Counsel, Vice President

SMBC Group is a top-tier global financial group. Headquartered in Tokyo and with a 400-year history, SMBC Group offers a diverse range of financial services, including banking, leasing, securities, credit cards, and consumer finance. The Group has more than 130 offices and 80,000 employees worldwide in nearly 40 countries. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. (SMFG) is the holding company of SMBC Group, which is one of the three largest banking groups in Japan. SMFG’s shares trade on the Tokyo, Nagoya, and New York (NYSE: SMFG) stock exchanges.

In the Americas, SMBC Group has a presence in the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Peru. Backed by the capital strength of SMBC Group and the value of its relationships in Asia, the Group offers a range of commercial and investment banking services to its corporate, institutional, and municipal clients. It connects a diverse client base to local markets and the organization’s extensive global network. The Group’s operating companies in the Americas include Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (SMBC), SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc., SMBC Capital Markets, Inc., SMBC Rail Services LLC, Manufacturers Bank, JRI America, Inc., SMBC Leasing and Finance, Inc., Banco Sumitomo Mitsui Brasileiro S.A., and Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Co., Ltd.

**Role Description**:
The Vice President and Counsel for Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation will work within the Legal Department and report to the Deputy Head of the Lending Practice Group in New York. As a local embedded employee of SMBC Canada Branch, the primary work location will be in Toronto, Canada. For local employee matters, there will be a dotted line reporting to the Head of Compliance of the Canada Branch. The work will be hybrid, with 2 days a week expected in the office.

**Role Objectives**:
Primary responsibilities of the VP and Counsel, will be to act to support to the Canada Branch on Canadian law matters as an embedded member of the Legal Department.

Transactional (50%): As a member of the Lending practice group within the Legal Department, the attorney will assist SMBC Canada Branch’s commercial banking transactions.

Duties include: (i) reviewing, drafting, and negotiating documentation for credit transactions, such as bilateral and syndicated credit agreements, reimbursement agreements, guarantees, security agreements, engagement letters, commitment letters, fee letters, term sheets and NDAs, (ii) working closely with the front office and other internal stakeholders to assist with the structuring and coordination of credit transactions, (iii) supervising and managing external counsel, (iv) identifying and analyzing cross-border legal, regulatory, and market issues affecting the commercial lending businesses, including the legal risk associated with new products and activities, (v) maintaining and updating form documents, (vi) providing periodic advice to other SMBC offices on matters of Canadian law and market practice, and (vii) participating in continuing legal education seminars of relevance to the commercial lending businesses and participating in relevant industry groups (e.g., LSTA) in order to maintain current knowledge of developing law and market practice.

Procurement and Sourcing (30%): Work with the Technology, Operations, and Procurement (TOP) practice group of the Legal Department, to assist the third-party contract needs for the Canada Branch. Duties include: (i) reviewing, drafting, and negotiating vendor contracts, (ii) working closely with third party risk management and various stakeholders, (iii) supervising and managing external counsel that are engaged to assist with third party contracts, to ensure the work product is consistent with broader practice and risk tolerance for the Americas Division.

**Qualifications and Skills**:

- Admission to the Ontario bar (or clear qualification of eligibility for waiving in from another jurisdiction) and a member of good standing of such bar.
- 4 years minimum experience at a law firm or in-house legal department advising financial institutions on bilateral and syndicated commercial lending transactions. Excellent legal and analytical skills, and the ability to provide sound legal advice with good judgment with emphasis on professional code of conduct of attorneys and integrity. Broad experience in general credit transactions and cross-border financing is preferred.
- Excellent communication skills, technical drafting skills, and issue-spotting skills. Ability to work under pressure, operate comfortably in a fast-paced, demanding environment, and manage a significant workload with mínimal supervision. Ability to think creatively and propose solutions.
- Must be a team player.

**Additional Requirements**:
D&I Commitment

Responsible for fostering a culture of diversity and inclusion, holding leaders accountable for creating an inclusive environment through awareness and practice of equity in recruiting, developing, and pr