As the Legal Counsel you will be responsible for ensuring timely and appropriate legal advice and support to the various Business Units and divisions of BLME. The Business Units and other functions comprise of the following:

• Real Estate

• Wealth Management

• Private Banking

• Nomo Bank

• Treasury

• Compliance

(Reporting to the General Counsel this role requires you in our London HQ - Canary Wharf office 3-4 days per week).

Main Duties of the Role:

• Ensuring a consistent approach to and management of legal risk in line with BLME policies
• Managing relevant precedents to ensure appropriate and up to date and are commercial and pragmatic to support client take-on without protracted legal negotiations
• Co-ordinate external counsel instructions and manage costs (in conjunction with Business)
• Developing efficient processes and procedures to ensure Legal can do more with less
• Managing external counsel to ensure delivery of services and consistency of advice.
• Identifying legal risk issues (including horizon scanning) and reporting them legal risk to General Counsel
• Providing / organising legal training for BLME
• Managing potential / actual disputes and litigation / enforcement
• Supporting Projects which require either Legal to input or lead.
• Working with Compliance on regulator engagement
• Working with DPO on data issues
• Always act in good faith towards customers, avoid causing foreseeable harm, and enable and support the Bank’s clients /customers to pursue their financial objectives. As related to your role, you should monitor, assess, understand and evidence how you are acting to deliver good outcomes to clients and customers as per the FCA’s Consumer Duty regulations.

Key Experience Required;

Financial Services lawyer OR Real Estate/Real Estate Finance solicitor with experience in one or more of the following areas:

• Real estate finance
• Private Banking / family offices o Wealth management / funds
• Retail (digital) banking / FinTech
• General commercial / corporate banking
• Islamic Finance
• In-house experience at a financial services firm is very desirable
• Inquisitive and pro-active lawyer who can build relationships with the Business and external lawyers.
• Keen to develop how legal support can be delivered using technology and other tools.
• Strong influencing & communication skills (oral and written) with ability to influence both junior and senior levels
• Client-service orientated (internal and external)
• Cost-conscious and commercial approach balanced with pragmatism
• Ability to interact confidentially at all levels Bank of London and The Middle East plc (“BLME”)
• Ability to multi-task and manage ever-changing and conflicting priorities
• Strives for excellence, regularly seeks out opportunities to make improvements

Qualifications:

• Solicitor or Barrister qualified and able to practice in one of the UK jurisdictions.
• Minimum of 5 years PQE.
• Willingness to undertake the Islamic Finance Qualification (sponsored by the Bank).