Legal - Legal Counsel - VP

Details of the Division and Team:    

Deutsche Bank (the “Bank” or “DB”)’s Legal function provides legal advice and services to the Bank with the goals of managing the Bank’s legal risks to ensure that transactions are viable and safe and protecting the integrity and reputation of the Bank. We promote and foster lawful and responsible business through a true partnership with the Bank’s business divisions. DB is a multi-service financial institution. It supplies many different products and services to a large variety of customers and counterparties around the world. In such a complex business environment, Legal works closely with business, management and other areas in the Bank. In Japan, Tokyo Legal has been operating as small but stable team for many years, but with departure of senior lawyer, we are seeking to hire a motivated and capable lawyer to fill the open position.

This role will be responsible for providing legal support to the Bank’s businesses in Japan, with primary coverage focus on (a) Global Financing and Credit Trading business (“GFCT Business”) in the Bank’s Investment Bank division and (b) financing and lending business of the Bank’s Corporate Bank division (“CB Lending Business”). Overview of the two businesses are:

• GFCT Business:

This business covers many forms of financing, lending, arrangement, trading and investment including, inter alia, credit products, commercial real estate, asset-backed finance and distressed products.

• CB Lending Business:

Corporate Bank division provides global transaction and commercial banking services to corporate clients, and CB Lending Business in Japan offers primarily trade finance facilities (e.g., short term loans, bank guarantees, letters of credit), syndicated corporate loans and ECA-backed export and/or project financing.

This role will be asked to assist across a number of these business lines. This role will involve the legal and regulatory risk management of new and existing transactions.

What we will offer you:         

A healthy, engaged and well-supported workforce is better equipped to do their best work and, more importantly, enjoy their lives inside and outside the workplace. That’s why we are committed to providing an environment with your development and wellbeing at its center.

You can expect:

• Corporate Group Insurance – premium borne by company
• Annual health checkup – cost borne by company (once a year; conditions apply)
• Flexible Work Arrangements – various ways to work, to fit employees’ needs
• Child care and elderly care benefits – corporate discount through designated child care & elderly care vendors
• EAP – free and confidential counseling, online work-life resources
• Employee networks – Diversity, volunteering, sports, family care - various activities to participate
• Special leaves entitlement

Your key responsibilities:

• Providing robust legal advice to GFCT Business and CB Lending Business on all aspects of their transactions from structuring/design to completion and lifecycle events.
• Advise in relation to reputational risk.
• Advise in relation to global regulatory requirements such as German Bank Separation Act (GBSA), Volker Rules, Capital Requirements Regulations (CRR), in coordination with DB’s Global Legal team.
• Advise in relation to regulatory change which may impact the businesses and assisting them to comply with a developing regulatory landscape.
• Participate in, and provide approvals (or disapprovals where necessary), in various internal control processes, such as, inter alia, New Product Approval (NPA) and New Transaction Approval (NTA) process including preparation of approval memorandum.
• Instruct and manage external counsel appropriately and cost effectively.
• Troubleshoot, by dealing with defaults, restructurings, disputes, and materialisation of legal and commercial risk.
• Draft, review and negotiate a wide variety of finance and other documentation.
• Work with other functions (e.g., Compliance, Tax, Credit Risk Management) in DB Japan and with Regional and Global Legal teams as appropriate.

This role also entails providing legal services to other businesses or infrastructure functions or advising on corporate or organizational matters, including supporting other lawyers, as required.

Your skills and experience:

• Qualified lawyer with good post-qualification experience (5 to 7+ years PQE)
• A proficient and broad technical knowledge in banking and finance including relevant Japanese laws and regulations
• Experience in a major law firm, in-house legal department or an investment bank and/or in an international business environment would be desirable.
• Native-level Japanese and proficient English
• A team player who is flexible and commercially minded
• Willing to tackle new products and knowledgeable in relation to current regulatory regimes
• Communication/Connectivity:
• Excellent verbal and written communication and influencing skills (Japanese and English)
• Ability to actively engage with business and other infrastructure areas
• Being confident and willing to challenge
• Problem solver / Flexibility:
• Proactive and solution focused approach to work
• Ability to manage priorities
• Willingness to take on new challenges and learn new things
• Willing to work as an in-house counsel in an international financial firm (i.e., proactively understanding business needs, managing risks and providing practical advice)
• Willing to positively work in a small team, support colleagues and challenge various tasks beyond the primary coverage

How we’ll support you:        

• Flexible working to assist you balance your personal priorities
• Coaching and support from experts in your team
• A culture of continuous learning to aid progression
• A range of flexible benefits that you can tailor to suit your needs
• Training and development to help you excel in your career

About us and our teams:

Deutsche Bank is the leading German bank with strong European roots and a global network. click here to see what we do.

Deutsche Bank & Diversity

We strive for a culture in which we are empowered to excel together every day. This includes acting responsibly, thinking commercially, taking initiative and working collaboratively.

Together we share and celebrate the successes of our people. Together we are Deutsche Bank Group.

We welcome applications from all people and promote a positive, fair and inclusive work environment.