Legal Counsel

Department Profile:

Global Legal plays an important role in protecting the Group’s reputation by helping to future-proof the organisation through robust legal risk and issue advisory. Responsible for providing comprehensive legal advice to senior management and all global businesses and functions, the team offers a diverse range of legal skills, jurisdictional experience, and practice specialisms across all countries and territories in which our businesses operate.

Role Purpose:

• Providing legal advice to HSBC Japan entities on legal issues and risks arising out of their business with primary responsibility to cover GTS, Lending, procurement and various other legal matters in Japan. Also covers other general legal issues on top of those (collectively, “Covered Areas”).
• Working with other second line of defense functions to identify and manage the risk arising out of the business of relevant HSBC Japan entities.
• Acting as a subject matter expert for the Covered Area.
• Liaising with Group/ASP Legal and other lines of business in Japan as necessary in relation to the Covered Area
• The jobholder assists General Counsel Japan, to manage legal risk across the Region / Country in accordance with established policies and procedures.  The diversity of HSBC’s business, its geographic spread and the constant changes internally and externally means the diversity of matters which the jobholder is required to manage and advise on is very wide.
• The role requires an understanding of the structure of the HSBC Group and its culture and the ability to handle increasingly complex legal issues.
• The jobholder must also establish close mutually supportive working relationships with other members of the TKY LGA Team and the Global Legal Function.
• Works largely autonomously, but seeks management input on unusual situations, highly complex issues, and matters that may pose significant legal, financial and / or reputational risk to HSBC Japan.

Principal Accountabilities:

Impact on the Business / Function

• Provide counsel and legal support on a variety of legal matters, or in a specialist area, including matters that may be complex or may have some impact.
• To be considered to be a trusted adviser to the business by ensuring that commercially sensitive, pragmatic and practical legal support and advice is provided in a cost-effective manner for the Covered Areas.
• Provide support and guidance to for relevant HSBC Japan entities with regard to legal risks arising in jobholder’s area of expertise.

Customers / Stakeholders

• Provide prompt, commercial, practical and sometimes complex (under supervision) and / or specialized legal advice related to Covered Areas.
• Be proactive in the provision of legal support and in advising the business promptly of material legal developments and their implications.
• Ensure legal management is fully briefed on major issues arising in relevant business areas and major legislative changes in area of expertise.
• Liaise with panel law firms and other appropriate external parties.

Leadership & Teamwork

• Support achievement of the HSBC vision, Values, goals and culture in personal behaviour, actions and decision making.
• Provide technical leadership and support technical excellence by searching out external best practice, monitoring technical and professional developments, sharing knowledge and encouraging others to do the same in the best interests of HSBC and its customers.
• Encourage and enable constructive cross-country and cross-business teamwork by demonstrating collaboration and matrix management in action and challenging actions and behaviours that are not consistent with HSBC's diversity policy and/or the best interests of the business and its customers.

Operational Effectiveness & Control

• Develop and recommend changes and improvements to operating models, procedures and practices based on subject matter expertise and understanding of HSBC and market best practice.
• Communicate and adhere to HSBC policy and procedures in order to ensure good operational, financial and project management, policy and procedural compliance and early identification and effective resolution or escalation of issues that arise.
• Contribute to the development, implementation and maintenance of relevant management information, analysis and reporting framework that supports and informs timely and effective business management and decision making at all levels in the relevant area of Global Legal.
• Contribute to the implementation and monitoring of the application of relevant policies, governance frameworks, procedures, practices and standards to ensure quality, effective risk management and regulatory compliance.

Experience, Skills and Qualifications:

• Qualified lawyer with no less than 3 years’ post qualification experience
• Experienced and confident practitioner
• Up-to-date knowledge of developments in financial sector
• Able to handle a diverse range of issues
• Self starter, independent with good organizational skills
• Communication and inter-personal skills 
• Lateral thinking/problem solving
• Native level Japanese and strong business level English in both written and spoken
• Stamina and ability to work under pressure