The qualified candidate will report to the company?s General Counsel. The responsibility of the Legal Counsel will be advising the business on broker/dealer and other securities law matters, providing day-to-day legal support to our broker/dealer and investment advisory businesses, as well as drafting various legal agreements, disclosures, broker/dealer policies and procedures, and supporting corporate governance management. The Legal Counsel will handle routine regulatory inquiries as well as complex, time sensitive regulatory matters, and partner with Legal and Compliance teams across the enterprise on such matters. The Legal Counsel will also manage all broker/dealer related complaints, litigation and arbitration as well as oversee the work of outside counsel on such matters.
Principal Duties and Responsibilities:
- Participate in the definition and development of corporate policies, procedures and programs and provide continuing counsel and guidance on legal matters and on legal implications of all matters regarding the broker/dealer, including collaboration with other teams when applicable. Engage in research and drafting of memoranda and presentations for key business initiatives.
- Draft, manage, and/or review all broker/dealer legal agreements including vendor agreements, contracts, NDAs, consulting agreements, order routing agreements, disclosure agreements, and broker to broker agreements.
- Handle customer complaints, arbitrations and litigations with an eye towards an efficient resolution. Judge the merits of major court cases filed against or on behalf of the company, work with the appropriate executive(s) to define strategic defense and approve settlements of dispute where warranted. Work with other functions on remediation of deficiencies identified.
- Respond to regulatory inquires and enforcement matters. Provide guidance to executive management regarding industry and Firm related regulatory matters; manage regulatory filings.
- Selection, retention, management, and evaluation of all outside counsel.
- Work within legal budget.
- Regulatory development tracking and implementation.
Education, Skills and Experience:
- 7-10 years relevant experience across comparable in-house positions and/or a major U.S. or international law firm.
- J.D. from accredited law school, admitted to practice and in good standing with relevant state bar;
- Excellent academic credentials.
- Ability to handle significant regulatory matters independently.
- Familiarity with U.S. and/or global securities laws, with working knowledge of the ’33 Act and ’34 Act.
- Understanding of industry specific issues and FINRA Rules.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills and strong organizational skills.
- Ability to prioritize amongst competing and changing deadlines.
- Experience with E&O, D&O and Fidelity matters.
- Experience managing other attorneys and supervising support staff in a corporation is required as well as experience with cost effective management of outside legal resources.
Atria Wealth Solutions, Inc. (Atria) is a wealth management solutions holding company focused on delivering a clear path to the future of financial advice for financial professionals, financial institutions and their clients. Headquartered in New York City, Atria’s broker-dealer subsidiaries empower financial institutions and independent financial professionals with a sophisticated set of tools, services and capabilities that drive growth. Atria’s broker-dealer subsidiaries include CUSO Financial Services, LP, Sorrento Pacific Financial, LLC, Cadaret Grant & Co., Inc., NEXT Financial Group, Inc. and Western International Securities, Inc. Atria’s subsidiaries together support nearly 2,500 financial professionals with more than $75 billion of assets under administration. For more information, please visit www.atriawealth.com.
EOE