Trade Finance Lawyer

Job description

The role of the Trade Finance Lawyer is to:
· Primarily to support the lead counsel for trade (UK) on trade finance transactions and associated project work.
· Act as a trusted adviser to the HSBC UK trade finance business by providing sound and practical legal advice, guidance and support on both core trade and commodity and structured trade finance transactions;
· Provide ad-hoc support to the Global Trade and Receivables Finance (GTRF) UK Legal team leader on other work handled by the GTRF UK legal team including, receivables and asset finance transactions, as required.

Key Accountabilities
· Provide counsel and legal support on GTRF matters with a particular focus on trade finance.
· Engage with key stakeholders including the business teams, financial crime and compliance, product, trade services etc.
· Offer advice that is pragmatic and commercial, taking into account HSBC's internal policies and procedures and the context of the wider transaction and risk.
Your responsibilities will include:

Customers / Stakeholders
· Working closely with the lead counsel for trade to provide prompt, commercial, practical and high quality legal advice to GTRF UK with a significant focus on core trade and commodity and structured trade finance transactions.
· Supporting the GTRF UK legal team leader on other work streams covered by the team as required including receivables and asset finance.
· Building and maintaining positive and effective relationships with the GTRF UK business and other key stakeholders including financial crime and compliance, product, trade services, tax as well as external law firms where appropriate.

Leadership & Teamwork
· Work collaboratively with the lead counsel for trade and the team leader to support the GTRF UK business and to build effective relationships with stakeholders in that business.

Operational Effectiveness & Control
· Assist the relevant functions/departments to remain compliant with legal risk management requirements set out in the Group Standards Manual and Legal Functional Instruction Manual (FIM) and with the Group's Global Standards.

Major Challenges
The diverse responsibilities of the job require the job-holder to:
· Learn and understand the various products and terminology used in the context of financing trade;
· Provide advice in an environment that is complex and multi-jurisdictional;
· Provide advice that addresses not just legal, but regulatory and reputational risk;
· Be alert to external legal, political and regulatory considerations and implications.

Role Context
· The jobholder will be a member of the Commercial Banking (CMB) legal team.
· The jobholder assists the lead counsel for trade and the GTRF UK team leader.

Role Dimensions
· The jobholder will be responsible primarily for providing legal support to the trade businesses within GTRF but also ad-hoc support for the other businesses supported by GTRF UK legal, namely receivables and asset finance.

Desired profile

Qualifications :

The ideal candidate for this role will have the below experience and qualifications:
·  Qualified lawyer with post qualification experience. Qualification in England and Wales would be preferred but other jurisdictions considered.
·  Some experience of transactional banking is essential, and experience in any of the following areas would be highly desirable (trade/commodity finance, receivables finance, asset based lending or shipping). Candidates with some cross-border banking experience would also be viewed favourably.
·  Able to demonstrate a genuine interest in international trade.
·  Self-motivated with a desire to learn and develop expertise in this niche practice area.
·  Organised and able to prioritise competing demands, often in a highly pressurised environment.
·  Personable with good communication and inter-personal skills.
·  Excellent written and spoken communication skills with experience of successfully influencing others, negotiating effectively and winning over audiences with compelling and persuasive presentations
·  Built effective networks both internally and externally and created opportunities for others to work collaboratively
·  A track record of making strategic business decisions, considering relevant risks, long term implications, commercial realities and stakeholders needs

The base location of this role will be 120 Edmund Street, Birmingham

HSBC is committed to building a culture where all employees are valued, respected and opinions count. We take pride in providing a workplace that fosters continuous professional development, flexible working and opportunities to grow within an inclusive and diverse environment.