General Counsel

Summary: This position is responsible for overseeing the management of a wide variety of legal agreements and business matters pertaining to the Company. This includes negotiating, writing, reviewing, summarizing, researching and executing daily legal operations.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Provide counsel and guidance on all legal matters and on legal implications of all matters

Act as advisor to and/or coordinate with external counsel on legal issues involving the company and any of its subsidiaries

Manage all litigation involving the Company and/or any of its subsidiaries; retain and manage outside litigation counsel; assess merits of cases filed against or proposed to be filed on behalf of the company; works with the appropriate executive(s) to define a strategy and approve settlements where warranted

Serve as primary legal advisor on all major business transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, divestitures and joint ventures

Advise on legal aspects of the company's financing, matters related to company stock and current and future business structures and legal entities

Serve as Corporate Secretary for the Company and all subsidiaries; participate in all board and board committee meetings; prepare meeting minutes, resolutions and other Board/committee documents to properly and accurately document the actions of the Board/committee

Serve as a resource on any and all internal legal issues with regard to all units, including but not limited to Marketing and Communication, Sales, Human Resources, Vendor and Facilities and all other Corporate divisions

Prepare and/or review updates to corporate governance policies and other corporate governance documents, including governance guidelines and committee charters

Responsible for legal aspects and compliance issues related to Company’s securities filings with the SEC

Responsible for management of all entity issues for the Company and all subsidiaries including maintenance of registrations and timely submission of all necessary state and local filings

Manage various legal projects and deadlines, including Vendor Management due diligence and advise the bank in relation to a wide range of contracts, such as master service agreements, license agreements, other vendor contracts and non-disclosure agreements.

Keep abreast of legislative changes that may affect the company and its affiliates

Develop solutions to complex legal questions and inquiries on behalf of the Company

Provide training to company and its affiliates on substantive legal topics that are required or relevant for the business

Perform other duties as assigned

Qualifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience:

Law or Juris Doctor (J.D.) Degree from an accredited law school

Active State Bar membership (TX or CA)

Minimum of 10 years of related experience in federal and state regulation, corporate or administrative practice, commercial and contract matters.

Mastered experience in general corporate matters, including corporate organization, securities compliance, drafting transactional documents. License agreements, corporate law, contractual law, regulatory matters, risk management.

Knowledge of related state and federal banking compliance regulations, and financial institution/ Bank policies and procedures, preferred.

Skills:

Ability to analyze legal and regulatory issues in area of practice and provide effective advice on complex legal matters

Extensive experience conducting research and providing counsel and guidance regarding complex legal issues

Ability to handle a variety of contractual agreements

Ability to create legal defensive or proactive strategies

Solid analytical and problem solving skills; sound judgement

High degree of professional ethics and integrity

Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills

Effective in building partnerships, functioning well with project teams, and working for the success of the team

First Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, protected veteran status, status as a qualified individual with disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by law.