Senior Counsel - Deposit & Bank Operations

Job Title:
Senior Counsel - Deposit & Bank Operations
Location:
CA - Irvine
What you'll do:
Senior Counsel - Deposit & Bank Operations works with the Legal Practice Group Director, other attorneys, and staff within the Legal Department's Deposits and Bank Operations practice on a wide variety of financial institution activities, including operational, compliance, and customer matters. Senior Counsel - Deposit & Bank Operations provides legal advice to multiple areas of the Bank, including advising company's management on Bank Operations (including deposits, collections, and credit cards); deposits; payments and funds transfers; digital asset banking; banking as a service/open banking (including APIs); treasury management sales and services (including foreign exchange); product management; risk management; legal process; bank regulatory and compliance (including BSA/AML) activities; litigation including oversight of external counsel; reviewing and drafting complex documents including banking forms and agreements and general contracts. This position will also work with other attorneys across all practice groups within the Legal Department.
What we are looking for:
Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Draft standardized and customized bank agreements, forms, and other legal documents for use with customers and third-party service providers.
• Provides legal support on compliance, operational, and risk management matters including product management and development.
• Provide legal and business risk assessment and analysis on new products and services, sales agreements, and go-to-market strategies from the concept through development to the launch stage and ongoing support and solutions for various services.
• Work cross-functionally across product and legal teams (including data privacy, intellectual property, antitrust, regulatory, compliance, and franchise) to advise holistically on product constructs and commercial agreements to ensure that they are consistent with corporate strategy, internal policies and procedures and applicable laws and regulations.
• Provide ad hoc support to internal stakeholders across all payment services and platforms, including checks, ACH, wire transfers, and digital payments.
• Provide ad hoc support to internal stakeholders across all cash management products, including but not limited to remote deposit capture, sweep products, and online banking.
• Provides legal advice and representation on customer and third-party matters and disputes.
• Participates in the definition and development of branch banking, deposit operations, and risk management policies, procedures, and quality control programs.
• Structure, negotiate and draft commercial agreements with technology and other partners
• Oversees the work of outside counsel for engagements on behalf of the Company.
• Assist with strategic payment optimization and API banking initiatives.
• As needed, provide guidance on Bank's obligations as it relates to legal process.

Education, Previous Work Experience, and Other Requirements

• Juris Doctor from an accredited law school.
• Active license to practice law in Arizona or another U.S. Jurisdiction.
• 6-10 years of relevant experience in private practice or in-house.
• In-depth knowledge of the legal and operational aspects of the U.S. banking industry and payments systems, including bank deposits, money transmission/money services businesses, funds transfers, check/ACH/wire processing, and payment cards.
• Relevant experience should include working knowledge of the Uniform Commercial Code (with particular emphasis on Articles 3, 4, and 4A), Nacha Operating Rules, and Regulation E.
• Working knowledge of consumer compliance law in the financial services space.
• Strong drafting and negotiating skills across a range of complex commercial contracts and the ability to analyze and identify core legal issues.
• Experience negotiating and drafting commercial agreements with technology partners.
• Excellent writing and drafting skills.
• Advanced ability to review legal research and analyze and summarize findings as necessary.
• Exceptional oral, interpersonal, and presentation skills.
• Excellent organization, prioritization, and multitasking skills, practical and effective problem-solving skills, strong analytical, negotiation, and communication skills
• Ability and drive to take ownership of projects and tasks.
• Comfortable with gray areas and interpreting and applying the law in unsettled contexts.
• Creative thinker with strong problem-solving skills.
• Must be thorough and detail-oriented, able to prioritize, and juggle multiple projects and demands.

Compensation: Salary range for new hires is generally $197,863.00 - $244,536.00 for Irvine, CA. Salary amount is determined by specific job location. In addition, the role may be eligible for annual bonus/incentives earned and restricted stock.
Benefits you'll love:
We offer all the important things you'd want - like competitive salaries, an ownership stake in the company, medical and dental insurance, time off, a great 401k matching program, tuition assistance program, an employee volunteer program, and a wellness program. In addition, you'll have the opportunity to bolster your business knowledge, learning the ins and outs of how successful companies operate and manage their finances, giving you invaluable hands-on experience to help grow your career!
About the company:
Western Alliance Bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of Western Alliance Bancorporation. Alliance Bank of Arizona, Alliance Association Bank, Bank of Nevada, Bridge Bank, First Independent Bank, and Torrey Pines Bank are divisions of Western Alliance Bank; Member FDIC. AmeriHome Mortgage is a Western Alliance Bank company.
Western Alliance Bancorporation is committed to equal employment and will consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, sex, color, religion, age, nation origin, marital status, disability, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or genetic information. Western Alliance Bancorporation is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. If you are an individual with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process and/or need an alternative method of applying, please email HR@westernalliancebank.com or call 602-386-2488. When contacting us, please provide your contact information and state the nature of your accessibility issue. We will only respond to inquiries concerning requests that involve a reasonable accommodation in the application process.
© Western Alliance Bancorporation