Locations: Buffalo, NY, Paramus, NJ or Wilmington, DE

Overview:

The successful candidate will join the Specialty Lending and Commercial Workout Practice Group in Legal, a growing practice group in the Legal Department; this role will provide comprehensive legal counsel and support to the Commercial Equipment Finance (CEF) division, a specialty lending business unit of M&T’s Commercial Banking division, responsible for (i) due diligence, document preparation, negotiation and “life of the deal” support in connection with mid-size, small ticket, and participated or assigned commercial equipment leases (tax and non-tax structures) and equipment finance/lending transactions, (ii) daily support to the CEF internal documentation team, (iii) review and support for participation/syndication matters for CEF (primarily, on the buy side); (iv) support with various municipal financing lease structures. Additional responsibilities include oversight and maintenance of standard forms utilized by M&T’s CEF group for documenting commercial equipment leases and financing agreements, assistance to the work-out group in connection with CEF transaction, assistance and support with legal department projects, and staying up to date on legal and regulatory requirements applicable to this industry.

More specifically, the successful candidate will need to excel in the following primary responsibilities :

• Address day-to-day legal question, issues and negotiations on new and existing commercial equipment finance transactions, including reviewing and revising M&T’s standard forms and agreements for various specialty equipment forms;
• Provide legal support to CEF’s documentation team and answer day-to-day questions from the CEF documentation and business unit;
• Provide guidance and support for existing products, new product design, geographic expansion and growth initiatives, taking into account all applicable laws, rules and regulations;
• Draft, maintain and review template agreements and forms for the CEF group, including marketing materials, research applicable laws and licensing statutes and advise the business unit.
• Advice on the development and interpretation of departmental policies; research and review existing law and make recommendations regarding new procedures and policies, as needed.
• Monitor legal and industry developments on relevant federal and sate laws, regulations and guidelines relating to commercial equipment finance and leasing (e.g. tax code, UCC Article 9, UCC Article 2 and 2A, Fair Lending, FCRA, Anti-Tying Regulations, municipal finance laws, Federal Aviation Administration regulations, laws and regulations specially applicable to aircraft, motor vehicles, and other specialty lending equipment).
• Identify, evaluate and escalate legal and regulatory risks relating to commercial equipment finance and commercial credit;
• Promote an environment that supports diversity and reflects the M&T Bank brand

Education and Experience Required:

• J.D. from an accredited law school.4
• 4 years previous experience as an attorney or other relevant experience.
• New York State or applicable state bar admission.
• Self-motivated professional with a proactive approach to work and challenges
• Superior analytical skills
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; ability to communicate and relate effectively with internal and external constituencies at all levels (from senior management to lower level staff personnel), including: (i) internal clients representing business lines and support areas; (ii) external legal counsel representing the bank, borrower and third parties; (iii) regulatory officers; (iv) counterparts at peer institutions and other industry representatives; etc.
• Strong interpersonal and teamwork skills; ability to influence through collaboration and leadership
• Ability to effectively handle multiple tasks, take on new responsibilities, adapt and prioritize work in a deadline-intensive environment
• Ability to understand and integrate details of business/operational/systemic environment in applying legal and policy requirements
• Experience in identifying, evaluating and escalating legal and regulatory risk issues affecting financial institutions

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