Wealth Legal - Business Strategies & Initiatives Attorney - VP

The Lead Counsel II is a senior level position in the Wealth Legal – Business Strategy & Initiatives (BS&I) legal team, responsible for providing legal guidance and thought leadership to the Wealth business. The BS&I legal team covers an excitingly wide range of work and often takes on the initiatives that don’t fall clearly within one of the other Wealth Legal product areas.

The diverse work includes advising on general regulatory implementation, cross-product initiatives, business strategy projects, global legal services issues, data protection and digital transformation project work and general projects.

This role requires a pragmatic, proactive attorney with a general grounding of US financial services/private bank/wealth management regulation, combined with a solid conceptual/practical grounding in the laws and regulations for the geographies in which we operate.

As part of this role the attorney would be expected to input into strategic decisions, exercise sound legal judgement to develop proactive, risk-appropriate, and commercially practical business-oriented solutions.

• Responsible for providing legal counsel to the Wealth business, participating in strategic initiatives, providing subject matter expertise and interpretations of relevant laws, rules, regulations, and industry practices, and advising business management on legal matters impacting the business
• Collaborates across internal lines of business and control/support functions to achieve coordinated and efficient outcomes on matters of common interest; coordinates closely with the Legal team on a regional and global basis, and with external counsel as necessary
• Works with their legal counterparts and other key stakeholders to develop best practices across teams and in connection with various initiatives (including transformation, technology, knowledge management, and digitization)
• Participates in Wealth planning and development initiatives; contributes to business objectives by providing thought leadership using knowledge of industry, laws, and regulations
• Proactively identifies, evaluates, and contributes to the appropriate management of legal, regulatory, and reputational risk by collaborating with Compliance & Risk, following relevant legal developments, participating in internal projects, escalating as appropriate
• Manages day-to-day legal activities as a subject matter expert in area of responsibility and provide advisory services to business partners
• Monitors management of complex legal issues and transactions, escalating when necessary
• Appropriately assess risk when business decisions are made, demonstrating particular consideration for the firm's reputation and safeguarding Citigroup, its clients and assets, by driving compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations, adhering to Policy, applying sound ethical judgment regarding personal behavior, conduct and business practices, and escalating, managing and reporting control issues with transparency, as well as effectively supervise the activity of others and create accountability with those who fail to maintain these standards
• Works closely with Global Legal Service team to manage outside counsel budgeting and selection in alignment with Citi’s new law firm Panel structure, and other initiatives as needed.

• 4-6+ years of relevant industry experience, preferably in financial services
• Good knowledge of financial services, and experience with private wealth management or investment advisory services for individuals
• A grounding in one or more of the following would be helpful:
  • SEC regulations, such as the Securities Act of 1933, Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Investment Company Act of 1940 and Investment Advisers Act of 1940
  • FINRA rules applicable to SEC registered broker-dealers
  • Dodd Frank, Volcker Rule
  • Regulation Best Interest and fiduciary concepts applicable to retail clients in the wealth management industry
• Knowledge of international laws, regulations and practices while staying abreast of regulatory and legal environment, internal policies and industry trends that impact the business
• Experience with complex deals, demonstrated ability to analyze…