BNY Mellon

At BNY, our culture empowers you to grow and succeed. As a leading global financial services company at the center of the world’s financial system we touch nearly 20% of the world’s investible assets. Every day around the globe, our 50,000+ employees bring the power of their perspective to the table to create solutions with our clients that benefit businesses, communities and people everywhere.

We continue to be a leader in the industry, awarded as a top home for innovators and for creating an inclusive workplace. Through our unique ideas and talents, together we help make money work for the world. This is what #LifeAtBNY is all about.

We’re seeking a future team member for the role of Japan Country Managing Counsel (Director) to join our Legal team in Tokyo. This will be a Hybrid role based in Tokyo.

As part one of the safest and most trusted financial institutions, the BNY Legal department mitigates risk and handles legal affairs to ensure the security of the company and its clients. BNY’s Legal department, has overall responsibility for government affairs and advises on advocacy and policy initiatives of the company to support BNY’s domestic and international operations, and they also support all bank regulatory and supervisory issues.

In this role, you’ll make an impact in the following ways:

• Responsible for a portfolio of moderate to complex, often specialized legal issues, including serving as an advisor to internal and external stakeholders, including outside counsel, relevant to issues affecting the assigned entity(ies).
• Review presented business issues, conduct legal research and investigation, and craft legal solutions, balancing internal and external stakeholder interests, with the risks of adverse legal actions, revenue loss or reputational damage to the entity. Issues are typically complex or without much precedent and require creative solutions. May enlist more junior colleagues to conduct more routine assignments within a large-scale matters/issue.
• Communicate and collaborate with leaders who also serve in advisory or oversight capacity, such as Risk, Audit, etc. and develop the Legal response/ position for complex issues identified as the most severe risks or areas of non-compliance.
• Review summaries of legal matters and due diligence activities prepared by less experienced professionals and use expert knowledge and sound judgment to confirm their accuracy, potential impact and necessity for action.
• Serve as Country Counsel and co-ordinate (in collaboration with the broader BNY legal team) senior legal counsel in Japan to multiple business lines, including (a) Asset Servicing; (b) Clearance and Collateral Management; (c) Liquidity and Segregation; (d) Markets FX; (e) Securities Finance and (f) Alternative Investment Services.
• Advise various internal stakeholders including Compliance, Risk and Credit officers on legal and regulatory issues that arise, or may arise, in connection with the business.
• Keep abreast of legal and regulatory developments and advise senior business managers, regional area management and other internal stakeholders.
• Interpret new laws and regulations applicable to various businesses to collaborate with the business to develop new products and appropriate documentation
• Actively collaborate within the broader practice group of lawyers who support these businesses worldwide and coordinate with and provide subject matter expertise to other members of the Legal Department requiring support.
• Assist with other legal matters outside of these businesses and other lines of business as and when required, including assisting Compliance in developing compliance policies and procedures and interactions with regulators.
• Law degree from a recognized law school with minimum 8-12 years of post-qualification experience. Relevant in-house experience is an advantage but not essential.
• Experience in negotiating with and advising financial institutions engaged in transactions involving collateral management services, global custody and clearing and securities finance an advantage.
• Initiate contact, retain, and manage engagements of Bank approved outside counsel who provide legal services to BNY.
• Communicate expectations for deliverables and service levels to outside counsel, ensures retained counsel is kept informed of entity priorities and strategies.
• Review outside counsel work for appropriateness, quality and alignment to expectations, provides feedback and direction to rectify any issues.
• Maintain an in-depth understanding of practice or functional area products and services.
• Maintain expert knowledge of all regulators relevant to the practice or functional area(s). Advance knowledge through participation in external industry or professional events.
• Provide work guidance and mentoring to less experienced attorneys or other legal department colleagues including managing a micro-team.
• Demonstrate leadership through the application of expertise in assigned client or practice area.
• Contribute to establishing the Company's professional standards in area(s) of expertise.
• Responsible professional for assigned matters and may assign work to less experienced attorneys or other legal staff and provides feedback on performance.
• Providing advice and counsel extends to the incumbent's assigned internal client and/or practice area. Advice may have a direct impact on the internal client's, and ultimately the Company's overall financial position. Modified based upon local regulations/requirements.

To be successful in this role, we’re seeking the following:

• 8-12 years minimum of total work experience as a qualified attorney is preferred.
• Experience in negotiating complex service agreements with institutional clients.
• Experience in advising senior business managers and control functions with respect to risk, credit, operational and compliance issues.
• Experience with a foreign financial institution would be advantageous but not essential.
• Excellent written and oral communication and drafting skills in English and Japanese required.
• Excellent interpersonal skills to work with colleagues and business people at all levels required.
• Process and explain complex legal issues to internal stakeholders.

At BNY, our culture speaks for itself. Here’s a few of our awards:

• America’s Most Innovative Companies, Fortune, 2024
• World’s Most Admired Companies, Fortune 2024
• Human Rights Campaign Foundation, Corporate Equality Index, 100% score, 2023-2024
• Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion, Disability: IN – 100% score, 2023-2024
• “Most Just Companies”, Just Capital and CNBC, 2024
• Dow Jones Sustainability Indices, Top performing company for Sustainability, 2024
• Bloomberg’s Gender Equality Index (GEI), 2023

Our Benefits and Rewards:

BNY offers highly competitive compensation, benefits, and wellbeing programs rooted in a strong culture of excellence and our pay-for-performance philosophy. We provide access to flexible global resources and tools for your life’s journey. Focus on your health, foster your personal resilience, and reach your financial goals as a valued member of our team, along with generous paid leaves, including paid volunteer time, that can support you and your family through moments that matter.