Union Bank, N.A. seeks a senior bank securities attorney to assist in providing legal support to its registered broker dealer and investment adviser and to Bank departments engaging in securities-related activities.  The position may be located in San Francisco, Los Angeles or San Diego.  The candidate must be a member of the California State Bar or otherwise qualified to practice law in California as in-house counsel.

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years experience with a law firm or legal department, a substantial portion of which has been in the securities area;
• Knowledge of the laws and regulations applicable to bank-affiliated broker dealers, investment advisers, and to banks engaging in securities-related activities, including regulations of SEC, FINRA, OCC and Federal Reserve;
• Ability to provide counsel and guidance to officers of a bank or securities firm on matters ranging from complex legal questions or inquires to routine day-to-day legal matters;
• Ability to analyze and research complex legal issues and translate such research and analysis into practical and effective advice to bank or securities firm officers;
• Ability to be flexible in accepting additional or changed duties as demand for legal services within Union Bank evolves;
• Excellent issue spotting, risk assessment and problem solving skills;
• Strong written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills, including negotiation skills;
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail; and
• Flexibility and adaptability to changing priorities and deadlines.

Knowledge of laws and regulations applicable to bank fiduciary activities is a plus.

Major Responsibilities (Include some or all of the following):

• Assist in providing legal counsel to Union Bank’s affiliated broker dealer and investment adviser, and to bank departments engaged in securities-related activities,  including the following:
• Review and advise on issues related to regulatory matters, new legislation, and compliance questions;
• Draft client and vendor contracts and other documents related to brokerage and investment advisory business, including client applications and agreements, NDAs, and vendor arrangements;
• Assist with responses to RFP’s and changes to Forms BD and ADV;
• Assist with new product development;
• Review policies and procedures, mutual fund disclosure statements, and marketing materials.
• Consistent with relevant background and experience, may assist in providing legal advice with respect to Union Bank’s fiduciary activities;
• Serve as consultative resource to other Union Bank in-house counsel as to areas of subject matter expertise.
• Keep informed of state and federal legislative and regulatory proposals that would affect banks or their affiliated broker dealers and investment advisers;
• May play an active role in education and training of less experienced in-house counsel or paralegals or Bank officers; and

If you are interested in this position, please call Earl Uriarte, of the Union Bank Talent Acquisition and Staffing Department, at 916-321-3112, or forward your resume to him at ernesto.uriarte@unionbank.com.

Union Bank is committed to leveraging the diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and
experiences of our workforce to create opportunities for our people and our
business.  EOE. M/F/D/V

Profitability and growth greatly exceed that of conventional banks in the West. By definition, these underbanked markets are characterized by undercapacity, rather than overcapacity we find at home. With too few banks, existing institutions can, and do, reach out for customers new to banking rather than compete for existing bank customers.  Consequently, growth rates and returns on assets and equity are substantially higher than that found in more developed economies. Balance sheets tend to be simpler in structure and  capital ratios tend to be much higher.

We will discuss:

• What makes this market very different?
• Why are savings accounts so important, perhaps  more so than loans?
• What role have new technologies and new strategies played?
• What are the regulatory challenges created by new technologies and strategies?
• Three examples of banks serving the underbanked in three very different ways.

Michael Abrahams:

Mr. Abrahams is the founder and portfolio manager of the New Markets Financial Fund, a fund created to invest in financial institutions which serve the underbanked. For over 20 years, he was an investment banker covering the financial services industry. He has raised capital for a number of institutions serving the underbanked consumer and has served on the board of directors of two major financial institutions. Mike opened the Fund in January 2007 to invest in financial institutions serving underbanked markets, firms that both substantially improve the living standards of their customers and provide strong investment potential. The investments are chiefly in small to mid-capitalization companies trading in Africa, Asia and North America. While markets have been turbulent for much of this period, the Fund has realized a gross return of approximately 58% through year end 2011.

Separate from the Fund, Mike has trained individuals living in West Africa to lead locally based savings and credit groups and is currently working to expand and institutionalize that effort.

Mike received his Ph.D. in Economics from Berkeley and, prior to Wall Street, was an economist for the Reagan Administration in the Office of Management and Budget helping to craft the Administration’s banking policy.

COST: Law Firm Members – $62; In-house Members – $59; Solo Members – $55

Ted Teruo Kitada:

Mr. Kitada is the chief payment counsel to Wells Fargo, providing advice and guidance on many payment matters, including primary payment systems (wire transfers, checks, ACH, and prepaid and debit cards); deposit services and products; bank operations; Check 21; image exchange arrangements; mobile banking; electronic banking; unclaimed property; and compliance with a variety of state and federal laws and regulations relating generally to bank deposits and operations.

