Basic Function: The Contracts Attorney will serve as a key member of the Legal team, providing comprehensive support on a wide range of commercial, vendor, distribution, technology, and regulatory-related agreements for a financial services company. This role is responsible for drafting, reviewing, and negotiating contracts that support core business operations; supporting vendor due diligence; and guiding contract workflows. This dynamic attorney will also provide general legal and compliance research and support in other areas, including litigation management, as assigned. The ideal candidate will be highly organized and a business-oriented problem solver.
General Responsibilities:- Provide legal counsel to the organization on a broad spectrum of commercial and contractual matters.
- Draft, review, and negotiate a wide array of agreements, including vendor and technology services agreements; SaaS; confidentiality agreements; marketing, selling and distribution agreements with fund providers, insurance companies and other investment providers. Ensure compliance with applicable financial services laws; protections related to data privacy, cybersecurity, service levels, indemnification, and termination.
- Work closely with various departments, including technology, finance, compliance, business development and marketing, to identify contractual risks, operational implications and propose practical, business aligned solutions.
- Ensure timely execution of agreements and proper recordkeeping. Maintain contract templates. Advocate for best practices in contract management, vendor due diligence, governance and lifecycle processes.
- Manage litigation and coordinate with external legal counsel.
- Conduct research and support the Legal and Compliance Department with various matters and projects, as assigned.
- Ability to multitask, work independently, interface directly with clients, and complete time-sensitive work product quickly.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills including the ability to effectively communicate with internal business clients, support staff, external resources, and other collaborators.
Qualifications/Requirements:- Three to five years of relevant professional experience; finance industry experience preferred
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills
- Strong analytical ability - Must be able to effectively evaluate and summarize complex legal and regulatory matters and provide guidance, make recommendations, and escalate timely
- Strong negotiating skills
- Honest and ethical with high levels of integrity and confidentiality
- Ability to establish and maintain strong relationships within the organization's legal department and across all businesses
- Ability to work independently with little to no supervision while performing duties
- Ability to balance business and legal needs and manage multiple projects at one time to ensure projects are completed timely
- Proficiency with MS Office Suite required (MS Word, MS Excel, and MS PowerPoint).
- Bachelor's Degree and J.D. from an accredited law school
- Admitted to the bar and in good standing in at least one state
Physical/Other Requirements:
- May sit at workstation for extended periods of time.
- May view computer screen for extended periods of time.
- Periods of fast pace are normal particularly when working to meet deadlines.
