Legal Counsel – M&A and Corporate/Commercial

About the role

As a Legal Counsel within the Bank’s Legal Department, you will operate in a fast‑paced environment, shaping and implementing legal strategies across a digital banking ecosystem. You will work closely with senior legal professionals to provide regulatory advice, lead intra‑group transactions and M&A deals, and support product launches and strategic partnerships.

Key responsibilities

• Provide high‑level strategic legal advisory to the Bank and its regional affiliates, ensuring compliance with local and regional regulations.
• Lead and support M&A, strategic investments, joint ventures and other corporate transactions within the fintech and banking space.
• Draft, review and negotiate complex commercial agreements, including SaaS/PaaS procurement, partnership contracts and intra‑group service agreements.
• Advise on legal aspects of digital banking product launches, covering IT, data protection (PDPA) and intellectual property.
• Manage legal disputes, corporate governance matters and risk mitigation to protect the Bank’s interests.
• Identify and implement legal technology solutions such as AI‑based tools and document automation to improve workflow efficiency.
• Coordinate with external law firms to ensure cost‑effective, high‑quality delivery of specialised legal services.

Required profile

• Commercially‑minded lawyer with a successful transition from private practice to an in‑house role.
• LLB (or equivalent) from a reputable university and admission to the Singapore Bar (or equivalent common‑law jurisdiction).
• 3–5 years post‑qualification experience, including at least 2–3 years in‑house within a financial institution (bank, MAS‑regulated entity or fintech).
• Proven track record in M&A and corporate/commercial law.
• Strong familiarity with tech‑related legal issues, data privacy (PDPA) and intellectual property.
• Experience navigating the regulatory landscape governing banks in Singapore.
• Ability to thrive in volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) environments and work collaboratively across functions.

Required skills

• M&A and corporate/commercial law expertise.
• Tech procurement knowledge (SaaS/PaaS contracts).
• Data protection and privacy law (PDPA) competence.
• Intellectual property law understanding.
• Legal technology implementation (AI tools, document automation).
• External counsel management.