Associate General Counsel - First American Bank

First American Bank was founded in Chicago, and over the years has expanded throughout Wisconsin and Florida. As the largest privately held bank in Illinois, we now have over 60 locations and assets of $5+ billion. We are a community bank at heart with international expertise, traditional values, and a forward-looking philosophy. Our employees have the experience and vision to meet the needs of savers, borrowers, and businesses in the 21st century. First American Bank can offer employees a level of visibility, career growth, and stability that is difficult to find in many larger corporations.

The Associate General Counsel will act as an in-house lawyer for First American Bank and play a crucial role in ensuring that the Bank’s operations adhere to legal and regulatory requirements. This individual will provide legal counsel across various banking functions in the Bank’s footprint, including commercial lending and loan documentation, regulatory compliance, contract management, privacy compliance, data management, and litigation and e-discovery. This role will involve working closely with various departments of the Bank to support business objectives while mitigating legal risks and ensuring adherence to all applicable laws, regulations, and best practices. This individual will report to the Deputy General Counsel, as well as work under the direction of the Associate General Counsel and Commercial Managing Attorney.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITES

Legal Advisory:

• Provide timely and practical legal advice to senior management and various departments on a wide range of issues, including banking regulations and operational matters.
• Develop strategies to mitigate risks faced by the Bank and consult and guide senior management and various departments in risk mitigation.
• Prepare and provide training and guidance to employees on legal and regulatory requirements and emerging issues.

Commercial Lending and Loan Documentation:

• Provide legal advice and assistance to commercial lenders related to deal structure and related matters. This can include such topics as reviewing and approving commitment letters and confidentiality agreements and advising the lender on how to handle changed circumstances of a borrower or covenant violations.
• Review and approve commercial loan documents. This will include reviewing and approving draft loan documents produced in-house (primarily on LaserPro) and by outside counsel, negotiating with borrower’s counsel regarding Laser Pro documents, drafting custom provisions for Laser Pro documents, occasionally drafting loan documents for complex and high dollar transactions, and supervising loan closings as needed.
• Assist the commercial lenders with their collection efforts. This individual may be asked to produce default letters and forbearance agreements as part of any collection effort. If a loan requires stronger legal collection efforts, such as filing complaints and foreclosures, you may work with outside counsel and oversee their collection and litigation efforts. This individual may handle real estate sales and closings for Bank owned commercial real estate.
• Provide legal assistance to the Trade Finance Department. Review draft standby letters of credit.
• Negotiate deposit account control agreements for the Treasury Management department.
• Provide legal advice to the Retail Lending department on transactional and documentation issues.
• Assist in updating the department’s forms and forms in the Laser Pro system as necessary.
• Work on commercial lending matters will be performed under the supervision of the Associate General Counsel and Commercial Managing Attorney.

Regulatory Compliance and Developments/Implementation:

• Monitor and stay updated on changes in laws and regulations affecting the banking industry.
• In conjunction with the Compliance department, work with the various departments to ensure the Bank’s policies, procedures, and practices comply with relevant legal and regulatory requirements.
• Support projects related to ongoing compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
• Contract Management:
• Draft, review, and negotiate various types of contracts, including vendor agreements, ensuring such contracts align with legal and regulatory standards and protect the Bank’s interests.
• Assist in managing the Bank’s contracts and other legal documents.

Privacy Compliance and Data Management:

• Advise on compliance with data protection laws.
• Advise on data management, including retention and destruction.
• Work with the Information Technology and Information Security departments to ensure the Bank’s policies, procedures, and practices comply with relevant laws and regulations related to privacy and data management.

Litigation and e-Discovery:

• Identify and assess potential legal risks and develop proactive strategies to mitigate them.
• In coordination with other members of the Legal department and, where necessary, in collaboration with outside counsel, manage and oversee litigation and other disputes and represent the Bank in such matters.
• Assist in matters related to insurance coverage, including notifications, coordination, and disputes.
• Maintain legal hold and e-discovery policies and procedures and assist in managing the processes related thereto.
• Manage and coordinate the identification, collection, and review of data for litigation, investigations, and third-party requests, as well as provide advice and assistance to the team that handles the Bank’s response to third party subpoenas, citations, and other third-party legal documents served on the Bank.

Documentation and Reporting:

• Maintain accurate and organized legal records and documentation.
• Prepare reports and updates for senior management on legal issues and developments.

Other:

• Conduct and complete additional assignments/projects as designated by management.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Juris Doctor (JD) or equivalent legal qualification from an accredited institution.
• Licensed to practice law in Illinois, Florida, or Wisconsin. Education: Juris Doctor (JD) or equivalent legal qualification from an accredited institution.
• Minimum five years of experience in a law firm or in-house. Financial institution or other regulated-industry experience preferred, but not required.
• Familiarity with the laws, regulations, and supervisory guidance applicable to financial institutions.
• Excellent professional and organizational skills with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects/initiatives.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to convey thoughts and ideas effectively and succinctly, tailor the message appropriately to the audience and situation, and maintain professional standards relating to spelling and grammar.
• Ability to work collegially as part of teams, but also self-motivated and directed to take initiative, perform and make decisions independently, and produce excellent and useful work product. 
• Ability to maintain good working relationships with internal partners by exhibiting exemplary interpersonal skills and adopting a constructive, solutions-focused approach.
• Ability to interact with members of the legal and banking community, officials of state and federal government, representatives of regulatory agencies, and others. 
• Use sound professional judgment to balance the interests of the Bank and customer or other stakeholder, understanding and using available resources to mitigate risks. 
• Ability to work quickly and efficiently in a fast-paced, customer service-oriented work environment.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 products and applications, including the ability to effectively prepare or review documents, procedures, and reports. SharePoint and Teams experience is desired.
• Familiarity with e-discovery software tools.
• Experience with either Westlaw or Lexis legal research required.
• Demonstrated ability to learn new systems and applications, as well as the ability to understand, adapt and adjust responsibilities/workflows because of system upgrades.
• Occasional travel to various Bank branch and department locations throughout the Bank’s footprint, as needed.
• Typical schedule is Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Additional hours and occasional weekends may be required depending upon business need. Depending on location, in-office days may be required.