General Counsel, European Bank

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We're seeking a future team member for the role of General Counsel, European Bank to join our Legal team.  This role is located in Brussels, Belgium.

General Counsel, European Bank is the principal legal counsel and strategic legal advisor to the Board of Directors of the European Bank and senior management of the respective businesses and branches of the European Bank. The General Counsel, European Bank is based in Brussels and leads the European Bank Legal Department across the region. The General Counsel, European Bank is an Associate General Counsel and reports to the General Counsel, EMEA and also into the European Bank CEO.

In this role, you'll make an impact in the following ways: 

• Work collaboratively to further BNY's business objectives while ensuring identification and assisting in mitigation of legal risk.

• Provide European Bank senior management and the Board of Directors of the European Bank and senior management of the branches of the European Bank with effective legal advice including, but not limited to, advice around: strategic and regulatory change programmes; revenue generating activity; and the management of disputes and/or litigation.

• The General Counsel, European Bank has the right to attend each European Bank board meeting and each senior management committee of European Bank branches, as advisor. The General Counsel, European Bank shall be provided, by the Corporate Secretariat function on a timely basis, with all board and management committee papers.

• The General Counsel, European Bank will attend the European Bank Executive Committee meetings.

• Understand, anticipate and navigate a wide range of the firm's legal issues and the regional regulatory framework and jurisdictional requirements the firm operates within.

• In partnership with the General Counsel, EMEA, oversee the structure, resources and talent of the European Bank Legal team. 

• Work collaboratively with global Practice Area Leads for Corporate Legal and Litigation areas.

• Influence the legal risk appetite of the European Bank and, where appropriate, the European Bank branches.

• Understand and effectively manage legal risk in the European Bank (and associated businesses and business operations), including management of robust processes and controls within the European Bank

Legal team to manage legal risks, and escalate to local management where wider controls require augmenting/remediating. Ensure that RCSA for Legal is representative of control framework in place within the European Bank and branches, and actively engage in RCSA review processes to ensure it remains relevant. 

• Act as a trusted advisor to European Bank Executive Management, on strategic, regulatory and (potential) contentious legal issues impacting the European Bank. Support company responses to supervisory or enforcement actions and advising on remediation programmes.   

• Work closely with the Office of Regulatory Relations to prepare and/or review key communications to regulators/supervisors.

• Oversee preparation of policies and procedures to ensure compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements across the region. 

• Manage legal support for regulatory change and implementation projects that impact the European Bank. 

• Full functional accountability to the General Counsel, EMEA, including timely reporting, involvement and escalation to the General Counsel, EMEA to ensure they are appropriately informed and engaged in all relevant matters relating to legal and regulatory risk. 

• Work with the respective Legal Practice Area Leads to monitor responsibilities across the European Bank Legal team, both from a role perspective as well as day to day work allocation. 

• Monitor the sufficiency of the resourcing model including escalation to the European Bank CEO and the General Counsel, EMEA including identifying critical hires and if/where resource needs augmenting with temporary or permanent solutions. 

• Accountability for and effective management of relevant components of Legal department costs against fiscal budget. 

• Oversight of European Bank Legal team's compliance with Outside Counsel Policy. 

• Oversight of outside counsel advice (including timeliness and quality) on major deliverables. 

• Oversight of outside counsel fiscal budgeting processes and subsequent monitoring of spend versus fiscal budgets. 

• Where appropriate act as relationship management to key Europe based Law firms. 

• In partnership with the General Counsel, EMEA, engage with HR processes such as talent, development and succession planning for European Bank country Legal heads as appropriate.

• Develop the talent in European Bank Legal and ensuring sufficient breadth & depth in succession benches.

 To be successful in this role, we're seeking the following: 

• Qualified lawyer, in jurisdiction relevant to the European Bank, with at least 18 years PQE with a legal background in institutional/wholesale banking. 

• Extensive management and leadership experience, including people management, ideally across multiple jurisdictions and where some team members may be remote. 

• Broad range of substantive legal skills developed over an extended period of time including: 

o Extensive in house legal and transactional banking operational experience at a global financial institution including over custody, clearing and settlement activities and banking regulatory frameworks;

o Proven experience of leading the legal support for regulatory/strategic change and leading legal support to remediation programmes; and 

o Experience with top tier European and UK law firms, including extensive experience managing outside counsel on major deliverables. 

• Extensive experience of interactions with regulators and/or industry bodies.

• Extensive experience of frequent interactions with legal and wider business/risk/compliance colleagues.

• Fluent (written & oral) in English as well as at least one other relevant European language.

• Familiarity with current legal, regulatory and market trends and initiatives impacting EMEA.

• Willing to embrace and engage in developing a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion. 

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Our Benefits and Rewards:

BNY offers highly competitive compensation, benefits, and wellbeing programs rooted in a strong culture of excellence and our pay-for-performance philosophy. We provide access to flexible global resources and tools for your life's journey. Focus on your health, foster your personal resilience, and reach your financial goals as a valued member of our team, along with generous paid leaves, including paid volunteer time, that can support you and your family through moments that matter. 

BNY is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer - Underrepresented racial and ethnic groups/Females/Individuals with Disabilities/Protected Veterans.