Lead Legal Counsel

Introduction

As the Group’s first lawyer in India [and a member of the Legal, CoSec and ESG Senior Leadership Team], the key purpose of this role is:

• To be the lead Indian lawyer, providing high-quality local legal advice under Indian law (or manage the outsourcing of such legal advice where appropriate) that visibly contributes value and meets management and client expectations
• Overseeing legal risk management for OSBIndia across the full range of relevant areas of Indian law
• Managing local external lawyers to ensure high standards of external advice, service levels and cost control
• Providing English legal advice to the Group’s UK companies in certain areas as required
• Supporting and contributing to the delivery of Executive strategic objectives and the Group General Counsel and Company Secretary’s design and development of the overall strategy for the Group Legal, ESG and Company Secretariat Department, to include developing (and if approved by the Group General Counsel, delivering) a sustainable strategy for the Group’s legal needs in India and for India-based legal support to the UK companies

Core Responsibilities

• Deliver an excellent and efficient legal service to the Group, primarily advising under Indian law with some advice under English law as required, including via BAU advice, legal input to strategic projects, effective management of legal risk and effective budget management;
• Provide effective legal advice to the Group on a broad range of legal practice areas [including contracts/outsourcing/IT, real estate, financial services regulatory (mortgages and savings), employment, litigation, finance];
• Support the Group General Counsel and Company Secretary (GC) to deliver Board and Executive strategic objectives for the Legal team (and to an extent the Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) and Company Secretariat (CoSec) teams as required) and other strategic projects as required;
• Provide the Legal, CoSec and ESG Senior Leadership Team, GC, ExCo, Board and associated Committees with effective MI reporting and effective upward communication;
• Scope and deliver key Legal team strategic projects and efficiencies with the overall objective of increasing Legal team productivity and value aligned with the Group’s UK legal operations (e.g. integration, practice management, work-type review and outsourcing/insourcing mix);
• Report effectively to and attend various Group Committees and Board as required;
• Ensure regular Legal and functional team meetings are run with a focus on knowledge-sharing, practical actions arising, and team development;
• Manage Indian Legal budget and headcount effectively, including via effective external Panel selection and management, recruitment (where necessary and approved) and overflow support;
• Ensure that you and your team fully understand and comply with the organisation’s Risk Management Policies as they relate to your area of responsibility and demonstrate in your day to day work that you put customers at the heart of everything you do.
• Ensure that you and your functional team fully understand and comply with the organisation’s Data Governance Policies as they relate to your area of responsibility and demonstrate in your day to day work that you treat data as an important corporate asset which must be protected and managed.
• Maintain the company’s compliance standards and ensure timely completion of all mandatory on-line training modules and attestations.
• Line manage and coach all direct reports, including all aspects of performance management, development, conduct, sickness management, appraisals, employee administration and recruitment.
• As nominated Risk Champion for your function, work alongside the Risk function in developing and maintaining a risk management agenda, acting both to ensure the necessary levels of transparency for potential risks and promoting a positive culture of awareness and accountability throughout your function.

Experience Requirements

• [8] years’ previous experience advising on Indian law in one of the following areas is essential: Contracts, Outsourcing, IT, Real Estate, Mortgages and/or Data Protection
• [2] years’ previous experience advising on English law in at least one of the above areas is essential
• [2] years’ experience as an in-house lawyer in a retail bank and/or in an outsourced service provider to a retail banking group, and/or in private practice advising retail banks and/or mortgage lenders, is essential
• Previous line management experience is desirable

Knowledge Requirements

• Specialist knowledge of at least one of the following legal areas: Contracts, Outsourcing, IT, Real Estate, Mortgages and/or Data Protection
• Basic knowledge of data protection with regard to consumer banking
• Basic understanding of Treasury function, Risk function and liquidity in a retail banking environment
• Basic knowledge of IP law for corporates, in particular trade marks
• Basic knowledge of litigation, in particular financial services litigation
• Basic high level understanding of industry standard Mortgage and Savings software servicing platforms such as Phoebus, Bastion
• Intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Word, Outlook, Webex and Powerpoint
• Basic knowledge of Microsoft Excel
• Detailed knowledge of one or more of the legal areas not covered in Essential category above

Qualifications/Certifications

• GSCE/GCE qualifications in both Maths and English (or Indian equivalent) are essential
• Graduate degree is essential
• Qualified lawyer in India with at least 8 years’ PQE and holds current practising certificate – Essential
• Qualified lawyer in England and Wales with at least [2] years’ PQE and holds current practising certificate – Essential

How to apply

• Please email Osbitalentacquisitionteam@osb.co.uk to apply.