Attorney – Private Bank and Merrill Legal Accounts Counsel

Bank of America • Boston, MA

33d • $157,500 - $239,800 • Onsite

About The Position

The Attorney – Private Bank and Merrill Legal Accounts Counsel provides legal support to Bank of America’s Private Bank, Merrill, and Consumer Investments businesses as part of the Private Bank and Merrill Legal Accounts Counsel and Pre-Litigation legal team. The role advises on client account opening and servicing, pre-litigation matters and complaints, disputes among account holders, at-risk person investigations, trust modifications, estate settlement matters, and other legal issues affecting the Private Bank and Merrill businesses.

The attorney delivers practical legal guidance to business partners, supports strategic initiatives and projects, identifies and addresses legal risks, and helps ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and company policies. The work includes analyzing legal matters affecting consumer banking and wealth management, reviewing fiduciary and brokerage investment products, interpreting estate and trust documents, and supporting responses to examinations, investigations, enforcement actions, complaints, and litigation. The position is based at one of the listed Bank of America locations in Chicago, Boston, or New York. Bank of America describes its work culture as in-office, with role-specific flexibility based on responsibilities and business needs.

Requirements

• Licensed and in good standing to practice law in at least one state in which Bank of America does business.
• At least 5 years of relevant attorney experience in a law firm, government agency, or in-house environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills, including executive presence when dealing with senior business leaders and comfort offering advice, opinions, and debating issues with senior business, compliance, and risk colleagues.
• Strong issue-spotting, risk-assessment, research, problem-solving, and analytical skills, including the ability to quickly identify key issues and escalate them to management and business leaders.
• Ability to prioritize and manage a large volume of matters and adapt to changing conditions or priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to work collegially and cooperatively with lawyers, business partners, and compliance and risk professionals while remaining comfortable offering differing opinions and debating key issues.
• Initiative, a strong work ethic, ability to work independently, and self-starter approach.
• Doctorate degree in a related field.

Nice To Haves

• 6–10 years of relevant attorney experience in a law firm, government agency, or in-house environment.
• Qualification and experience to provide legal advice on trust, estate, charitable foundation, and related fiduciary issues; New York trust and probate experience is a plus.
• Experience with broker-dealer laws, including SEC and FINRA requirements, state laws related to powers of attorney, trusts and estates, and some litigation or regulatory experience.
• International legal experience.
• Ability to advocate for operational excellence and manage projects that improve legal and business processes and focus on core legal work.
• Ability to incorporate responsible use of artificial intelligence to improve the efficiency, consistency, and quality of legal work.

Responsibilities

• Analyze legal issues and implications related to consumer banking and wealth management products, services, and regulatory matters.
• Communicate clear, concise, actionable, business-informed legal advice, including occasionally to leadership.
• Interpret rulings, laws, and regulations from a compliance and business-control standpoint.
• Draft, review, and/or negotiate complex legal documents, such as engagement letters, debt agreements, offering documents, and legal opinions.
• Gather, assess, and evaluate information from various sources to make judgments or inferences.
• Support company responses to government agency examinations and investigations, enforcement actions, private complaints, and litigation.
• Review and interpret wills and trust agreements, powers of attorney, and legal entity documents under state law.
• Provide practical legal advice regarding investment products in Private Bank fiduciary and Merrill brokerage accounts.
• Resolve conflicts involving complaints and pre-litigation matters, including liaising with legal partners on regulatory, litigation, and internal investigation teams.
• Advise on matters involving account opening and servicing, disputes among account holders, at-risk person investigations, trust modifications, and estate settlements.
• Support strategic initiatives and projects, identify and address legal risks, and help ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and company policies.
• Support operational excellence and projects intended to improve legal and business processes and focus on core legal work.
• Use artificial intelligence responsibly to improve the efficiency, consistency, and quality of legal work.

Benefits

• Industry-leading benefits
• Paid time off
• Resources and support for employees
• Eligibility to participate in the annual discretionary incentive plan, with awards based on individual performance and behavior, line of business or group performance and contributions, and the overall success of the company

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree