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BUSINESS UNIT DESCRIPTION

The Administration group is comprised of Legal, ESG & Corporate Governance and Government Relations. Collectively, this group enables CIBC’s core purpose: to help make our clients’ ambitions a reality by providing legal advice across CIBC and by protecting the legal rights and legal relation between CIBC and our clients and employees.

The Legal Department provides legal advice, as well as related transactional, regulatory and litigation support across all lines of CIBC's business globally.

JOB PURPOSE

This position, based in Hong Kong, principally supports CIBC’s Capital Markets’ businesses and activities in the Asia Pacific Region. CIBC Capital Markets in the Asia Pacific Region spans Corporate Banking, Global Markets and Investment Banking businesses.

The overall purpose of the job is to provide leadership and advice regarding legal matters, with the objective of helping business leaders achieve business goals in a manner consistent with sound risk management. The Head of Legal, Asia Pacific manages litigation, and participates as the Legal representative on the APAC management committee and other regional governance and deals committees.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES

Value Added Partner

• Provide legal advice in the early stages of business management’s strategy development and key decisions.

• Provide legal guidance in relation to business plans, and help to ensure proper implementation of those plans, consistent with legal and regulatory objectives.

• Active member of the Asia Pacific Management, Operating and Regulatory Committees.

• Fulfill commitments embodied in the Legal Department mandate.

Transaction and Litigation Support

• Provide legal advice and related governance to support CIBC’s businesses in Asia-Pacific region, including with respect to CIBC’s Capital Markets products, services and distribution channels, employment law matters and regulatory changes.

• Negotiate CIBC’s agreements in Asia, either directly or through external counsel acting under your oversight.

• Manage CIBC’s litigation in Asia Pacific Region and keep global Legal team and Asia Pacific regional manager apprised of significant developments and deadlines. Often such litigation involves complex cross-border issues requiring coordination and management among internal business and infrastructure groups, law firms, witnesses and courts in different jurisdictions and time zones.

• Active member of Asia Pacific Region deals committees.

Internal and External Business Development/Client Service

• Monitor legal changes in the relevant jurisdictions to assess the impact on relevant lines of business, and identify new business opportunities and/or regulatory risks.

Risk Management

• Identify legal risks, and significant incidents of non-compliance, and escalate these to global Legal team and senior management of Asia Pacific Region, ensuring such risks are properly understood. Where possible, propose appropriate risk mitigation.

• Provide legal advice and governance support to colleagues in the Risk Management and Compliance teams.

• Provide corporate secretarial support to CIBC’s subsidiaries in the Asia Pacific Region.

Operational/Business Effectiveness

• Ensure that solutions are tailored to meet operational as well as regulatory requirements. Requires ongoing coordination among multiple functional groups and executive management and cross-border deals committees and a solid working knowledge of the financial, operational and technology specifications supporting a product or service. This is particularly important with regard to the firm’s trading and transactional businesses and the bank’s strategic initiatives in the regions.

CROSS-FUNCTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS

• Frequent contact with business and regional management to identify and discuss business issues and needs and to provide consistent and time-sensitive advice.
• Internal Committees: Asia Pacific Management Committee, Asia Pacific Operating Committee, Asia Pacific Deals Committee, Asia AML Committee, Hong Kong Management Committee
• Regular contact with Legal colleagues in other regions, and with members of other internal control and Functional Groups, in order to promote a consistent approach and the development and execution of an effective and integrated control environment.
• Regular contact with industry peers, both individually and through industry associations, to discuss emerging concepts, practices and experiences and to strategize on approaches to proposed regulatory actions.
• Regular contact with local counsel throughout the regions to ensure clear advice, manage costs and keep abreast of legal and regulatory reforms regionally

COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS/RESPONSIBILITIES

As an employee of CIBC, the incumbent must comply with all applicable CIBC and Line of Business policies, guidelines and controls.

AUTHORITIES/DECISION RIGHTS

• Strategic decisions driven by regional legal and regulatory factors (e.g., structuring a product/service, responding to a significant regulatory inquiry or deciding litigation strategy, etc.).
• Determining use of external legal counsel on specific matters, having regard to issues of approved law firm policy, quality, commercial awareness, consistency and cost controls.
• Formulating a legal position on a particular issue in close partnership with the business unit involved and other infrastructure groups, and communicating it effectively and efficiently to appropriate constituencies. This may involve submission of a formal comment letter in connection with proposed regulation, either in coordination with industry groups and/or independently.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

• Bachelor of Laws with not less than 10 years of post-call practice experience gained at a leading law firm, while experience in a similar role at another financial experience will be an asset.
• In depth technical knowledge of applicable securities and banking laws and regulations and good working relationships with CIBC’s principal regulators.
• Solid Sufficient knowledge of financial regulations and regulatory frameworks in the region to identify issues and retain appropriately qualified local counsel.

• Knowledge of CIBC’s global practices, procedures and policies sufficient to interpret and analyze complex concepts and apply in an innovative way to a diverse array of products and services.
• Knowledge of industry and market practices, products and services sufficient to analyze complex issues and developments and apply such knowledge to CIBC’s own practices, products and services; reshaping practices or procedures to conform to industry norms in order to avoid heightened regulatory scrutiny.
• Knowledge of operations, systems and other information delivery mechanisms sufficient to evaluate issues, products and services that are impacted by these functions/facilities.
• Ability to effectively manage cost constraints and need for cost-effective solutions (e.g., cost control/reduction initiatives such as keeping legal projects in-house; rigorous use of approved law firms with rebated fees; capital reorganisation/reduction projects designed to eliminate group companies or better manage capital, with attendant tax, audit fee and cost of capital savings).
• Advanced communication skills sufficient to effectively deliver the message within an appropriate legal framework, without sacrificing creativity or subtlety.
• Influential skills sufficient to shape the decision-making process in situations where there may be a natural resistance to the advice (e.g., in deal making environment; in board meetings as a Director of several group companies).
• Problem solving skills sufficient to maximize the solutions available within a given regulatory context.
• Management/leadership skills sufficient to motivate and guide a diverse workforce faced with frequent organizational and operational change and increased demands on services.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• This role operates within a normal office environment with little exposure to adverse working conditions.

What you need to know

• CIBC is committed to creating an inclusive environment where all team members and clients feel like they belong. We seek applicants with a wide range of abilities and we provide an accessible candidate experience. If you need accommodation, please contact Mailbox.careers-carrieres@cibc.com
• You need to be legally eligible to work at the location(s) specified above and, where applicable, must have a valid work or study permit

Job Location

2 Queens Road Central

Employment Type

Regular

Weekly Hours

37.5

Skills

Business Contracts, Business Transactions, Contract Negotiations, Critical Thinking, Decision Making, Executive Leadership, Legal Consulting, Litigation, People Management, Strategic Advice