** Work Arrangement/Location Details: This is a hybrid position requiring in-office work three days every week. Ideally, the position will be based in Buffalo, NY but, depending upon the location of the final candidate, it might be based in New York, NY, or Wilmington, DE.

Overview:

This Assistant General Counsel will be a member of the in-house legal team's vendor contracts group. The position supports M&T Bank Corporation and its affiliates (“M&T”) with respect to enterprise-wide vendor, supply, and third-party contracts, often involving technology and software services. Responsibilities include reviewing, drafting, and negotiating vendor contracts, as well as advising on applicable laws and regulations relating to third-party relationships.  In performing this role, the assistant general counsel is responsible for ensuring that M&T’s objectives are met, associated risks are identified and managed, and applicable laws, regulations, rules, guidance, industry standards, and internal M&T policies and procedures are complied with.  The assistant general counsel will also work in consultation with other subject matter attorneys in the Legal Department and business partners throughout M&T.  

Primary Responsibilities:

• Providing legal support to M&T’s Procurement Department, including their Strategic Sourcing, Global Sourcing, Contingent Workforce, and Third Party Risk Management (“TPRM”) groups

• Advising on vendor engagements by M&T, often involving software-as-a-service (SaaS) engagements, professional services, consulting, and other commercial transactions, ranging in complexity, profile, and scale

• Reviewing, drafting and negotiating M&T’s vendor contracts and advising on related matters, including:

  • software-as-a-service agreements

  • consulting and professional services agreements

  • software and intellectual property licenses

  • data and proprietary information licenses

  • agreements for outsourced services, computer hardware, software, cloud-based services, telecommunications, market data agreements, and customer-facing systems

  • sponsorship agreements

• Interfacing with M&T’s business units, subject matter experts, and the Compliance, Risk, and TPRM groups to assess and mitigate risk during contract negotiations and throughout the lifecycle of a vendor relationship

• Assisting other vendor contract attorneys with creation and implementation of contract policies, procedures, and controls for the legal review of vendor contracts

• Preparing, reviewing, and updating standard template forms of vendor contracts

• Providing legal guidance on issues that arise in connection with prospective and ongoing vendor management engagements, including contract interpretation, risks, and potential disputes

• Supporting the Procurement Department’s efforts to improve M&T’s utilization of vendors and suppliers, including providing feedback on risk mitigation, process efficiencies, and cost savings

• If needed and allocated to the successful candidate by the head of the Enterprise-Wide Banking group in the Legal Division, assist with providing legal support to the Corporate Real Estate division of the bank, which may include drafting and/or legal review of real estate agreements including: purchase agreements; lease agreements; subordination, non-disturbance and attornment agreements (SNDAs); and construction agreements

• If needed and allocated to the successful candidate by the head of the Enterprise-Wide Banking group in the Legal Division, assist with providing legal support to the risk areas of the bank supporting various regulatory programs, including compliance, enterprise risk, operational risk, marketing and others

• Monitoring and remaining current on regulatory guidance and industry practices for effectively managing third-party risk

Required Qualifications

• J.D. degree required.  Licensed to practice law in New York or Delaware (or ability to obtain an in-house counsel license in New York or Delaware, as applicable)  

• Minimum of 4 years' experience as an attorney or other relevant legal experience.

• Experience with commercial contract drafting and negotiations

• Ability to handle multiple tasks, take on new responsibilities, and prioritize work in a deadline-intensive environment

• Ability to understand and integrate details of business needs for a highly regulated financial institution environment in applying legal and policy requirements

• Experience identifying, evaluating, and escalating legal risk issues

• Exceptional written work product with a particular focus on contracts drafting and written client communications

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate and relate at all levels of the organization, to deal with internal and external constituencies, including: senior business leaders; external counsel; regulatory officials; risk, compliance and audit counterparts at the organization; counterparts at other companies; and industry representatives

• The ability to present complex information in clear and concise terms

• Strong interpersonal and teamwork skills and ability to influence through collaboration

• Demonstrated experience in leading others, both through direct relationships and/or indirectly influencing without direct authority

• Proven ability to solve problems and put in place creative solutions to address client needs, concerns, and risks

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience negotiating corporate real estate agreements including: purchase agreements; lease agreements; subordination, non-disturbance and attornment agreements (SNDAs); and construction agreements

• Experience with advising clients in matters related to trademark and copyright law, including securing and enforcing rights and defense against assertions of infringement

• Knowledge of cybersecurity, business continuity planning/disaster recovery, or privacy considerations as applicable to third-party engagements

• Knowledge of cloud computing as applicable to third-party engagements

• Familiarity and/or experience with bank regulatory programs and related laws

• Experience overseeing outside counsel retained to advise on vendor contract negotiations and matters

M&T Bank is committed to fair, competitive, and market-informed pay for our employees. The pay range for this position is $130,795.52 - $217,992.53 Annual (USD). The successful candidate’s particular combination of knowledge, skills, and experience will inform their specific compensation.

Location

Buffalo, New York, United States of America