Head of Legal, Korea

Department:   Legal

Position:          Head of Legal, Korea

Location:        Seoul

Reporting to:  1. General Counsel Asia-Pacific (Functional reporting)

2. Country Manager Korea and Head of Seoul Bank Branch

3. Head of Seoul Securities Branch (Hierarchical reporting)

ROLE PROFILE

Role Summary

• Member of the Legal Asia-Pacific team, as well as the Management Team of Korea.
• Providing legal advice and support to ING Bank NV’s Korea franchise, comprising Seoul Bank Branch and Seoul Securities Branch (collectively, “Seoul Branches”), with a mandate to manage legal risk and keep the Bank safe and secure.
• Trusted business partner that supports the implementation of business strategy in Korea and Asia-Pacific.
• Overall responsibility for providing legal and regulatory advice and transactional support for the Seoul Branches.
• Member and contributor to the Lending Product Legal team and/or Financial Markets Product Legal team in the Asia-Pacific region, which provides legal support for Lending and Financial Markets transactions respectively for ING’s Wholesale Bank business.
• Functional reporting line into the General Counsel Asia-Pacific. At a country level, reporting into the Country Manager of Korea and Head of Seoul Bank Branch, as well as the Head of Seoul Securities Branch, through hierarchical reporting lines and/or service level arrangements.

What you’ll do

• General advisory, drafting and review work to support ING Bank’s business franchise in Korea. Including but not limited to (a) outsourcing; (b) data protection; (c) analysis and advice on applicable local laws and regulations.
• Monitoring legal and regulatory developments affecting Seoul Branches’ business activities; advising management and stakeholders of the implications. Assisting regional and local management in understanding and addressing the effects of applicable laws and regulations.
• Providing legal advice to ensure compliance with internal policies, standards, guidelines, and procedures of the Bank.
• Participating, advising and contributing to Korea Country Management Team meetings and discussions.
• Key stakeholder in managing Non-Financial Risk for the Seoul Branches Branch, alongside colleagues from Risk functions (e.g. Compliance, Non-Financial Risk, et al).
• Providing legal advice to the local Data Protection Officer of the Branch on data protection policies and procedures; advising on data protection related agreements and matters.
• Managing litigation and investigations involving ING Bank in Korea.
• Providing transactional legal support to various product lines in Seoul Branches, including Lending, Transaction Services, Financial Markets, Capital Markets Advisory. 
• Designing and updating in-house facility documentation templates in line with internal banking policies, market standards and industry practice.
• Participate in, and contribute to, regional and global Legal Practice Groups on policy, documentation and transactional matters.
• Training and educating staff from the Seoul Branches on legal, regulatory and/or documentation matters. 
• Developing and maintaining a strong professional network with industry and external counsel for transactional or regulatory matters.

What you bring

(A) Competencies

• Sound understanding of wholesale banking products and related back-office processes.
• Good quality transactional experience across some or all Wholesale Banking products (Lending, Transaction Services, Financial Markets, Capital Markets, Securitisation, Corporate Finance), and good working knowledge of the others.
• Strong working knowledge of local laws and regulations affecting Wholesale Banking business and products in Korea (including Korea foreign exchange regulations)
• Familiarity with European banking laws and regulations (e.g. MIFID, EMIR) would be an advantage.
• Strong drafting and negotiating skills and good familiarity with industry standard documentation (e.g., LMA, APLMA, ISDA, ICMA).
• Capable of working independently on country related matters, whilst collaborating effectively with team members located in other jurisdictions on product related matters or projects.

(B) Pre-requisites

• Qualified to practice law in Korea and/or another jurisdiction (e.g., UK, US, EU).
• At least 12 years Post Qualification Experience, preferably gained in a top tier law firm or in an international bank.
• Prior relevant working experience in a law firm and/or financial institution in Korea would be a distinct advantage.
• Fluent in English and Korean.

What we offer

• Exposure to a key growth business within ING Wholesale Banking
• An international environment with close collaboration across Asia
• Opportunities to apply operational or credit expertise in a broader commercial context
• A culture that values ownership, collaboration, and continuous learning

How to apply

Click the apply button on our career site and submit your application via Workday, ING’s official recruitment system.

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About ING

With 65,000 employees and operations in approximately 40 countries, there is no shortage of opportunities for people with initiative who want to help people take a step ahead in life and in business. Do you want to work at the cutting edge of what’s possible and at the same time ensure you work with integrity and hold the customer’s interests at heart? Do you want to be surrounded by progressive, inspiring, diverse and supportive colleagues? Then there is no better place to invest your talents than at ING. Join us. Apply today.