Legal Counsel

Role : Legal Council

Department / Function : Wholesale Banking Legal

Job Purpose : The role entails providing professional legal advice, clarifications and legal opinions on strategic legal and business matters relevant to the core business operation of Wholesale Banking unit of IDFC FIRST Bank such as drafting, vetting and negotiation of various contracts, reviewing launch of new products, reviewing and providing inputs on legal / regulatory updates, while adopting a proactive approach in ensuring that the bank is protected from any adverse legal consequences.

Roles and Responsibilities :

• Providing sound legal advice to business groups on various legal matters pertaining to the respective banking groups in conjunction with the Head.
• Wholesale Banking Legal - In depth understanding of banking products such as term loans, working capital loans, consortium and multiple banking, direct assignment, securitisation, debt instruments (NCDs), security documents and related issues, updated knowledge on stamp duty, project finance, trade finance, transaction banking services such as Cash management services, bank guarantees, SBLC, escrow, factoring etc.
• Drafting, Negotiation of ISDA Schedule / CSA and advising on treasury related issues for PAN India.
• Providing effective advice and support to business group consisting of corporate clients, conglomerate, debt syndication, transaction banking, trade finance, documentation team, foreign institutional clients, operational team etc in facilitating closure of transactions.
• Providing regular update to legal / business team with respect to the changing regulatory policy framework and business requirements aligned to the strategy and advising implementation of the strategy in line with the bank‘s vision, and corporate objectives.
• Review and provide legal advice on development of key strategic contractual documents and decisions and support managers with the resolution of all contractual issues / disputes in order to safeguard the bank‘s best interests - Ensure quality of legal facilitation is exercised on the client groups and to ensure diligent advice is given to business on transactional issues.
• Ensure regular monitoring of the statutory obligation’s requirements of the company.
• Support customer / legal escalations and regulatory issues pertaining to the respective Banking Group.
• Develop and update the legal manuals and procedures related to respective Banking group from time to time.
• Recommend improvements to processes and policies across the Banking business to drive operational efficiencies and quality customer service - Keep abreast with global legal trends and competitor strategies in key markets.
• Maintain costs of functioning as a group within the approved budget

Key Success Metrics : Resolution of legal matters, TAT, contribution in improving processes etc Educational Qualifications : Graduate – LLB / LLM