Senior Counsel, Lending and Operations

Live Oak Bank•Wilmington, NC

About The Position

The Senior Counsel, Lending and Operations provides hands‑on legal advice and operational guidance focused on transaction execution within the Bank’s lending and operations functions. This role partners closely with lending, closing, and operations teams to support efficient, consistent, and compliant loan execution. The Senior Counsel serves as a trusted legal resource for complex, transaction level matters and contributes to reducing legal friction while supporting timely and high-quality outcomes for the Bank and its clients.

Requirements

A juris doctorate degree (or equivalent) and license to practice in at least one state.
A minimum of five years professional legal experience.
Experience with commercial real estate closings or other commercial loan transactions.

Nice To Haves

Experience with SBA loan closing and documentation.
Experience drafting and reviewing organizational and corporate documentation.
Experience supporting lending operations in a regulated financial institution.

Responsibilities

Serve as lead counsel for in-house SBA 7(a) loan closings and other assigned lending transactions.
Provide legal support to the Bank and advise business and operational leaders on legal matters related to lending and day-to-day operational activities.
Define issues, perform legal research, analyze transaction level legal questions, evaluate alternatives, and provide practical legal guidance that supports timely execution and risk management.
Serve as an operationally embedded legal partner by working closely with lending, closing, and operations teams on loan execution, documentation, exceptions, and modifications.
Assist loan closing and loan modification teams with questions related to closings, loan documentation, loan exceptions, compliance, and loan modifications.
Prepare, review, and negotiate legal documents to document and close lending transactions, including promissory notes, guarantees, mortgages or deeds of trust, assignments, security agreements, real estate closing statements, and modification agreements.
Review, analyze, prepare, and negotiate due diligence items as applicable, including title commitments and exceptions, surveys, searches, purchase agreements, noncompetition agreements, leases, organizational documents, and inter‑creditor agreements.
Oversee the filing of applicable security documents to perfect liens in real and personal property collateral.
Coordinate with the Closing team to clear post-closing exceptions.
Work closely with lending teams to support the development and execution of loan products by providing practical legal input tied to transaction structure and documentation.
Interact regularly with cross functional partners, including Closing, Operations, and Finance, to address operational issues, process questions, and documentation requirements.
Provide subject‑matter expertise and guidance to legal colleagues and cross functional partners and contribute to knowledge sharing and professional development within the Legal team.
Escalate complex, high risk, or non‑standard legal issues to the Managing Counsel, Lending and Operations as appropriate to ensure sound outcomes for the Bank and its clients.
Maintain a high standard of regulatory awareness including BSA, AML, CIP, and OFAC.