Legal Counsel Manager, Regional Banking
Miami, FL | Full-time | On-site
A search is underway for an experienced in-house banking attorney to lead legal support for a commercial bank’s Florida operations. This is a hands-on regional counsel role: you will advise business and credit leaders, run day-to-day legal work for the market, supervise a small on-site legal team, and coordinate with the enterprise General Counsel on matters that require corporate approval.
The mandate is practical. The bank wants more lending, employment, vendor, and default-related work handled internally, with outside counsel used for true specialty or overflow matters—not as the default.
What you will own
- Serve as primary legal advisor to regional management and to credit, retail, operations, and HR partners in the Florida market.
- Identify and manage legal risk; advise on policies, investigations, and exam or auditor requests that touch the region.
- Counsel on employment matters affecting the region (employee relations, handbook/policy issues, investigations, and related communications).
- Support commercial and consumer lending: review and negotiate credit documents, amendments, and related agreements; handle or supervise closings as needed.
- Review and negotiate vendor, professional-services, and commercial contracts.
- Oversee responses to subpoenas, levies, garnishments, and similar process; coordinate with operations and, where appropriate, outside counsel.
- Manage default and real-estate-owned work for the region, including review of accounts proposed for foreclosure and negotiation of REO disposition documents.
- Advise internal stakeholders on fraud-related legal issues and response.
- Manage selected outside counsel and the regional legal budget; build simple playbooks so routine work stays in-house.
- Train business partners on issues that actually arise in this market; keep regional leadership current on material legal and regulatory change.
How the role is structured
- You will make regional legal calls in the ordinary course and escalate enterprise, reputational, or high-dollar issues to the General Counsel.
- You will supervise a small team (paralegal and/or junior attorney support). This is a working manager seat, not a large-department GC role.
- Location is the bank’s South Florida corporate office. The current expectation is five days on-site. Confirm flexibility, if any, during process—do not assume hybrid.
What we are looking for
- J.D. from an accredited U.S. law school; active Florida Bar, good standing (required).
- At least 10 years of practice, with substantial work for or inside a bank, credit union, or other regulated lender.
- Working fluency across several of the following (depth in all is not required): employment counseling, commercial or residential lending documents, default/foreclosure or REO, garnishments and third-party process, vendor contracting, and regulatory or exam support.
- Judgment to decide at the business-unit level and the discipline to know when to escalate.
- Experience directing at least one direct report or a small legal support team.
- Clear, practical communication with non-lawyers.
Helpful, not required
- Prior in-house seat at a bank or regulated financial institution.
- Foreclosure, special assets, or REO transaction experience in Florida.
- Spanish proficiency (useful with this customer and employee base).
- Experience working with examiners and coordinating multi-office counsel.
Compensation
Base salary in the $160,000–$180,000 range, plus annual bonus opportunity tied to individual and bank performance. Benefits and any additional incentive programs will be described in process. Total cash will depend on bonus funding; candidates should evaluate the role on base plus a realistic bonus, not on an assumed maximum.
Process
Submit a résumé in confidence. The client will be identified only with qualified candidates who advance. Equal opportunity search; consideration based on qualifications for the role.