Associate Counsel

About The Role

The Associate Counsel is responsible for legal advice and support to the company on a range of matters pertaining to it’s mortgage business, ensuring compliance with federal and state laws and regulations.  This role involves reviewing and drafting legal documents, managing legal risks, supporting business initiatives, and working with external counsel.

Essential Job Duties/Responsibilities:

The following job functions are not all-inclusive. The employee will be required to perform other job-related tasks/responsibilities as requested. Job duties may change as required by the needs of the company.

• Commitment to and behavior modeling of the Company’s Core Values
• Observable display of a sense of urgency in the execution of duties
• Serve as a technical legal advisor on matters involving structured finance transactions, securitizations, and mortgage servicing rights (MSRs).
• Provide legal oversight for capital markets activities, including warehouse lending, repurchase agreements, and investor relations.
• Advise on regulatory compliance with federal and state laws impacting mortgage origination, servicing and securitized products.
• Collaborate with internal business units, including finance, operations, and risk, to structure transactions and mitigate legal risk.
• Manage external counsel relationships and oversee legal due diligence for complex financial transactions.
• Support corporate general counsel, head of risk management, and other executive leadership with strategic legal advice and participate in strategic projects.
• Work with staff on subpoena response and other third-party legal requests.
• Regular on-site attendance
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• J.D. from an accredited law school and active membership in good standing with at least one U.S. state bar.
• Minimum of 5 years of legal experience in structured finance, securitized lending, or mortgage banking, preferably with a combination of law firm and in-house experience.  Familiar with mortgage lending regulations both state and federal.  Experience working with mortgage counter parties and agencies.
• Deep understanding of capital markets, securitization structures, and mortgage servicing regulations.
• Proven ability to manage complex legal issues and provide practical, business-oriented solutions.
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, and leadership skills.
• Effective business writing, time management and organizational skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment
• Self-motivated with an ability to work independently and in a team environment
• Strong organizational skills and ability to handle detailed assignments
• Ability to prioritize workload while meeting deadlines
• Ability to communicate in writing and verbally effectively
• Preferably has familiarity with GSE guidelines, REMIC structures, and servicing agreements.

Note

This job description is meant to describe the general nature and level of work being performed; it is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for the position.  While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, the Company reserves the right to revise the job or to require that other or different tasks, duties, and responsibilities be performed as assigned, or to otherwise change this job description at any time with or without notice.