Job Summary

The lawyer will provide transactional legal support to Standard Chartered Bank, Financial Markets team in IFSC Gift City, Gujarat (SCB Gift City), ensuring regulatory compliance and robust documentation. The lawyer will advise on legal risks, lead negotiations, and assist in structuring bespoke transactions. Oversight of external legal providers will be maintained to ensure quality, cost-effectiveness and compliance.

•    To provide legal support to SCB Gift City and Standard Chartered Bank, India (“SCB India”), to the extent it is in conformity with the applicable regulatory requirements.
•    To assist the management of the SCB Gift City and SCB India, in ensuring that suitable forms of legal documentation are utilised for transactions with third parties, incorporating adequate protections and remedies to address credit and event risk. Additionally, to support management in verifying that transactions with third parties are valid and enforceable under the laws of all relevant jurisdictions.
•    To provide support during the negotiation and finalisation of contractual documentation with clients and counterparties.
•    To assist in the structuring, design and documentation of structured and bespoke transactions specific to SCB Gift City and SCB India regulatory framework.
•    To identify legal risks and recommend strategies for their mitigation.
•    To oversee and manage the quality and cost of legal services provided by external law firms, and to approve the selection of such firms in relation to these responsibilities, ensuring compliance with the requirements of SCB Gift City’s and SCB India regulatory framework.
•    Provide transactional legal support to SCB Gift City and SCB India, ensuring compliant and robust documentation for third-party dealings. Advise management on legal risks, contractual negotiations and bespoke transaction structuring within the specific regulatory environment. Oversee external legal services to maintain quality, cost-effectiveness and regulatory compliance.

Key Responsibilities

Business
To deliver forward-thinking, commercially focused legal support for the development of new products and the management of legal risks across all products within the business stream. This includes:
o    Identifying and advising SCB Gift City and SCB India on legal matters related to new products during their development, collaborating with structurers, business sponsors and key support teams (especially Compliance), to ensure all risks are properly managed and approved.
o    Assisting in the review and completion of Legal & Documentation sections for all new product approval documents (such as Product Programme Guides (“PPG”), Country Addenda, and Product Addenda), and updating existing approval documents during scheduled renewals or whenever changes in market practice render them inaccurate.
To offer transactional support by:
o    Providing specialised legal advice to SCB Gift City and SCB India and, where necessary, to other in-house lawyers, during the negotiation and resolution of structuring and documentation matters.
o    Highlighting particular risks that require senior management approval and supporting the business in escalating these risks for decision-making.
o    Ensuring all documentation is valid, binding on counterparties, and compliant with internal approval requirements, policies and procedures.
•    To support the creation and regular review of standard form documentation (for instance, product termsheets) for generic products, recommending updates in response to legal and regulatory changes.
•    To advise documentation teams (such as Operations and Collateral Management) on permissible amendments to approved standard form documents, as well as reviewing and approving any non-standard or materially different documents in specific instances.
•    To participate in the review of legal opinions, including those regarding the enforceability of netting and collateral agreements used by SCB Gift City and SCB India, and to co-ordinate with internal forums or stakeholders to get relevant approvals for such arrangements for internal limits and capital adequacy considerations.

•    To contribute to the development and revision of policies and procedures as required.
•    To assist with the drafting and provision of legal advice relating to the issuance, distribution and sale of structured products linked to various asset classes (e.g. commodities, credit, rates, and FX).
•    To oversee the selection and appointment of external counsel in relation to product management and transactions, approve each appointment, and monitor the quality and cost-effectiveness of their services.
•    To build and maintain effective working relationships with Legal & Compliance colleagues in different geographical areas, especially on local legal and regulatory issues.

Processes
•    Support SCB Gift City and SCB India in:
•    minimising operational risks and losses and investigate material operational losses to help prevent recurrence.
•    representing Legal function, in any regulatory inspections, including from IFSCA.

Risk Management
•    Apply and interpret laws and regulations in a way that enables business activity without undermining SCB Gift City’s and SCB India’s position.
•    Recognise that many issues arising during the drafting or negotiation of documentation are not strictly legal, but may relate to credit, market, event, or operational risks. The Legal Counsel should understand these risks and work closely with such stakeholders to ensure such risks area appropriately flagged and addressed.
•    Document negotiation often requires the exercise of judgement, balancing business interests against the need to protect Standard Chartered Bank. While the Legal Counsel does not make the final decision, they must make well-informed recommendations and provide comprehensive information to assist decision-makers.
•    Be adaptable to a variety of legal systems, which may differ significantly from the one in which the Legal Counsel was originally trained.

Governance 
The job holder will have
•    Access to FM product specialists, marketers, sales staff, and the Head of Markets Legal, India.
•    The authority to approve non-standard documents and amendments to standard form documents on a case-by-case basis.
    
Regulatory & Business Conduct 
•    Demonstrate exemplary conduct and uphold the Group’s Values and Code of Conduct.
•    Take personal responsibility for maintaining the highest standards of ethics and regulatory compliance across Standard Chartered Bank. This includes understanding and complying with all applicable laws, regulations, guidelines, and the Group Code of Conduct, both in letter and spirit.
•    Support the Head of Risk & Control in achieving the objectives set out in the Bank’s Conduct Principles: Fair Outcomes for Clients; Effective Financial Markets; Financial Crime Compliance; and The Right Environment.
•    Proactively identify, escalate, mitigate, and resolve risk, conduct, and compliance issues.
•    Comply with responsibilities and rationale as prescribed by local regulators, including the IFSCA.

