Senior Legal Counsel - Global Legal

Job description:

Some careers open more doors than others.

If you're looking for a career that will unlock new opportunities, join HSBC and experience the possibilities. Whether you want a career that could take you to the top, or simply take you in an exciting new direction, HSBC offers opportunities, support and rewards that will take you further.

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.

We are currently seeking a high calibre professional to join our team as a Senior Legal Counsel.

Principal Responsibilities

• Providing legal advice to The Hon Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (Bank) in its capacity in Hong Kong as (1) the sponsor and administrator of HSBC Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) and Occupational Retirement Schemes Ordinance (ORSO) Schemes, (2) a principal intermediary for HSBC MPF Schemes, and (3) the administrator of HASE MPF and ORSO Schemes (together, Bank Pensions Business) on legal issues and risks arising out of their business in Hong Kong

• Working with other second line of defence functions to identify and manage the risk arising out of Bank Pensions Business

• Assisting and collaborating with the wider Wealth and Personal Banking (WPB) Legal team in Hong Kong

• Acting as a subject matter expert for pensions sponsor, administrative, and intermediary matters in Hong Kong

• Liaising with Group/ASP Regional WPB Legal and other lines of business in Hong Kong as necessary in relation to Bank Pensions Business

Impact on the Business / Function

• Provide support and guidance to Bank Pensions Business including advising on matters that are complex or have potential for significant legal, financial and / or reputational impact

• Provide support and assist Bank Pensions Business in establishing strategic legal policies, and local policies that ensure that the Bank's exposure to legal and regulatory risk related to the business are managed in a commercially sensitive and practical manner

• Provide advice relating to Bank Pensions Business on issues involving the Group that arise, including developing strategies to respond to changes in law and regulation in Hong Kong

• Assist and collaborate with the wider WPB Legal team

• Comprehensive procedures and controls are in place to manage legal and regulatory risk related to Bank Pensions Business

• Legal and regulatory risk policies related to Bank Pensions Business are effectively communicated and adhered to

• Key legal, regulatory and policy changes (and consequential business opportunities or impacts) and details of emerging legal and regulatory risks related to Bank Pensions Business are communicated to senior management in a timely and concise manner

• Adverse consequences arising from legal issues related to Bank Pensions Business are properly managed and mitigated and remedial action initiated in line with the materiality of the risk or issue

• Provide legal support for all aspects related to Bank Pensions Business in Hong Kong

Customers / Stakeholders

• Assist the Line Managers in ensuring that senior management are appropriately advised of material legal and regulatory developments and their implications relating to Bank Pensions Business

• Manage and provide high quality specialized legal and regulatory advice, guidance and support in relation to Bank Pensions Business

• Recommend, select and supervise outside counsel as appropriate

• Ensure positive relationships are maintained with panel law firms and other appropriate external parties.

• Assist and collaborate with the wider WPB Legal team

• Regular and ad hoc reports and communications are, at the direction of the Line Managers, shared with senior business / function management and relevant Legal colleagues on significant legal issues and developments in Hong Kong

• Policies and procedures relevant to legal aspects related to Bank Pensions Business are in place and communicated and controls are established to ensure policies are being complied with across the wider WPB business in Hong Kong

• Close working relationships are maintained with specialist panel firms and advantageous terms are negotiated with them

• Regular meetings are held with panel law firms and other industry bodies whether in person or through senior reports

Leadership & Teamwork

• Support and work closely with other WPB lawyers within the same team in Hong Kong and the Regional/Global Legal Function

• Maintain and develop positive and professional working relationships with all team members within ASP and the functions/departments for which the jobholder is responsible

• Proactively co-ordinate and promote sharing of legal knowledge and best practices across the Regional / Global Legal Function

• Close working relationships maintained with Line Managers and Global/Regional Legal Function teams by regular contact, telephone calls, and holding regular conferences with staff

• Regular reports and meetings held with business managers and Global/Regional Legal function management to update them on legal and regulatory developments relating to Bank Pensions Business in Hong Kong

• Performance measures are established, staff engagement scores and annual appraisals reviewed, succession plans and training plans in place

Operational Effectiveness & Control

• Assist the Line Managers in monitoring the effectiveness of HSBCs management of Legal and Regulatory risk relating to Bank Pensions Business

