Director, Legal & Trading Documentation

About the role

CIBC's Global Legal team provides independent legal advice, along with transactional, regulatory and litigation support, across all its businesses globally. This Director role reports to the Managing Counsel and General Manager of Derivatives and Trading Documentation in Toronto, and locally to the Executive Director and Head of Legal, Asia Pacific. It covers capital markets documentation, hedging facilities and the legal support of CIBC's Capital Markets business in Asia.

Key responsibilities

• Negotiate and execute documentation for capital markets products, including ISDA Master Agreements, repurchase and securities lending agreements and collateral agreements.
• Provide negotiation and transactional support for hedging facilities linked to syndicated project finance and other commercial agreements for Corporate Banking and other business lines in Asia.
• Implement CIBC's documentation policies and procedures in line with bank and regulatory standards, and ensure consistent application.
• Advocate for CIBC's legal interests and reputation on deal committees approving transactions and commitments.
• Give legal advice early in business strategy and key decisions, and oversee legal and regulatory changes affecting capital markets trading in the Asia Pacific region.
• Identify legal risks and non-compliance incidents, escalate them appropriately and propose risk mitigation.
• Work with business and regional management, trading rooms, relationship managers, Risk Management, Compliance and local counsel, and with industry peers and regulators.

Required profile

• LL.B. degree and 5 to 10 years of post-qualification experience.
• Prior experience in trading and derivative documentation and negotiation is required.
• Experience with loan-linked derivatives and credit documentation, and with regulatory documentation (initial margin, self-disclosure letters, RMS requirements), is an asset.
• Legal eligibility to work in Hong Kong; a valid work or study permit is required where applicable.

Required skills

• Sufficient working knowledge of laws and regulations relevant to banks and financial institutions.
• Solid understanding of credit and operational risk in capital markets.
• Excellent communication, negotiation and presentation skills, and strong organizational and time management.
• Able to learn legal and regulatory requirements across the Asia Pacific region and to tailor solutions to different products and business lines.