Key Stakeholders
Internal
•    FM product specialists, marketers, and sales staff
•    FM Compliance
•    Group Risk and Credit Officers
•    Relationship Managers
•    Documentation Units
•    Operations
•    Group Audit and Finance teams
•    Legal and Compliance teams throughout the Group

External     
•    Law firms engaged by Financial Markets.
•    External auditors.

Other Responsibilities
•    Provide innovative, commercially aware legal support for developing new products and managing legal risks in all products within their business stream, including:
•    Identifying and advising Financial Markets, India, on legal matters during the product development phase, working with structurers, business sponsors, and support functions (especially Compliance) to ensure proper risk management and approval.
•    Assisting in reviewing and completing Legal & Documentation sections for all new product approval documents (PPG, Country Addenda, Product Addenda),and updating these documents at renewal or when market changes require amendment.

Provide transactional support by:
•    Delivering expert legal advice to SCB Gift City and SCB India, and other in-house lawyers, during negotiations and on structuring/documentation issues.
•    Highlighting significant risks needing senior management approval and assisting with escalation.
•    Ensuring all documents are valid, binding, and compliant with internal policies and procedures.
•    Assist in developing and reviewing standard form documentation (e.g. product termsheets), recommending changes in line with legal and regulatory developments.
•    Guide documentation units on acceptable changes to standard documentation and review/approve any non-standard or significantly different documents in specific cases.
•    Support the review of legal opinions on enforceability of netting and collateral agreements, approving such arrangements for internal limits and capital adequacy purposes.
•    Contribute to the revision and creation of new policies and procedures.
•    Assist with documenting and providing legal advice for issuing, distributing, and selling structured products linked to various asset classes (such as commodities, credit, rates, and FX).
•    Manage the selection and appointment of external counsel for product and transaction matters, approve each appointment, and monitor their performance and cost.
•    Establish strong working relationships with Legal & Compliance staff in different regions regarding local legal and regulatory matters.

Skills and Experience

•    Ability to identify legal risks and provide mitigants.
•    Knowledge of laws applicable to Banking sector in IFSCA Gift City and India 
•    Ability to analyse business requirements and providing appropriate legal solution in line with the Standard Chartered Bank Group policies. 

Key Requirements for the role:
•    Knowledge of Financial Markets products and general understanding of CIB Client Coverage, Transaction Banking, and enabling cross-business assessment.
•    Located in Gujarat and working out of SCB Gift City office.
•    Sound understanding of FM Credit Risks.
•    Relevant experience in handling Financial Market legal function.
•    Strong analytical skills and attention to detail, with the capacity to interpret large volumes of information.
•    Problem-solving skills and the ability to influence at all levels within the business.
•    Capability to independently drive initiatives with minimal supervision.

Qualifications

•    Lawyer holding a (India) LLB degree, with at least 5–7 years’ post-qualification experience.
•    Demonstrable expertise in financial markets and general commercial banking, particularly across lending, trade finance, and cash management activities.
•    Specialist knowledge of financial derivatives, preferably developed in-house within an international or domestic financial institution.
•    Experience working within, or exposure to, emerging financial markets is advantageous.
•    Well-versed in the key elements of relevant laws and regulations pertinent to the regions in which the business operates.
•    Displays advanced analytical thinking and demonstrates a creative, solutions-driven legal approach.
•    Consistently exercises sound judgement and upholds high standards of personal authority and integrity.
•    Works independently, displays resilience under pressure, and maintains objectivity in all situations.
•    Approaches practices, procedures, and specific transactions with curiosity and a critical, questioning mindset.

About Standard Chartered

We're an international bank, nimble enough to act, big enough for impact. For more than 170 years, we've worked to make a positive difference for our clients, communities, and each other. We question the status quo, love a challenge and enjoy finding new opportunities to grow and do better than before. If you're looking for a career with purpose and you want to work for a bank making a difference, we want to hear from you. You can count on us to celebrate your unique talents and we can't wait to see the talents you can bring us.

Our purpose, to drive commerce and prosperity through our unique diversity, together with our brand promise, to be here for good are achieved by how we each live our valued behaviours. When you work with us, you'll see how we value difference and advocate inclusion.

Together we:

• Do the right thing and are assertive, challenge one another, and live with integrity, while putting the client at the heart of what we do
• Never settle, continuously striving to improve and innovate, keeping things simple and learning from doing well, and not so well
• Are better together, we can be ourselves, be inclusive, see more good in others, and work collectively to build for the long term

What we offer

In line with our Fair Pay Charter, we offer a competitive salary and benefits to support your mental, physical, financial and social wellbeing.

• Core bank funding for retirement savings, medical and life insurance, with flexible and voluntary benefits available in some locations.
• Time-off including annual leave, parental/maternity (20 weeks), sabbatical (12 months maximum) and volunteering leave (3 days), along with minimum global standards for annual and public holiday, which is combined to 30 days minimum.
• Flexible working options based around home and office locations, with flexible working patterns.
• Proactive wellbeing support through Unmind, a market-leading digital wellbeing platform, development courses for resilience and other human skills, global Employee Assistance Programme, sick leave, mental health first-aiders and all sorts of self-help toolkits
• A continuous learning culture to support your growth, with opportunities to reskill and upskill and access to physical, virtual and digital learning.
• Being part of an inclusive and values driven organisation, one that embraces and celebrates our unique diversity, across our teams, business functions and geographies - everyone feels respected and can realise their full potential.