Associate/ Assistant General Counsel and Director - Employment & Benefits APAC

Job Description:

At Bank of America, we are guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better through the power of every connection.  Responsible Growth is how we run our company and how we deliver for our clients, teammates, communities and shareholders every day.

One of the keys to driving Responsible Growth is being a great place to work for our teammates around the world. We’re devoted to being a diverse and inclusive workplace for everyone. We hire individuals with a broad range of backgrounds and experiences and invest heavily in our teammates and their families by offering competitive benefits to support their physical, emotional, and financial well-being.

Bank of America believes both in the importance of working together and offering flexibility to our employees. We use a multi-faceted approach for flexibility, depending on the various roles in our organization.

Working at Bank of America will give you a great career with opportunities to learn, grow and make an impact, along with the power to make a difference.  Join us!

Job Description:
Provides general, strategic legal counsel on employment and benefits related matters, as well as specific advice on products, services, contentious and regulatory HR matters and legislative and regulatory change. Reviews legal contracts and HR documents and policies. Individuals in this position typically have a minimum of 10 years of experience since admission to the Bar.

Responsibilities:

The primary responsibility of this role is to provide first class, commercial and risk-appropriate legal advice to HR in APAC. This lawyer will have day to day interaction with the HR generalists and country HR partners in the different APAC jurisdictions. The role requires close liaison with other control functions as well as internal and external lawyers. The role will build a strong relationship with HR and LOB clients and must have an ability to identify practical legal solutions and make recommendations. The role will be part of a 2 person HR legal team in APAC and will report to the Head of International HR Legal, based in London.

• The role is located in our Bank of America offices on Hong Kong Island. However, we will consider applications from Singapore also as the role could be carried out from there as well.

• Managing and advising on the legal/reputational and regulatory risks arising at all stages of the employment cycle in accordance with the bank's risk framework and culture.  Acting as strategic partner to the business, assisting the business to weigh the risk/reward balance whilst acting responsibly managing queries from HR and the business, including Compliance, Risk and Audit on a range of issues. Working closely with the other APAC HR legal attorney and the EMEA HR Legal team, together with other lawyers including regulatory lawyers.

• Providing regular training to HR and Legal on employment law matters, frequently asked questions and HR legal documents.

• Engaging and managing outside counsel in a cost-efficient manner.

• Providing general legal support to the business, including the procurement of appropriate regulatory advice.

• Keeping up to date with applicable legal and regulatory changes and managing any resulting process or policy changes.

• Providing advice in respect of the HR aspects of data privacy issues.

• Advising on the HR elements of M&A activity, out­sourcing and other transactional projects.

Required Skills:

• In-house employment lawyer with experience of employment laws and regulations across the APAC Region

• Law degree required

• At least 10 years post qualification experience

• Fluent spoken and written English required

• Role to be based in Hong Kong (or Singapore if preferred)

• Large law firm training and/or in-house Legal department experience, in the area of employment law in the APAC Region, preferably in international banking and finance (or with clients in that area)

• Experience in advising on HR regulatory issues

• Ability to manage responsibilities across multiple jurisdictions and time zones and manage a high volume of work and clients in a fast-paced environment

• Ability to communicate clearly and persuasively, both verbally and in writing, and to adapt to a variety of audiences

• Ability to be successful in a global, matrixed organisation

• Well-grounded in principles of common law, employment law and contract law

• Proficient in Word, Excel and PowerPoint