In-House Counsel

Overview

This role involves joining the organization’s internal Legal team as In-House Counsel. The position supports commercial banking operations, distressed loan management, litigation, and transactional matters. The attorney will work closely with in-house counsel, external counsel, and internal credit and special assets teams, as well as executive management.

Responsibilities

Commercial Loan Workouts & Debt Restructuring

• Provide legal advice on criticized, classified, nonperforming, and distressed loans, including commercial and industrial, commercial real estate, construction, equipment finance, and asset-based lending relationships.
• Partner with Legal, Special Assets, and Credit teams to develop workout strategies based on repayment prospects, collateral support, guarantor strength, and available enforcement options.
• Structure, negotiate, draft, and review forbearance agreements, loan modifications, extensions, settlements, discounted payoffs, debt restructurings, and other workout arrangements.
• Evaluate enforceability of loan documents, guarantees, liens, and security interests; identify documentation weaknesses and recommend corrective actions.
• Advise on borrower and guarantor defaults, cross-default provisions, financial covenant violations, lender remedies, and reservation of rights.
• Support negotiations involving additional collateral, guarantor contributions, collateral sales, changes in ownership, and other recovery arrangements.

Litigation, Foreclosure, & Enforcement

• Lead the organization’s legal strategy for loan enforcement, collection actions (including post-judgment enforcement), foreclosure proceedings, guaranty enforcement, and related disputes.
• Evaluate litigation risks, recovery prospects, settlement alternatives, estimated costs, and the timing of potential recoveries.
• Oversee outside counsel handling foreclosures, receiverships, collateral recovery, lender liability claims, and other credit-related litigation.
• Advise on enforcement of security interests, repossession and disposition of collateral, deeds in lieu of foreclosure, and negotiated collateral surrender.
• Coordinate legal matters involving bank-owned real estate, including title issues, possession disposition, and associated liabilities.
• Manage discovery, document preservation, litigation holds, and responses to subpoenas relating to assigned matters.

Commercial Contracts and Loan Closings

• Review, draft, and negotiate commercial loan documentation, loan purchase and sale agreements, vendor contracts, commercial real estate leases and purchase and sale agreements, and other commercial agreements.
• Provide legal advice on loan closings, including loan documentation issues, title issues, and loan structuring, and negotiate with opposing counsel as needed.

Bankruptcy and Complex Creditor Matters

• Represent the organization’s interests directly, or through outside counsel, in borrower and guarantor bankruptcies and related proceedings.
• Advise on lien priority, preference, competing creditor claims, and potential challenges to the organization’s security interests.
• Review and negotiate intercreditor agreements, subordination agreements, and agreements involving participants and other creditors.
• Support complex restructurings involving multiple lending relationships, related entities, and competing sources of repayment.

Risk Management and Business Partnership

• Provide practical, timely recommendations that balance legal risk, recovery objectives, and reputational considerations.
• Identify potential lender liability exposure, defenses, counterclaims, and risk arising from borrower communications or the bank’s exercised remedies.
• Coordinate with internal and external specialists on environmental, title, tax, insurance, and other collateral-related issues.
• Review proposed workout and settlement terms for consistency with the organization’s policies, approval requirements, and legal requirements.
• Communicate material legal developments, strategy recommendations, and significant exposures to executive management and committees.

General Operational Support

• Support various business units by reviewing and revising existing operational forms and agreements; draft new operational forms and agreements as needed.
• Provide day-to-day legal and regulatory guidance on commercial lending policies, Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) compliance, and basic banking operations.

Qualifications

• Education: Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an ABA-accredited law school.
• Licensure: Active member in good standing of the state bar in at least one U.S. state.
• Experience: Minimum 5 years of legal experience in a law firm or corporate legal department focusing on creditor’s rights, commercial bankruptcy/restructuring, commercial lending, commercial litigation, or financial services.
• Knowledge: Familiarity with Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), state foreclosure laws, bankruptcy code provisions (Chapters 7 and 11), commercial loan structures, post-judgment enforcement, and federal banking safety and soundness standards.
• Skills: Strong analytical, written, and verbal communication skills; ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and effectively to completion; sound commercial judgment and discretion with confidential organization data; ability to be flexible and adaptive; ability to work effectively independently and within a team; ability to work effectively in a demanding, deadline-driven environment; detail oriented with excellent organizational skills; positive servant-leadership mindset.

Requirements

• Occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 lbs.
• Literacy in English.
• Ability to sit for extended periods of time; twist, bend, sit, walk; use hands to twist, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls (e.g., computer mouse, computer keyboard, calculator, stapler, telephone, staple puller); reach with hands and arms; balance, stoop, kneel; talk, or hear.
• Specific vision abilities required: close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

Compensation & Benefits

• Anticipated salary range: $135,000 - $177,000
• Final employment offers will be dependent upon the selected candidate’s relevant qualifications and experience.
• Benefits (may vary for part-time positions) may include:
  • Employee Stock Ownership Plan & 401k Plan
  • Healthcare (Medical, Dental, Vision, Telehealth, Life insurance)
  • 12-week Paid Parental Leave and Medical Leave: with a cap of 20 weeks for eligible team members who qualify for both Medical and Parental Leave related to the birth of a child
  • $5,000 Family Care Reimbursement: childcare, elder care, student loan debt, pet expenses, down payment assistance
  • PTO from 13 to 23 days depending on tenure, with cashout and carryover options
  • 10 days sick time
  • 11 paid holidays
  • 4 days volunteer time
  • 2 days self allowance time
  • Tuition assistance

Equal Opportunity Employer

The organization is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, veteran’s status, status with regard to public assistance, or any other class protected by Federal, State, or local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.