Director, Legal Counsel- Regulatory Enforcement

Your opportunity

At Schwab, you’re empowered to make an impact on your career. Here, innovative thought meets creative problem solving, helping us “challenge the status quo” and transform the finance industry together.  The Litigation, Enforcement, and Internal Investigations is affectionately and colloquially known as the flagship of Schwab's Legal Department. The group encompasses several areas, including litigation, arbitrations, internal investigations, and regulatory relationships and defense, which is where this position is based. 

We believe in the importance of in-office collaboration and fully intend for the selected candidate for this role to work on site in our Westlake, TX location.

This position is primarily responsible for regulatory inquiries, investigations, enforcement, and defense, and may also assist with internal investigations and litigation. Responsibilities include all aspects of interaction with state and federal prudential and functional regulators and law enforcement, which encompasses factual investigation, interviewing witnesses, and drafting and reviewing a variety of documents and correspondence.  The legal matters handled by this attorney involve sensitive issues of importance to the firm. This attorney also provides legal advice and counseling to operational, risk, and compliance groups at Schwab.   

Your responsibilities will include: 

• Enforcement defense: Strategically analyze, develop, and execute responses to inquiries on behalf of Schwab.  Conduct attorney-client privileged reviews, gathering and assessing relevant documents and information; identify and interview key witnesses and stakeholders and engage outside resources as appropriate to assist with responding to regulators.  Evaluate trends and themes across inquiries for escalation to appropriate personnel.
• Collaborating: Work across the legal department and with business counterparts and corporate affairs to ensure transparency and alignment; proactively identify risks and recommend mitigation strategies.
• Leading: Possess and apply to regulatory responses a broad knowledge and understanding of Schwab and its businesses, the complex regulatory framework in which the Schwab operates, and the broker-dealer and financial services industry generally. Lead, direct, assist, and support external counsel and in-house counsel in managing significant matters.
• Learning: Work on cutting edge financial and regulatory issues essential to Schwab’s business strategy: our portfolio of escalated inquiries matters includes a remarkable variety, including those based in broker-dealer, bank, and securities laws and regulations. 
• Having fun: Culture is important to us! You’ll be joining a terrific team and some of the best professionals in the industry. While this is serious work, none of us take ourselves too seriously.
• Other duties as otherwise assigned: IYKYK. And when you’re in the regulatory enforcement space, you know that it’s impossible to capture everything in a simple job description

What you have

To ensure that we fulfill our promise of “challenging the status quo,” this role has specific qualifications that successful candidates should have: 

Required Qualifications: 

• A law degree (JD or equivalent) from an accredited US law school and are admitted to and in good standing with at least one U.S. state bar. 
• More than seven years of experience as a practicing attorney in-house, at law firm, or with the government, with a significant focus in prosecution or regulatory defense relating to financial services or complex white collar matters. 
• Knowledge of securities industry regulatory practices and securities rules.  

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Experience practicing with or before the SEC or FINRA.
• Experience litigating matters in court or in arbitrations.
• Experience leading or conducting in internal investigations.
• Strategic, practical, and creative insights with excellent emotional intelligence and outstanding client relationship management and negotiation skills. 
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Extraordinary interpersonal and communication skills and excellence at communicating information effectively internally and externally, including to non-legal audiences.
• Excellent judgment and comfort making critical decisions under challenging circumstances and compressed timelines. 
• Comfort with people-from from the most senior executive leaders to folks that have never spoken to a lawyer before—and being equally at home in a conference room, a board room, a virtual meeting, or a courtroom. 
• Confidence and decisiveness.
• A love for challenges and solving problems, taking pride in your work, and finding joy in the process. 

In addition to the salary range, this role is also eligible for bonus or incentive opportunities.