Staff Attorney: Financial Services Regulatory

Staff Attorney: Financial Services Regulatory

White & Case is an elite global law firm serving leading companies, financial institutions, and governments worldwide. Our long history as an international firm means we are perfectly placed to help our clients resolve their most complex legal challenges wherever they may be. With lawyers operating from more than 40 locations, working around the world, we have invested heavily in building a high-quality full-service practice competing at the top of the market. We are distinguished by our on-the-ground presence in the world's key financial markets and our strengths in handling complex cross-border work.

It's not just about our global network of offices; it's the global interconnectedness of the Firm that our people, and our clients, value most. We work well together across geographic and practice boundaries. It's one of the reasons we attract and retain cross-border work. Our lawyers are globally minded, enterprising, collaborative, and committed to excellence. Our people represent 90 nationalities and speak 80 languages.

Position Summary

The New York office of White & Case is currently searching for a staff attorney to join our financial services regulatory (FSR) team. Our FSR team focuses on a broad range of financial services laws and regulations that affect our global client base of financial and non-financial enterprises, including banking, payments, lending, virtual currency, and related areas. We also advise on related corporate, securities, commodities, insurance, and similar laws and regulations. Our advice is broad and strategic, and is closely tied to transactional and enforcement matters. Our clients include U.S. and non-U.S. bank holding companies, commercial and investment banks, payments companies, clearing and settlement systems, virtual currency service providers, technology, retail and media companies offering financial services products, marketplace and other non-bank lenders, investment funds, sovereign wealth funds, and a variety of other participants in the world's key financial markets. Our work with clients on fintech matters will be a core and important aspect of this position.

You should have an aptitude for navigating the complex and fast-evolving regulatory landscape in a strategic transactional and enforcement context. An independent self-starter, you will use your astute judgment proactively to anticipate client needs, and contribute to the success of multiple projects. We offer high-quality, internationally-oriented work on the most challenging financial services issues, along with a competitive salary package and an opportunity to develop your skills as a lawyer working on precedent-setting matters alongside notable leaders in the private bar, including former senior regulators of financial institutions.

Our Practice Area

Our Financial Services Regulatory (FSR) team supports global financial institutions in navigating complex and evolving regulatory landscapes to achieve their goals and refine their strategies. The work is high-quality, impactful, and spans industries and borders. Clients range from major global banks to emerging investment firms, offering a dynamic mix of domestic and cross-border matters. Staff Attorneys (FSR) are expected to learn continuously, collaborate with top-tier professionals, and contribute to matters of broad significance. Team members work independently-managing deadlines, completing tasks reliably, and anticipating potential issues.

Duties and Accountabilities

Specific duties include:

• Conducting legal research on application of US federal and state banking and consumer financial services laws and regulations to the actual and proposed US activities of bank and fintech clients
• Assisting in drafting client memoranda relating to BHC Act issues, such as permitted nonbanking activities, financial holding company status and change of control, and to other federal banking law issues, such as margin lending and affiliate transactions
• Conducting Volcker Rule prop trading and covered fund analyses
• Conducting and preparing 50-state surveys of licensing requirements for banks, cryptocurrency issuers and service providers, money transmitters, nonbank lenders, debt collectors and other financial services providers
• Acting as project manager and assist in preparing and coordinating the filing of applications by non-US banking clients to seek a US bank charter and licensing of US branch offices and by fintech clients to seek a non-depository trust charter, BitLicenses and money transmitter, nonbank lender and other state licenses
• Reviewing and revising the prospectus disclosures on US regulatory risk factors and considerations for bank issuers
• Reviewing and assisting FBOs in periodically updating the compliance programs for their US branches and operations
• Following and reporting on US federal and state financial reform legislation and initiatives and proposed rulemakings and other issuances by the US federal and state banking regulators
• Assisting with responding to inquiries and investigations by state and federal financial services regulators
• Assisting the FSR and Fintech teams in preparing thought leadership and client alerts on regulatory developments
• Reviewing and assisting with preparation of marketing and business development materials

Qualifications

- A Juris Doctor (JD) degree (LLM or foreign equivalent) from an accredited law school required

- Admitted to the state bar of the jurisdiction where you are sitting (or the ability to become admitted) and in good standing

- Strong academic record and intellectual curiosity, creative thinker

- Commercial and business awareness

- Ability to see the big picture and think strategically about client issues

- Outstanding communication and negotiation skills

- Strong time management skills, ability to stay calm under pressure when juggling multiple projects

- Excellent drafting skills

- Driven by professional growth

- Strong professional presence

- Strong client service focus

- Team player

- Strong judgment

- Proactive, resourceful, takes initiative

- Long-term interest in business law

- International experience a plus

- Transactional experience a plus

- Prior work experience with a financial institution or in a fintech role is welcome

- Educational experience in business (MBA, CFA, etc.) a plus but not required

Location & Reporting

This role is based in the New York office.

Note to Recruitment Agencies

Our Internal Recruitment team are responsible for all end-to-end lateral recruitment process. All agencies must sign White & Case terms of business which are often specific. Candidates submitted by an agency without terms of business agreed with the appropriate office, and/or outside of our online application tracking system, will not be considered a formal introduction. Any applications and CVs sent directly to White & Case Partners and employees will not be accepted as formal introductions. If you have any questions, please contact the Americas Lateral Recruitment team.

Equal Opportunities

Benefits at White & Case

White & Case LLP offers a comprehensive suite of benefit programs to all eligible employees, including medical, dental, and vision insurance, life and disability coverage, 401(k) retirement savings, vacation time, and leave programs (including parental leave). Exempt roles are also performance bonus eligible. The Firm may modify and amend any job description at any time in its sole discretion. Nothing herein creates a contract of employment or otherwise modifies the at-will nature of employment.

¹The above is only a general description of the essential duties associated with this position and does not represent an exhaustive or comprehensive list of all duties.

Primary Location: United States-New York

Expected Workplace: Onsite

Salary range for New York market: 250,000 - 275,000 US Dollars (USD) Yearly

Salary range in other markets will vary

White & Case is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and is committed to creating a fair workplace. It is our Firm's policy to recruit, employ, train, compensate and promote without regard to race, color, religion, creed, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, military or veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other category protected by applicable law. Applicants who are interested in applying for a position and require an accommodation during the process should contact talent.acquisition@whitecase.com.