Assistant General Counsel - Commercial Lending

** Work Arrangement/Location: This is a hybrid position requiring in-office work three days every week.  Ideally the position will be based in Buffalo, NY but may be in an M&T office in, Baltimore, MD, NYC, NY, Wilmington, DE, Bridgeport, CT, Paramus, NJ, or Washington, DC.

The successful candidate will join a small team of seasoned attorneys in the Commercial Lending practice group in the Legal Department of M&T Bank Corporation (NYSE: MTB), providing legal counsel and support to various commercial lending segments within the Commercial Division of M&T Bank, a New York state-chartered bank with branches and commercial lending offices in multiple states throughout the northeast United States.

The ideal candidate will have several years of high-quality experience with advising and representing financial institutions on legal and regulatory matters related to the documentation, negotiation, closing and servicing of commercial lending transactions – including both bilateral and syndicated loans – collateralized primarily by business assets and owner-occupied real estate.

• Promptly address day-to-day legal and other related risk issues arising in connection with proposed, new and existing commercial lending transactions, including advising bank officers at various levels and across various functions

• Drafting, reviewing, negotiating and revising commercial loan documents

• Maintaining and enhancing template commercial lending agreements and related forms (both home-grown and vendor-based) for use in documenting commercial lending transactions

• Interface with and assist with the management of approved outside legal counsel

• Drafting and coordinating guidance and communications with outside legal counsel used to close commercial lending transactions  

• Advising internal clients on the development, implementation and expansion of new credit products, services, markets and distribution channels (e.g., digital lending and electronic signatures)

• Monitoring and advising internal client groups on any relevant federal and state laws, regulations and guidelines relating to commercial lending (e.g., UCC Article 9 and related articles, ECOA and Regulation B, FCRA, Fair Lending, Anti-Tying Regulations, Reg H Flood Insurance, etc.) and providing support to enterprise-wide compliance efforts

• Proactively identifying, evaluating and escalating legal and regulatory risks relating to commercial lending business activities, and working collaboratively and cohesively with first-line and second-line risk functions to effectively address and mitigate risks

• Providing Legal Department representation and support for various Commercial Division committees, project teams and working groups, as needed

• Monitoring industry developments and participating in industry groups/committees, as needed

• Developing and maintaining trusted working relationships with M&T Legal Department colleagues and internal clients, including loan officers, managers, risk management, compliance and audit partners, loan operations areas and other internal support partners.

• Contribute to the development and presentation of commercial lending training programs for internal clients

• Execute on strategic direction, policies and guidelines for the M&T Legal Department

Provide guidance to junior staff members; may supervise Paralegals and administrative staff.

Education, Experience and Skill Requirements:

• J.D. degree from an accredited law school

• Admitted and in good standing with the state bar of New York and/or other states in the M&T footprint

• Minimum of 4 years' experience as an attorney or other relevant legal experience

• Experience in a lead counsel, client-facing role in the commercial lending space required

• Strong familiarity with commercial lending documents of various types required

• Self-motivated and strong/proactive work ethic

• Ability to effectively, efficiently and independently identify legal issues, evaluate legal risks, and offer practical recommendations and solutions

• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills

• Effective collaborator and team player

• Strong analytical and decision-making skills

• Excellent writing and verbal skills

Education, Experience and Skills Preferred:

• 5+ years of experience in a lead counsel, client-facing role in the commercial lending space is highly preferred