Senior Corporate Counsel

Desert Financial Federal Credit Union • Phoenix, AZ

34d

About The Position

The Senior Corporate Counsel functions under the direction of the General Counsel and serves as a member of the in-house legal team for the credit union and its subsidiaries. The Senior Corporate Counsel is responsible for providing advanced legal support and guidance across a wide range of operational, transactional, and regulatory matters and represents the company in complex contract negotiations, enterprise risk assessments, and dispute resolution matters. The Senior Corporate Counsel provides experienced legal advice on compliance, employment and labor matters, corporate governance, public records, contracting and procurement, ethics, and conflict of interest matters, while contributing to strategic decision-making and mentoring junior counsel.

Requirements

• Juris Doctorate (JD) degree from an ABA accredited law school required.
• 5+ years of experience as a practicing attorney with a focus in commercial transactions, financial institution, banking, or consumer protection law required.
• 1+ years of Banking, fintech, and financial institution experience required.
• Working knowledge of regulatory requirements of credit unions, retail banking, or other financial institutions or fintech companies required.
• Excellent organizational, communication and interpersonal skills. Ability to multitask, focus, and prioritize multiple projects under pressure to meet deadlines required.
• Strong research, writing and negotiation skills required.
• Seasoned business acumen with the ability to distill complex legal requirements into actionable advice to further business objectives required.
• Ability to identify, advise on, and mitigate legal an operational risk required.
• Working knowledge of the business requirements and risks associated with marketing, lending, retail banking, commercial banking, consumer banking, information technology, information management, privacy, non-profit foundations, corporate formation, corporate acquisition, credit reporting, loss mitigation, facilities operations, finance, insurance, property ownership, real estate transactions, and vendor management. required.
• Member of the Arizona Bar (in good standing) required.
• Admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of the State of Arizona, and all other Arizona State Courts required.
• Admitted to practice in the District of Arizona required.
• Eligible to be admitted to practice pro hac vice in the federal and state courts of other jurisdictions required.

Nice To Haves

• 1+ years of Payments, lending, money movement experience preferred.
• Law firm experience preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal, compliance, regulatory, and risk management advice and recommendations to the credit union and its subsidiaries on all areas of operations, including (a) reviewing, negotiating, and advising on moderate to high-risk vendor contracts, commercial real estate acquisitions and leases, construction agreements, marketing and sponsorship agreements, software and licensing agreements, and other complex transactions; (b) revising corporate formation and organization documents; (c) researching and drafting policies and procedures to ensure legal compliance and best practices; and (d) advising on legal, risk and compliance issues related to credit union products and operations.
• Provide cross-functional analysis of the legal, regulatory, compliance, and financial risks associated with vendor relationships and agreements; advise the credit union and its subsidiaries on risk mitigations for moderate to high-risk vendors.
• Serve as counsel for the credit union and its subsidiaries in contested or complex matters, including docketing deadlines, researching and drafting relevant documents and filings, managing discovery, and negotiating directly with opposing counsel to resolve matters efficiently.
• Conduct and oversee internal employment, ethics, and compliance investigations, including those involving sensitive or escalated employee complaints; interview witnesses; draft memoranda; and provide recommendations related to legal exposure, corrective action, and strategic risk. Review, draft, and approve communications and responses to regulatory agencies in connection with member complaints, inquiries, or enforcement actions, and assist with related internal reporting to ensure consistency and compliance.
• Provide training and guidance to other attorneys, paralegals, and staff on contract negotiation, legal risk assessment, and compliance issues, promoting a consistent and efficient approach across the department.
• Collaborate with attorneys to develop, update, and implement enterprise-wide legal and compliance policies and procedures; identify areas of potential improvement and risk mitigation in contracting, procurement, and operations.
• Oversee or coordinate work with external counsel in specialized areas such as litigation, intellectual property, regulatory compliance, and employment law; and evaluate outside counsel performance.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Industry: Credit Intermediation and Related Activities
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees