
• Supporting digital and transformation projects within IWPB.
• Partnering with other second line of defence functions to identify and manage business risks.
• Collaborating with the wider regional and global IWPB legal teams.
• Attending legal product calls and business and risk governance meetings as required.
• Identifying, escalating and managing legal and regulatory risks arising from ongoing and new business initiatives in a commercially sensitive manner and to enable sustainable growth.

To be successful you will need:

• Qualified lawyer with at least 7 years’ relevant post-qualification experience in a common law jurisdiction.
• Chinese language skills (spoken and written) strongly preferred.
• Essential: experience in the origination, structuring and/or distribution of investment products across the IWPB client spectrum (including equities, fixed income, funds, discretionary solutions, alternative investments, structured products, derivatives, FX and commodities).
• A thorough understanding of derivatives and structured products is highly desirable.
• A strong understanding of alternative investments would also be highly desirable.
• Previous experience in private banking, wealth management or markets is highly desirable.
• Strong knowledge of regulatory requirements for the sale and distribution of investment products (including cross-border), as well as common law investments, credit and securities law concepts.
• Experience in advising on ESG and sustainable products, and the associated risks, would be an advantage.
• Ability to deliver clear, commercial and pragmatic legal advice.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to manage demanding stakeholders.
• Up-to-date knowledge of developments in the industry.
• Ability to handle a diverse range of novel and unfamiliar issues.
• Self-starter with strong organisational skills and ability to prioritise effectively.
• Ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines, adapting to complex and varied workloads
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Solution-oriented mindset with openness to multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural collaboration.