Director, Corporate Counsel

Job Summary

The Corporate Counsel is responsible for providing subject matter expertise and in-house legal advice to support a wide range of transactions sponsored by the company’s investments team.  Also responsible for other routine legal and administrative matters in support of the Senior Corporate Counsel, Deputy General Counsel or General Counsel.  The position requires strong supervisory and management skills, careful attention to detail, and excellent reading comprehension skills for review and understanding of legal materials. The position requires interaction with personnel at all levels of the company as well as outside attorneys and regulators.

Organization

This position will report to the Senior Corporate Counsel.

Duties & Responsibilities

Investment Transactions: Under the direction of the Senior Corporate Counsel provide subject matter expertise and guidance to support a broad range of transactions sponsored by the company’s institutional markets and investments teams.  This includes:

• Providing expert legal advice to the company’s investments team.
• Advising on complex investment transactions, including debt and equity investments, private credit, structured assets, and other private asset classes.
• Partnering with investments stakeholders to negotiate and document investment transactions in a timely manner.
• Drafting and negotiating various agreements, including investment documents, side letters, vendor contracts, and confidentiality agreements.
• Providing objective, thorough, and timely legal advice with a strong knowledge of insurance regulatory requirements.
• Hiring and managing outside counsel as needed to effectuate the company’s business plan on time and on budget.
• Providing objective, thorough, and timely legal advice to internal stakeholders while partnering with internal compliance and outside counsel to address substantive legal, regulatory, and business issues as they arise.
• Maintaining industry knowledge of the current legal landscape; remains abreast of changes to applicable laws and regulations, effectively evaluates impact to business operations, and communicates appropriate actions in a timely manner.
• Assisting with other investment regulatory and compliance matters and manage projects that may arise.

Institutional Markets and Retail Distribution: Under the direction of the Senior Corporate Counsel provide subject matter expertise and guidance to the Company’s institutional markets and retail distribution teams on a variety of product development initiatives.  This includes:

• Developing a working knowledge of the Company’s products, operations, and procedures.
• Providing legal advice on new annuity product development initiatives, including variable and fixed annuities, from initial feasibility assessment to launch.
• Supporting the company’s funding agreement backed note (FABN) program and ongoing maintenance related thereto.
• Engaging and managing outside counsel as needed to support product initiatives.

Special Projects:

• Managing, completing and/or providing assistance to Senior Corporate Counsel on special departmental and corporate projects as needed
• Acting as the law department liaison to coordinate and facilitate resolution of legal matters and corporate projects as needed

Experience & Education Requirements

• Law degree from a nationally accredited law school
• 5-8 years legal and/or compliance experience in the financial services industry, including experience in and knowledge of corporate or transactional matters as well as regulatory compliance
• Knowledge of life and annuity business is preferred

Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrated management and leadership abilities
• Must possess strong persuasion and influencing capabilities
• Ability to make suggestions for process improvements and to take ownership of projects, etc.
• Ability to work in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and to effectively adapt to change
• Ability to perform in a fast-paced environment while addressing multiple projects and responsibilities
• Demonstrated strong organizational and analytical skills
• Must possess strong research skills and proficiency in Lexis Nexis
• Must be proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, spreadsheets and presentation software
• Strong interpersonal skills necessary to maintain effective working relationships with senior management, employees at all levels, outside attorneys, agents, state insurance department personnel, etc.
• Excellent writing and oral communication skills
• Willingness to work in a collaborative environment
• Ability to organize and complete work with a minimum degree of supervision
• Willingness to actively participate in meetings, decision making, etc

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