Country General Counsel, Philippines

Role Purpose

This role leads the HSBC Philippines legal team and provides expert and professional legal advice, guidance and support to the HSBC Philippines CEO, business and functional stakeholders to ensure that the legal, regulatory and reputational risks faced by HSBC Philippines are identified, escalated and managed appropriately.  Key responsibilities include:

• Leading and managing the team of lawyers that support HSBC Philippines to ensure that legal, regulatory and reputational risks are identified, escalated and managed appropriately and in partnership with business and functional stakeholders.
• Acting as a member of the local the HSBC Philippines Leadership Team, which includes senior executives that report to the HSBC Philippines CEO
• Working collaboratively with regional legal colleagues, including escalating material legal and reputational issues, attending regional Legal leadership team and risk meetings, contributing as required on global and regional issues and leadership actions
• Advising and executing on relevant policies and procedures for HSBC Philippines to ensure that Legal's role in the second line of defense of risk for HSBC Philippines can be executed
• Advising business stakeholders and the executives of HSBC Philippines on legal and reputational risks and being the accountable lawyer to the executives of HSBC Philippines on all material legal issues
• Evaluating and responding to changes in legal and regulatory requirements as they arise, including engagement with local regulators and regulatory compliance colleagues, where applicable

Impact on the Business / Function

• Advise the HSBC Philippines CEO, senior management and functional heads on legal, reputational and regulatory risks and developments that may affect business activity, facilitate business expansion, and ensure that all legal, regulatory and reputational issues are identified, escalated and managed appropriately.
• Positively contribute to HSBC's local and international brand through the delivery of professional services to customers and consistently demonstrating professional and corporate ethical conduct.
• Proactively support HSBC’s business in Philippines while at the same time appropriately balancing the role of the General Counsel and HSBC Philippines legal team to manage risk as a control function that advises and challenges the business to ensure it complies with relevant laws and regulatory requirements.
• Providing excellent technical legal advice including by demonstrating commercial acumen, insight into market and regulatory practices, and by providing practical and pragmatic solutions, particularly when navigating ambiguity or complex issues.

Customers / Stakeholders

• Provide timely, practical and pragmatic solutions to issues arising from the operation of the HSBC Philippines business and to anticipate and inform the HSBC Philippines CEO, business and functional stakeholders and regional legal function of significant legal and regulatory developments.
• Support HSBC Philippines’ senior management in the execution of business and operational strategies and initiatives
• Provide legal support to HSBC Philippines, including legal advice to business and functional stakeholders. 
• Manage the local panel of approved law firms and ensure positive relationships are maintained with panel law firms and other appropriate external parties
• Develop relationships and directly deal with high-level regulators and senior officials of industry associations
• Implement strategic legal policies, and set local policies that ensure that HSBC Philippines’ exposure to legal and regulatory risk is managed appropriately and in a commercial and practical manner
• Manage litigation filed or threatened against HSBC Philippines in collaboration with regional litigation legal colleagues.

Leadership & Teamwork

• Lead and effectively manage the HSBC Philippines legal team.
• Create and maintain a working environment that promotes staff engagement, and to identify and address any issues highlighted within the annual employee engagement survey
• Ensure there is proper management and control of the HSBC Philippines legal team and that performance is managed through active supervision, setting appropriate performance targets and performance discussions
• Actively manage efficiency within the HSBC Philippines legal team and allocate and prioritise legal team resources to align with business priorities, including key projects and initiatives
• Actively develop and maintain collaborative, professional and constructive relationships with HSBC Philippines business and functional stakeholders and regional/global HSBC legal colleagues

Operational Effectiveness & Control

• Adopt a broad approach to risk management in partnership with HSBC Philippines business and functional stakeholders, and to ensure that all legal, regulatory and reputational issues are identified, escalated and managed appropriately, in addition to discharging accountability for specific legal risks that for which HSBC legal is responsible.
• Comply with the Group Legal Policies and Procedures
• Monitor the implementation of Legal risk management policies and controls across HSBC Philippines
• Plan and manage the resourcing, costs and spend of the HSBC Philippines legal team within budget
• Assess, manage and continuously identify potential operational and cost efficiencies for the HSBC Philippines legal team
• Maintain HSBC internal control standards, including the timely implementation of internal and external audit points together with any issues raised by external auditors

Requirements and Qualifications

• Qualified lawyer with minimum of 10+ years legal experience and demonstrated legal management experience at a financial institution / large corporation or as an independent legal advisor or legal consultant in a law firm (preferably in the banking, finance and/or capital market area).
• Sound and current understanding of regulatory environment, market practice and developments in domestic and international banking and financial services, capital markets and related products and transactions.
• Strong commercial acumen and problem-solving skills, demonstrated adaptability and ability to draw on broad experience to propose solutions across a diverse range of issues
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, collaborative approach and strong leadership and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent command of Tagalog and English.
• A member of good standing of the Philippine Bar.