General Counsel/Chief Legal Officer

• Provides expert legal advice and strategic guidance to the Bank's executives, management, and the Board on a wide range of legal issues, including corporate governance, contracts, regulatory matters, and potential litigation. Some specific issues include but are not limited to:

• innovative prepaid card and emerging and alternative payments programs,
• legal and compliance issues involved in payments, and
• new legislation and regulations
• Oversees the drafting, review, and negotiation of contracts and agreements to protect the Bank's interests and minimize risk. Negotiates, drafts, and reviews program management, services, licensing, and related agreements - individually and by working with other contract professionals, specialists, and/or outside counsel.
• Assists in review of third-party payment processing relationships, including management of due diligence activities.
• Engages appropriate internal partners with regards to contract negotiation.
• Exercises judgment in advising business clients on contract interpretation and other matters.
• Develops and revises standard template agreements for Sutton Bank's prepaid and emerging payments programs to maintain compliance with applicable rules and regulations.
• Develops and maintains in-depth knowledge of Sutton Bank's procedures, processes, and policies.
• Participates in other Bank activities including development of best practices and special projects.
• Analyzes and interprets law, rulings, and regulations that affect the business and provides practical advice in response.
• Works with others internally such as marketing, product management, product development, along with both in-house and external legal subject matter experts, to support new business initiatives and day-to-day product development and product management needs.
• Provides internal training on relevant contract and legal issues.
• Assigns and supervises all legal matters involving the Bank; advising Bank regarding transactions of business involving internal affairs, stockholders, directors, officers and Bank relations with general public.
• Provides risk-balanced legal guidance on financial services regulatory compliance, data security and privacy issues, and legal requirements of entering into new partnerships and geographic markets.
• Keeps management apprised of new legislation and regulations; building a trusted advisor relationship at all levels with the business and cross-functional support teams.
• Identifies preventative measures to avoid legal risks, conflicts and issues relevant to the business supported.
• Ensures the Bank's adherence to financial regulations and laws, assists in developing compliance programs.
• Identifies, assesses, and mitigates legal risks the Bank may encounter, and develops strategies to address them.
• Manages legal disputes and coordinates with external legal counsel when necessary.
• Leads and manages the Bank's legal team, potentially including other in-house counsel and legal staff.

• Strong understanding of emerging and virtual payments, including real-time payments.
• Deep knowledge and prior experience with the following regulations: Electronic Funds Transfer Act (EFTA)/Regulation E, Truth in Savings Act (TISA)/Regulation DD, Truth in Lending Act (TILA)/Regulation Z, and the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)/Regulation V.
• Thorough knowledge of U.S. data privacy laws and major state regulatory schemes such as CCPA.
• Excellent communication skills with ability to negotiate at high levels.
• Strong writing skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to work under short deadlines and outside normal working hours with minimal advance notice and minimal supervision; self-sufficient and independent.
• Conceptual thinking in complex/completely new situations and ability to communicate ideas both internally and externally.
• Confidence in client- and customer-facing situations, presenting a positive and professional image.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Technical writing, to include reports, procedure manuals, articles for publication.
• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions. Ability to solve complex issues and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limed standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.
• Proven management and leadership skills.
• The ability to coach, counsel, develop, and motivate subordinates.

Sutton Bank