• Assist the Line Managers in monitoring the implementation of Legal risk in Hong Kong, management policies and controls related to Bank Pensions Business

• Assist the Line Managers in monitoring the resourcing, costs and spend related to Bank Pensions Business within the Legal Function and more widely across HSBC

• Assist the Line Managers in maintaining HSBC internal control standards, including the timely implementation of internal and external audit points together with any issues raised by external auditors

• Assist and collaborate with the wider WPB Legal team

• A framework is in place for the effective management of Legal and Regulatory risks relating to Bank Pensions Business

• Effective legal risk management processes related to Bank Pensions Business, and GSM and FIM requirements, are being met as evidenced by regular reviews, audit reports and legal reporting

• A process for the early reporting/escalation of Legal and Regulatory issues and risks is in place

• Measurement, reporting and review mechanisms are in place to assess operational and cost efficiencies related to Bank Pensions Business

• Matters are dealt with internally wherever possible and appropriate to avoid the external costs

Major Challenges (The challenges inherent in the role that require a continual test of the role holder's abilities)

The diverse responsibilities of the job and the number of jurisdictions in which HSBC operates, requires the job-holder to:

• Assist Head of Broking and Pensions Legal, HK WPB Legal Head, ASP WPB Deputy General Counsel and the Regional General Counsel ASP to ensure that the interests of the HSBC Group are protected against Legal Risk in all jurisdictions and to develop, communicate and police appropriate controls and systems

• Constantly adapt working styles to meet complex and varied workloads

• Maintain a detailed knowledge of HSBC Group operations and policies

• Be alert to external legal, political and regulatory considerations and implications

• Prioritise workloads in terms of legal risk and commercial consideration

• Think independently and act on one's own counsel, being mindful of always providing pragmatic and commercial advice

Role Context (The environment and operating conditions of the role including the extent of guidance and authority)

• The role requires a detailed knowledge of the legal and regulatory environment, risks, and market developments regarding pensions business in Hong Kong

• The jobholder will provide independent support to Bank Pensions Business, requiring detailed knowledge of the legal and regulatory environment relating to MPF and ORSO schemes in Hong Kong

• The jobholder must develop a very good working relationship with and be trusted by executive management and also have respect and cooperation from the ASP and Global Legal Function. He / She also needs to have close personal and working relationships with lawyers in the major panel law firms instructed by HSBC globally whose advice supplements that available internally

Management & Leadership of Regulatory, Compliance & Operational Risk (Operational Risk / FIM requirements)

• The jobholder is responsible for providing support to the Line Managers to ensure that (i) Legal risks are clearly identified and policies and procedures are in place for managing those risks in accordance with the Group Standards Manual and the Legal FIM; and (ii) the Global Legal Function assists local business departments in managing the Legal risks associated with the initiatives they are undertaking

Observation of Internal Controls (Compliance Policy / FIM requirements)

• Maintain HSBC internal control standards, including timely implementation of internal and external audit points together with any issues raised by external regulators

• The jobholder is an "insider" for dealing purposes and subject to strict controls and confidentiality

• Role Dimensions (e.g. balance sheet size, lending/expenditure limits, size/volume of transactions, budget. in USD'000)

• The jobholder will be responsible primarily to provide legal support to the relevant functions in Hong Kong and to coordinate the approach to legal risk on a global basis within the jobholder's relevant area of expertise

Requirements

Requirements

• Qualified lawyer with no less than 4 years' post qualification experience

• Experienced and confident practitioner

• Experience in advising sponsors, sales, and administrators of Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes (MPF) and/or Occupational Retirement Schemes (ORSO) in Hong Kong strongly preferred

• Candidates with tangential experience (e.g. employment lawyers, fund lawyers with experience with MPF and ORSO schemes) and a willingness to adapt/specialise in the MPF and ORSO space may also be considered

• Up-to-date knowledge of developments in own industry sector

• Able to handle a diverse range of issues

• Self-starter, independent with good organisational skills

• Communication and inter-personal skills with a focus on practicality

• Lateral thinking/problem solving

• Stamina and ability to work under pressure

• Fluency in Cantonese and written Chinese preferred

You'll achieve more when you join HSBC.

http://www.hsbc.com/careers

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Issued by The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited.

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