Legal Counsel

Legal Counsel (GCB5) – Markets and Securities Services - London

Some careers open more doors than others!

If you’re looking for a career that will unlock new opportunities, join HSBC and experience the possibilities. Whether you want a role that could take you to the top, or simply take you in an exciting new direction, HSBC offers opportunities, support and rewards that will take you further.

As an HSBC employee in the UK, you will have access to tailored professional development opportunities and a competitive pay and benefits package. This includes private healthcare for all UK-based employees, enhanced maternity and adoption pay and support when you return to work, and a contributory pension scheme with a generous employer contribution.

Global Legal plays an important role in protecting HSBC’s reputation, helping to safeguard the organisation by providing robust and comprehensive advice on legal issues and risks. Our lawyers advise senior management and the Global Businesses and Functions. They offer a range of legal skills, jurisdictional experience and practice specialisms across all the countries and territories in which HSBC operates.

We are currently seeking an individual to join the Markets and Securities Services Legal team in the role of Legal Counsel. The Legal Counsel provides expert and professional legal advice, guidance and support to ensure that the legal and reputational risks faced by the area of coverage are identified, reported and mitigated. This role will typically report to an Associate General Counsel or to a Country General Counsel. Career progression is also available with greater accountability in a similar area of coverage, such as Senior Legal Counsel (GCB5 or GCB4).

In this role, you will:

• Be the accountable lawyer or aid the accountable lawyer of the area on all material legal issues that the structured product business faces, including in relation to product design, product documentation, governance and cross-border distribution.
• Execute against relevant policies and procedures for the relevant area of coverage to ensure that Legal's role in the second line of defence can be executed.
• Advise relevant Management on non-standard legal and reputational risks.
• Evaluate and responde to changes in legal and regulatory requirements as they arise.
• Provide legal advice, that is prompt, succinct, easy to understand, and adds value by identifying the root cause of the problem and seeing the ‘bigger picture’
• Provide commercially sensitive, pragmatic and practical guidance and support to relevant businesses in relation to structured products in a cost-effective manner.

To be successful in this role you should meet the following requirements: 

• Qualified UK Lawyer with PQE
• Knowledge and experience of structured products or derivatives is essential
• Knowledge and experience of product governance requirements is an advantage.
• Excellent negotiation and drafting skills and will have demonstrated the ability to take initiative and apply good commercial and legal judgment
• Ability to handle a diverse range of issues, deal with new or unexpected situations and work under pressure
• Strong communication skills (both written and verbal) and strong inter-personal skills

The base location for this role is London with a hybrid working pattern.

You’ll achieve more when you join HSBC.

Being open to different points of view is important for our business and the communities we serve. At HSBC, we’re dedicated to creating diverse and inclusive workplaces. Our recruitment processes are accessible to everyone - no matter their gender, ethnicity, disability, religion, sexual orientation, or age.

We take pride in being part of the Disability Confident Scheme. This helps make sure you can be interviewed fairly if you have a disability, long term health condition, or are neurodiverse.

If you’d like to apply for one of our roles and need adjustments made, please get in touch with our Recruitment Helpdesk:
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +44 207 832 8500