Managing Director & Deputy Chief Counsel – Commercial Transactions

Your opportunity

The Managing Director & Deputy Chief Counsel – Commercial Transactions oversees the firm’s contracting function, delivering strategic legal guidance, defining contract strategies, and leading complex negotiations. This role manages a legal team and partners with business and risk stakeholders to drive efficiency and innovation. Candidates must hold a JD, have 15+ years of commercial transactions experience, deep expertise in technology and regulatory frameworks, proven change management skills, and a strong commitment to operational excellence, including leveraging AI-enabled legal tools and performance metrics.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic legal advice to senior executives and business leaders on commercial matters of significant complexity.
• Define and implement contract strategy, workflows, and best practices across the enterprise.
• Serve as the primary liaison with Corporate Vendor Management and other key stakeholders to optimize contracting processes.
• Lead negotiations for high-value, high-risk, or escalated commercial agreements, including technology, intellectual property, outsourcing, and market data contracts.
• Review and finalize agreements to ensure compliance with regulatory standards and firm policies.
• Supervise and mentor a team of commercial attorneys and legal professionals, ensuring workload balance and professional growth.
• Establish performance objectives, OKRs, and KPIs for team members.
• Collaborate with Risk Management, Compliance, and other control functions to align contracts with the firm’s risk appetite.
• Stay current on regulatory developments and industry best practices impacting commercial transactions.
• Partner with business units, sourcing managers, and legal subject matter experts to support strategic initiatives, including new products, technology procurement, and IP management.
• Lead and mentor the team in adopting and effectively using AI-enabled legal tools (e.g., for contract review, risk analysis, workflow automation), ensuring alignment with Legal Department objectives.
• Develop metrics and feedback loops to measure the impact of efficiency initiatives including AI adoption on transaction speed, quality, and risk management, and use insights to refine practices.

What you have

• Juris Doctor (JD) and admission to practice law in relevant jurisdiction.
• 15+ years of experience in commercial transactions, preferably within financial services.
• Proven track record in negotiating complex agreements and managing legal teams.
• Strong knowledge of technology, IP, data protection, and regulatory frameworks.
• Competency in change management including guiding teams through change including digital transformation initiatives and overcoming resistance to new processes.
• Experience developing and tracking efficiency metrics (e.g., contract cycle time reduction, accuracy improvements, workload optimization) to measure the impact of AI adoption.
• Strategic thinking and ability to influence at the executive level.
• Exceptional negotiation and communication skills.
• Commitment to operational excellence and continuous improvement.