HSBC Group

A Career with Hang Seng Bank

Hang Seng is committed to service excellence. Our people are our most important asset and play a vital role in our efforts to continually enhance our performance for customers and provide best-in-class products and services.  We seek to attract high-calibre talent by offering a dynamic working environment, good career development opportunities and competitive compensation packages.

Legal Department

Our legal function comprises legal counsels and executives of high caliber with their respective expertise. We work as a team, with the mission to provide legal services of the highest professional standards to:

• facilitate the business by giving proactive, practical and comprehensive legal advice
• manage legal risk
• protect the integrity and reputation of the bank

We function as trusted legal advisers and proactive business partners to our management and the business and other support functions that we serve. If you join the Legal function, you will be part of a global team, providing you with know-how and support, and you will gain exposure to a variety of financial services and products.

We are currently seeking a high caliber professional to join our department as Senior Legal Counsel, Wealth and Personal Banking (WPB).

 Principal responsibilities

• Provide expert and professional legal advice, guidance and support on a variety of business initiatives and activities in relation to Investments and Wealth Solution (IWS) business to ensure that the legal and reputational risks of IWS business are proactively identified, managed and mitigated
• Support WPB through a diverse range of products (including structured products, derivatives, fixed income, equities) as issued by the Bank or third party issuers and as distributed by the Bank
• Draft, review and advise on various legal documents for IWS business
• Seek authorization from regulators e.g. The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) prior to launching certain investment products and where appropriate, liaise with Hang Seng Bank (HASE) and HSBC Group in accordance with established protocols
• Identify emerging trends in relation to investment and wealth management areas and develop approaches for mitigating potential legal risk
• Identify new legal, regulatory and market developments that can affect business activities and evaluating and responding to changes
• Ensure legal team and relevant business are fully briefed on major issues arising in relevant business area and major legislative and case law changes in area of expertise
• Maintain and develop positive, supportive and professional working relationships with other members of the Legal function
• Share legal knowledge and best practices with legal colleagues
• Collaborate well with business, internal and external stakeholders and other functions
• Be proactive in the provision of legal support and in advising the business promptly of material legal developments and their implications
• Being innovative and suggesting solutions that are pragmatic and commercially sound, in addition to being legally sound, aligned with the Bank’s strategy and within the Bank’s risk parameters.
• Monitoring major legislative changes and assessing the impact of such changes on the Bank’s business.
• Demonstrate sound judgement, strong legal skills, knowledge / experience by consistently delivering high quality work.  Set high standards and act as role model in engagement with business partners
• Focus on continued developments in the legal knowledge, proactively support business and sharing any law updates and provide appropriate guidance as risk steward
• Strong capability as a team player and demonstrate the ability with high-performing and efficient team to support business and build close relationship with business partners (both in business and functions)
• Risk management activities – understand and apply the risk management framework to ensure quality, effective risk management and regulatory compliance
• Provide legal services in a cost-effective manner and properly manage legal expenses (internal and external) within the approved budget

Requirements

• Qualified lawyer in Hong Kong with 8-10 years of PQE
• Good knowledge of investment and wealth management products
• Solid knowledge and with experience as in-house counsel in the banking industry especially in the retail banks and private banking sector
• Good knowledge and hands on sell-side experience as legal counsel for issuers or distributors of banking investment products
• Familiarity in the preparation of legal documentation including offering documents and bank forms;
• Good knowledge of the legal and regulatory requirements applicable to distribution process and the operational arrangements of all relevant investment products
• Experience in regulatory compliance work will be a bonus.
• Good knowledge of the HASE and HSBC Group corporate structures, its business and personnel and a clear understanding of HASE and HSBC’s corporate culture is a plus
• Team player with good communication and strong interpersonal skills
• Strong ability to prioritise
• Lateral thinking/problem solving/creativity
• Proficiency in Cantonese, Mandarin and English
• Great sense of ownership and servicing mindset to ensure efficient and effective customer service processes

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