Counsel – General Bank Lending (Commercial and Consumer)

First Citizens Bank hiring for Counsel – General Bank Lending (Commercial and Consumer) jobs in Selma, NC, US

In this role, you will be part of the Bank Operations legal support team, which provides counsel to the Bank’s general bank franchise, which includes over 500 full-service branches in 22 states and a wide array of business and industry financial services. The primary focus of your role as the Counsel-General Bank Lending attorney will be to provide legal advice on commercial lending and real estate matters and SBA lending arising from the general bank (75% of job responsibilities); and provide legal advice on consumer lending and consumer mortgage related matters arising from the general bank franchise (25% of job responsibilities). You will work with business and corporate support teammates on all aspects of drafting, reviewing, negotiating, and revising a variety of complex commercial lending transactions and related documentation as well as documentation pertaining to other types of permanent and construction loan financing for a broad range of project types. You will also work with business and corporate support teammates on all aspects of drafting, reviewing, negotiating, and revising consumer lending/consumer credit transactions and related documentation including mortgage, auto, HELOCs, credit cards, unsecured lending, and a wide variety of other mortgage and non-mortgage consumer lending products. You will advise on federal and state-specific commercial and consumer disclosures and documentation issues and provide guidance on related federal and state regulatory issues and lending requirements for a broad range of commercial and consumer products offered in the bank’s branch footprint and non-branch footprint states. You will be reviewing and commenting on all the transaction documents, including ancillary and collateral documents, and negotiating with our borrowers, their external attorneys, and other financial entities in commercial and consumer transactions. You will also work on other Bank Operations team projects as the need arises that include supporting consumer deposit and lending products, commercial deposit products, payments products, private banking/wealth management products, and support of industry-specific initiatives.

You will be expected to be a “go to” person who develops and maintains a strong knowledge of commercial and consumer lending best practices and related laws, regulations, and business operations. You will be a company leader located in the bank’s Legal Department, a high-energy group of legal professionals dedicated to exceptional client service, value, and trustworthy advice to enable the bank’s business.

This is a HYBRID position - 3 days a week in office in Raleigh, Charlotte, or Morristown, NJ. 

• Strong working knowledge of commercial real estate finance and willingness to work on several types of commercial real estate, construction loan, and other commercial lending transactions. Also, strong working knowledge to support originations of SBA 7a, SBA 504 and USDA loans consistent with Bank policy and SBA Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) or USDA guidelines.
• Strong working knowledge of commercial real estate lending issues involving title insurance, surveys, zoning, flood, casualty/liability insurance, licensing, non-recourse carveouts, syndication, and market standards.
• Strong working knowledge and experience with Commercial Loan Agreements, Loan Modification Agreements, Note Modification Agreements, Loan Assumption Agreements, DACAs, Mortgages, Deeds of Trust, Covenants, and Borrower Documentation Review (such as Borrower Acknowledgments and Borrower Compliance Certifications).
• Strong working knowledge of consumer lending/finance laws and willingness to work on a variety of consumer product and service-related issues pertaining to mortgage, auto, HELOC, ARM, secured and unsecured loans, and credit cards.
• Strong working knowledge of state specific laws and federal laws and regulations applicable to consumer lending, including the Truth in Lending Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Military Lending Act, and the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.
• Providing advice on liens and priorities of mortgage and other security instruments.
• Providing advice on underwriting and credit questions.
• Leading projects to develop or refresh bank ‘form documents,’ credit manuals, and standard operating policies and procedures.
• Interacting successfully with all functions and levels of associates, including senior management.
• Partnering with other business leaders to resolve problems, develop solutions, and deliver team results across organizational borders.
• Managing outside counsel.

Juris Doctor Degree from accredited institution and at least 6 years of commercial and consumer lending experience in a law firm, in-house legal department, or a combination thereof. 

                             Preferred Qualifications:

• Banking or financial services experience.
• Experience in a leading law firm or corporate legal department, with a focus on commercial real estate financing transactions, consumer credit transactions, mortgage secured real estate financing, construction lending, and other commercial/consumer lending matters.
• Experience advising on bank regulatory matters and compliance as it relates to secured and unsecured lending transactions.
• Experience drafting and reviewing commercial loan transactions, consumer loan transactions, loan document negotiations, loan structuring, and various lending documentations.
• Active membership and good standing in your state bar.
• Experience working in support of high-level, strategic leaders.
• Strong academic credentials.
• Attention to detail.
• Experience managing projects and processes.

                            Additional Requirements:

• Must work well under pressure and independently.
• Must be able to manage multiple inquiries and varied projects simultaneously.
• Excellent interpersonal and written communication skills.
• Strong personal organizational skills.
• Problem solving skills.
• Collaborating with others in a team-first environment.
• Strong Microsoft Office capabilities and ability to implement and learn new software applications.