Senior Legal Counsel (Interim) (D52AFB6)

Referment is working with a UK-regulated bank that specialises in cross-border payments and foreign exchange, connecting hard-to-reach and emerging markets to the global financial system. Its customers include banks, fintechs, corporates, governments and development organisations, and its legal team advises right across the organisation's product set and international footprint.

The team is looking for an Interim Senior Legal Counsel for an engagement of up to six months, providing resource cover within the legal function while a team member is on parental leave. It is a hands-on advisory role, not a management post.

The Role

You’ll take day-to-day ownership of the legal work supporting the rollout of new banking products to a global customer base, advising as the product set evolves, spotting the risks that come with delivering into challenging markets, and recommending how to mitigate them. Alongside this, you’ll advise on regulatory matters, including licensing and an evolving regulatory landscape across multiple jurisdictions, working closely with the group’s Risk and Compliance teams.

You’ll act as a subject matter expert to front, middle and back office teams, helping drive business initiatives forward from a legal and regulatory perspective. That doesn’t mean knowing every answer in advance - it means knowing how to find answers, building an understanding of novel issues quickly and giving clear, pragmatic guidance. You’ll also support the structuring and implementation of strategic partnerships and take a lead role on legal matters across the wider organisation.

What We’re Looking For

You’ll be a qualified solicitor in the UK, US or another common law jurisdiction with 8–15 years’ PQE, with in-house experience in a banking environment and a solid understanding of wholesale banking products and their related risks.

• Working knowledge across a wide range of banking products - securitisations, trade finance, lending and treasury products are all in scope, and exposure to stablecoin and digital assets would strengthen your case
• Strong negotiation experience across a range of products, deals and international counterparties
• A commercial mindset - you see the big picture while protecting the business from key risks
• The ability to explain complex legal concepts across the business and to draft legal documents in clear, plain English
• Comfort with novelty and ambiguity: you research new legal issues quickly, take ownership of your matters, and know when to decide and when to escape

Desirable Experience

• Legal and regulatory work across emerging markets
• Licensing and permissions work, including CRR analysis and structuring deals and solutions off the back of it
• An interest in improving how the legal function operates - streamlining its interactions with the business and developing self-service processes where sensible
• Additional languages used across the organisation's markets, such as French, Spanish or Arabic

This Could Suit

An experienced in-house banking lawyer who wants a high-ownership interim mandate and can commit to up to six months. Prior interim experience helps you land quickly, but what matters most is the ability to get up to speed in a fast-paced, changing environment and start advising with confidence. The role is based in London and works on a hybrid basis.

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