Legal Counsel, Group Dispute Resolution (GDR)

ABOUT THE JOB

Overview of the position

You will be joining the LEGAL department in Geneva with a permanent contract. Our building is located next to station Lancy-Pont-Rouge. This position requires a Swiss residency up-on the start of the position.

As a Legal Counsel, Group Dispute Resolution (GDR),  you will also be a member of the Group Dispute Resolution CIB EMEA Platform.

Overview of the team

The Legal department Switzerland is an integrated control function of BNP Paribas in Switzerland covering its Zurich and Geneva branches.  Our team brings together qualified lawyers under Swiss, French and English law, providing legal support in French, English, German and Italian. The department comprises of legal team of 18 lawyers based in Geneva and Zurich servicing the various businesses of the bank, including a litigation team.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Your main responsibilities in this role:

Litigation / Pre-litigation:

• As a member of the Group Dispute Resolution CIB EMEA platform for Switzerland, you will be reporting to the Head of GDR CIB EMEA as your Hierarchical Manager and in liaison with the Territory Head of Legal. Your primary responsibility will be to manage, coordinate, and monitor civil pre-litigation and litigation matters (including proceedings for own account, HR, etc.), as well as administrative and criminal proceedings.
• Develop and deploy action or defense strategies in coordination with internal stakeholders and external counsel.
• Interact with numerous stakeholders within LEGAL to provide advice regarding litigation risk.
• Handle and monitor requests from judicial and administrative authorities related to the Bank's client activities.
• Participate in various Group committees concerning managed litigation matters.
• Contribute to the drafting of procedures and policies regarding litigation and the proactive management of legal risk.

You will contribute to the Swiss LEGAL team, in connection with your expertise in litigation, through the following missions:

Legal Advisory:

• Protect the Bank's interests in its business relationships with clients and all third parties.
• Support CIB and Swiss WM business representatives (and dedicated functions) with legal advice and opinions in analysing situations and making decisions regarding the Bank's management and the conduct of business.

Contracts:

• Provide standardized or specific documents, as well as legal opinions, to secure contractual relationships between the Bank and its partners.
• Offer advisory services to negotiate the best possible contractual terms.

Regulatory Requirements:

• Handle and monitor regulatory matters to ensure that the Bank operates and conducts its activities in compliance with the legal framework. 

Legal Watch:

• In collaboration with the Legal Watch officer, collect and distribute selected documents and instructions within the WM, CIB, and Transversal and Compliance legal departments, and relevant business lines and functions, in order to effectively and securely identify developments in Swiss and international legislation and regulation regarding international financial sanctions and embargoes.

Cross-Border Risks:

• Participate in implementing and ensuring compliance with the rules established for the WM Switzerland business line regarding cross-border risk management and ensure adherence to relevant prudential rules and recommendations.

Guiding Principles

Contributor Role:

• Ensure the implementation, interpretation, and application of Swiss, European, and US regulations regarding anti-money laundering (AML), anti-corruption, and countering the financing of terrorism (CFT), as well as compliance with international financial sanctions and embargoes.

Independence of Judgment and Action:

• Carry out duties with independence of judgment and action, in compliance with applicable rules and laws, in the Bank's interest.
• Critically analyse legal issues.

Documentation and Reporting:

• Document the exercise of responsibilities in order to keep records and be able to justify them to auditors and regulators. Report formally to the Hierarchical Manager as well as to the Head of Legal for the Swiss Territory.

Role as Guarantor of the Bank's Legal Security:

• This role comes with a duty to alert your Hierarchical Manager of any malfunction or issue likely to create legal risks and/or involve the Group's reputation, and, where applicable, to alert the Head of Legal for the Swiss Territory regarding legal and/or reputational risks concerning the Swiss Territory.
• Contribute to ensuring the legal security of the Bank's corporate life.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):

• Implementation status of tasks and actions under responsibility.
• Reporting on significant matters, litigation, and pre-litigation.
• Quality and risk indicators.

You will work in a dynamic, multicultural and international environment. There are hybrid/remote work options depending on role and department.

PROFILE & SKILLS

Education level:

• Holder of a bar admission (brevet d'avocat), ideally supplemented by a postgraduate degree (LL.M or other).

Experience level:

• Strong knowledge of financing and financial products, as well as prior litigation experience in civil, commercial, or criminal matters within banking institutions and/or a law firm active in the banking sector—minimum of 6 years.

Skills and competencies:

• Risk management.
• Adaptability.
• Collaboration / Teamwork skills.
• Ability to synthesize / simplify.
• Organizational skills.
• Customer oriented.
• Ability to lead meetings, seminars, committees, training sessions, etc.
• Ability to understand, explain, and drive change.
• Project management skills.
• Analytical skills.

Language skills:

• French and English: bilingual; German is a plus.

WHY JOIN BNP PARIBAS?

About BNP Paribas Switzerland

BNP Paribas in Switzerland is a bank of reference active in Geneva, Zurich and Lugano. It is a major European partner for companies, as well as institutional and private clients. Joining BNP Paribas will give you the opportunity to take part in an authentic company project, in which innovation and career management act as driving forces to help talents emerge, express themselves fully and open up to career opportunities on an international level, by integrating a group that stands as a leader within the Eurozone. Please visit us on BNP Paribas in Switzerland.

READY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

At BNP Paribas, we support the real economy and enable transformation through our diversified and integrated model. Guided by a simple principal to make a lasting impact.

• Our strength lies in our foundations : responsible, rigorous, ethical
• Our energy comes from our collective commitment: engaged teams, ready to take on ambitious challenges worldwide.
• Our focus: concrete, measurable impact, powered by tech. 

Ethics, at the heart of our recruitment

We ensure that every candidate acts with integrity. The information provided (CV, identity, previous professional experiences) may be verified at any point in the process.

Apply now! & Next steps/ recruitment progress

Please send your application and documents only via our official talent acquisition platform B.Welcome. Applications via e-mail and paper can’t be accepted due to data protection.

If your CV is selected by our talent acquisition team, you will be required to undergo a minimum of two interviews with the HR teams and operational managers.

Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion are at the heart of our values, and we welcome all talent without distinction. In a changing world, diversity, equity and inclusion are key values for the well-being and the good performance of teams. Finally, we insist on the particular importance of having our employees act daily in a spirit of ethical and professional responsibility.

NB: all terminologies apply in both the feminine and the masculine.