Mr. Kitada received his B.A. from Stanford University (magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa), his J.D. from the University of California, School of Law, Berkeley, and a Masters in Regional Studies-East Asia from Harvard University.

COST: Law Firm Members – $62; In-house Members – $59; Solo Members – $55

• An analysis of the likelihood of success and impact of bondholder efforts to
  remove the proposed $8.5 billion Bank of New York settlement on Countrywide RMBS to federal court;
• The strategy behind and strength of the FHFA’s 18 recent lawsuits on behalf
  of the GSEs against MBS issuers based on misrepresentations and securities law
  violations;
• An update on the status of the bond insurer lawsuits against BofA and JP
  Morgan, and their precedential value in the RMBS litigation landscape; and
• The relative benefits and drawbacks of securities law claims compared to
  putback claims and a discussion of the mechanics of a mortgage putback,
  including procedural requirements, burden of proof and timelines.

COST: Law Firm Members – $62; In-house Members – $59; Solo Members – $55

Union Bank, N.A. seeks a senior bank regulatory and contracts attorney to provide legal support to its contracts management and regulatory compliance functions.  The position may be located in San Francisco, Los Angeles or San Diego.

Qualifications

• Candidate must be a member of the California State Bar or otherwise qualified to practice law in California as in-house counsel;
• Minimum 15 years experience either as in house counsel with a bank, or experience with a law firm, providing advice to banks;
• Demonstrated ability to provide counsel and guidance to bank officers on matters ranging from complex legal questions or inquires to routine day-to-day legal matters;
• Ability to analyze and research complex legal issues and translate such research and analysis into practical and effective advice to bank officers;
• Thorough knowledge of legal principles applicable to bank contracts, preferably including experience in bank vendor management regulation, technology contracts, intellectual property rights and indemnification provisions;
• Knowledge of laws and regulations applicable to banks and to oversight of banks by government regulators;
• Excellent issue spotting, risk assessment and problem solving skills;
• Strong written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills, including negotiation skills;
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail; and
• Flexibility and adaptability to changing priorities and deadlines.

Major Responsibilities

• Provide legal counsel to Union Bank’s contracts management function and assist in negotiating major bank contracts;
• Provide legal counsel to various Bank units related to compliance with the banking laws, and related laws, including the Dodd-Frank Act, and regulations applicable to banks, including regulations of the OCC and Federal Reserve;
• Keep informed of state and federal legislative and regulatory proposals that would affect banks;
• Assist in planning and creating policies for the Bank’s contracts management and regulatory compliance functions;
• May take an active role in education and training of less experienced in-house counsel or paralegals or Bank officers; and
• Serve as consultative resource to other Union Bank in-house counsel as to assigned subject matter areas.

If you are interested in this position, please call Earl Uriarte, of the Union Bank Talent Acquisition and Staffing Department, at 916-321-3112, or forward your resume to him at ernesto.uriarte@unionbank.com.

Union Bank is committed to leveraging the diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences of our workforce to create opportunities for our people and our business.  EOE. M/F/D/V

• the increase in non-practicing entity (NPE) lawsuits;
• the patent marketplace post-Nortel and Google-Motorola; and 
• patent system reform

Full Time – San Francisco

As Compliance Counsel, you’ll play a key role in managing compliance issues and risks related to Square’s rapidly expanding payments activities. You will provide guidance regarding the full range of financial services regulatory requirements for online and offline payments, including FinCEN regulations, network rules, anti-money laundering processes, KYC obligations, and licensing regimes. You will help to establish and maintain company-wide programs to support compliance in our products and activities. This will involve working closely with external advisors and internal experts regarding the many aspects of legal compliance, as well as serving as a liaison to law enforcement agencies.

Responsibilities:

• Advise on regulatory and industry requirements for financial service activities
• Lead development of regulatory compliance policies and programs
• Identify risk areas and develop systems and procedures to manage and mitigate them
• Communicate with business partners about regulatory obligations and risk management processes
• Counsel product and business development teams
• Work with state, local, national, and international law enforcement agencies to detect and eradicate fraudulent activity
• Manage responses to compulsory legal process from law enforcement and civil litigants

 Requirements:

•  J.D. degree with outstanding academic credentials
• Membership in at least one state bar (preferably California)
• Minimum of 7-10 years of experience, with experience at top-tier financial services company or regulatory body preferred
• Extensive knowledge of financial services / payments compliance requirements and regulations, including anti-money laundering, customer treatment (including FCRA), KYC, escheat, data security, and privacy policies
• Experience with US regulatory system, with additional experience with non-US jurisdictions preferred
• Strong leadership and project management skills
• Team-oriented approach

If interested, click here to apply.