Legal Counsel, Transaction Banking, MEPA

Job Summary

As Legal Counsel for Transaction Banking in the MEPA (Middle East and Pakistan), you will play a pivotal role in providing comprehensive legal support across a diverse range of transaction banking products including lending, sustainable finance, Islamic finance, cash and trade transactions, as well as supporting distressed assets legal team and Transaction Banking. You will collaborate closely with the Transaction Banking product legal team and various stakeholders to structure, review, and implement new transactions, products and business initiatives, ensuring full compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

Your responsibilities include managing complex multi-jurisdictional transactions, troubleshooting legal and documentation challenges to accelerate deal execution, and embedding global legal standards within regional practices. You will also support Compliance on regulatory matters and risk management pertaining to Transaction Banking, while fostering a proactive legal environment that anticipates and mitigates potential issues.

This role demands a strategic partner who can advise the Transaction Banking business on legal risks and opportunities, ensuring that all client documentation aligns with both regional nuances and global minimum standards.

• Ensuring that all client legal templates and documentation for Transaction Banking in MEPA are regularly reviewed, updated, and tailored to local regulatory requirements without compromising global legal standards.
• Driving the implementation and adoption of new legal templates and standards across the region, working collaboratively with product teams and other internal stakeholders to streamline documentation processes.
• Justifying and managing non-standard or supplementary legal templates, ensuring all deviations are rigorously assessed and approved through the Client Template Approval Process.
• Providing vital support to the Loan Documentation Unit (LDU), taking ownership of removing bottlenecks and enhancing efficiency within legal documentation workflows.
• Embedding Operational Risk Framework requirements to strengthen controls and mitigate risks associated with legal transactional processes.
• Leading coordination efforts between cluster teams, country legal teams, product specialists, and various stakeholders, fostering a unified approach to legal risk management and client service delivery.
• Conveying complex legal issues with clarity and precision in written and verbal communications to senior executives, ensuring that decision‑making forums are well supported with legal insights.
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with regional legal colleagues, compliance, risk management, credit, and other functional teams to ensure seamless collaboration and alignment on legal matters.
• Optimising the utilisation and monitoring of external legal counsel, striving for cost efficiency and adherence to best practices.
• Collaborating closely with distressed assets legal and disputes resolution teams to provide comprehensive legal input on litigation matters related to Transaction Banking.

• Qualified solicitor, attorney, barrister, or advocate in one or more relevant jurisdictions within the MEPA region where Standard Chartered operates.
• Extensive legal experience supporting Transaction Banking functions, specifically across trade finance, lending, collection, liquidity, escrow, cash payments, and processing.
• Strong cross‑functional collaboration skills, capable of engaging effectively with diverse teams across jurisdictions and functions.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex legal projects and oversee geographically dispersed, varied customer and product portfolios.
• A sharp commercial mindset, balancing legal rigor with practical business considerations to enable sound and timely decision making.
• Excellent communication skills, with the capacity to simplify complex legal issues and present them clearly to senior stakeholders.
• Proven ability to build trusted relationships and deliver legal advice that supports business goals and reinforces regulatory compliance.
• Proven track record in commercial banking legal practice, with specialisation in lending, trade finance, and cash management products.
• Familiarity with the regulatory landscape and legal frameworks governing transaction banking activities within the MEPA region.
• Ability to effectively manage cross‑border legal issues and multi‑jurisdictional transactions.
• Strong interpersonal skills for collaboration with various business, risk, compliance, and legal teams.

We're an international bank, nimble enough to act, big enough for impact. For more than 170 years, we've worked to make a positive difference for our clients, communities, and each other. We question the status quo, love a challenge and enjoy finding new opportunities to grow and do better than before. If you're looking for a career with purpose and you want to work for a bank making a…