Senior Vice President, Senior Lead Counsel, Strategic Equities Solutions

Whether you’re at the start of your career or looking to discover your next adventure, your story begins here. At Citi, you’ll have the opportunity to expand your skills and make a difference at one of the world’s most global banks. We’re fully committed to supporting your growth and development from the start with extensive on-the-job training and exposure to senior leaders, as well as more traditional learning. You’ll also have the chance to give back and make a positive impact where we live and work through volunteerism.

Shape your Career with Citi

Citi’s Global Legal Affairs and Compliance (GLAC) empowers and protects Citi by providing legal, compliance, investigative, and security services to our firm.  We manage compliance risk, provide legal analysis and advice, protect Citi’s people and businesses, advocate for legal and regulatory outcomes that benefit our firm and our clients, and ultimately promote behavior that is consistent with Citi’s mission and culture.

We’re currently looking for a high caliber professional to join our team as Senior Vice President, Senior Lead Counsel, Strategic Equities Solutions- Hybrid based in Kowloon, Hong Kong. Being part of our team means that we’ll provide you with the resources to meet your unique needs, empower you to make healthy decision and manage your financial well-being to help plan for your future.

The Senior Lead Counsel I is a senior level position responsible for providing legal guidance and thought leadership to the business. The overall objective of this role is to provide legal support, advice, and guidance to the business.

This role requires a pragmatic, proactive attorney with thorough understanding of the Business, combined with a solid conceptual / practical grounding in the laws and regulations for the geographies in which we operate. Provides input into strategic decisions, exercising sound legal judgement to develop proactive, risk-appropriate, and commercially practical business-oriented solutions.

The role will be based in Hong Kong and report to the senior Equities legal counsel based in Hong Kong. The role involves providing transactional legal support primarily to the Citi Strategic Equity Solutions team:

•           Structuring, documenting and executing bilateral and syndicated non-recourse margin loans referencing shares listed in Asia

•           Structured ISDA OTC equity derivative transactions over shares listed in Asia including: collar financings, call spread, prepaid forward, total return swaps and options.

•           Working through the entire life cycle of the trade. Drafting documentation such as confidentiality agreements, engagement letters and internal risk memorandum. Working with external counsels to (i) structure trades and consider regulatory matters such as insider dealing considerations and defenses, acting in concert, mandatory general offer, disclosure requirements, share repurchase code, takeovers code and listing rules and (ii) review termsheets, finance documents such as facility agreements, account charges and account control agreements, and conditions precedent such as legal opinions. Assisting on deal maintenance including amendments and notices such as margin calls. Lastly, involved in restructuring of trades and potential enforcement scenarios.

•           Share buybacks (on market buybacks, irrevocable programs to buy during blackout periods)

•           Syndications (LMA and LSTA with true sale)

•           Provide legal support to Citi’s Prime Finance business for bespoke financing solutions involving shares listed in Asia to global institutional clients where there is additional recourse to the client’s prime brokerage assets. 

Senior Lead Counsel is a senior management-level position responsible for accomplishing results through the management of a team or department to manage and direct day-to-day legal activities in coordination with the Legal team. The overall objective of this role is to provide legal support, advice and guidance across a broad range of practice areas.

In this role, you’re expected to:

• Responsible for providing legal counsel to the Business, participating in strategic initiatives, providing subject matter expertise and interpretations of relevant laws, rules, regulations, and industry practices, and advising business management on legal matters impacting the business
• Objectively evaluates Business proposals by applying institutional knowledge and risk appetite against industry standards, widely accepted business practices, laws, rules, and regulatory guidelines, escalating as appropriate
• Collaborates across internal lines of business and control/support functions to achieve coordinated and efficient outcomes on matters of common interest; coordinate closely with the Legal team on a regional and global basis
• Participates in business planning and development initiatives; contribute to business objectives by providing thought leadership using knowledge of industry, laws, and regulations
• Proactively identifies, evaluates, and contributes to the appropriate management of legal, regulatory, and reputational risk by collaborating with Independent Compliance Risk Management (ICRM) & Risk, following relevant legal developments, participating in internal projects, escalating as appropriate
• Manages day-to-day legal activities as a subject matter expert in area of responsibility and provide advisory services to business partners
• Monitors management of complex legal issues and transactions, escalating when necessary
• Appropriately assess risk when business decisions are made, demonstrating particular consideration for the firm's reputation and safeguarding Citigroup, its clients and assets, by driving compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations, adhering to Policy, applying sound ethical judgment regarding personal behavior, conduct and business practices, and escalating, managing and reporting control issues with transparency, as well as effectively supervise the activity of others and create accountability with those who fail to maintain these standards

As a successful candidate, you’d ideally have the following skills and exposure:

Qualifications:

• 7+ years of relevant industry experience, preferably in financial services
• Banking or financial industry experience, including laws related to banking regulations
• Knowledge of international laws, regulations and practices while staying abreast of regulatory and legal environment, internal policies and industry trends that impact the business
• Experience with complex deals, demonstrated ability to analyze issues and develop legal solutions
• Effective communication and negotiation skills and ability to build and maintain trusted relationships
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational and relationship management skills
• Proven ability to apply sound judgement while managing assignments in a demanding, fast-paced environment
• Bar license in good standing to practice law

Education:

• Juris Doctorate or equivalent law degree

Working at Citi is far more than just a job. A career with us means joining a family of more than 230,000 dedicated people from around the globe. At Citi, you’ll have the opportunity to grow your career, give back to your community and make a real impact.

Take the next step in your career, apply for this role at Citi today

https://jobs.citi.com/dei

This job description provides a high-level review of the types of work performed. Other job-related duties may be assigned as required.

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