Deputy Counsel (Director Financial Services Programs 3, NS)

Deputy Counsel

The New York State Department of Financial Services seeks to build an equitable, transparent, and resilient financial system that benefits individuals and supports business. Through engagement, data-driven regulation and policy, and operational excellence, the Department and its employees are responsible for empowering consumers and protecting them from financial harm; ensuring the health of the entities we regulate; driving economic growth in New York through responsible innovation; and preserving the stability of the global financial system.

The Department of Financial Services is seeking candidates for the position of Deputy Counsel in the Office of General Counsel. Duties include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Renders professional regulatory and legal advice of a high degree of difficulty involving application of state and federal laws to New York chartered financial institutions, including questions of first impression and with conflicting precedent that require extensive research, analyses, and ingenuity to resolve;
• Reviews applications for legal sufficiency, including mergers, change of control, de novo charters, and foreign bank licensing, among others;
• Assists with, and effectively collaborates on, policy, enforcement, litigation, and regulatory matters concerning the regulation of financial institutions doing business in New York;
• Reviews and prepares memoranda on legislations; drafts amendments to legislations, regulations, guidance, and other regulatory materials, including proposals, as needed;
• Leverages strong written and verbal skills in interactions with financial institutions, other state and federal governmental and regulatory agencies, and law firms;
• Drafts and negotiates contracts, memoranda of understanding and other agreements with domestic and foreign regulators;
• Conducts legal research and analysis, and prepares opinions and memoranda of law;
• Analyzes requests for confidential supervisory information (CSI) from regulated financial institutions, governmental and regulatory agencies, and other third parties under the Freedom of Information Act and DFS regulations;
• Appears at administrative tribunals of courts;
• Develops initiatives to support the mission and goals of DFS;
• Advises other attorneys on legal matters; and
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Preferred Qualifications

• At least ten years of post-bar professional legal experience at a law firm, governmental agency, or in-house at a financial institution, or a combination thereof;
• Admission to the New York State bar in good standing;
• Superior written and legal research skills;
• Strong banking regulatory experience and knowledge of banking and Financial Services Law;
• Litigation or investigatory experience representing financial institutions.

Salary: $172,787 - $213,995 (salary commensurate with experience) Positions located within the New York City metropolitan area, as well as Suffolk, Nassau, Rockland, and Westchester Counties, are also eligible to receive an additional $4,000 annual downstate adjustment.

Appointment Status: This is an appointment to a position in the exempt jurisdictional class.

Appointment to this position is pending Governor Appointment's Office and Division of Budget approval.

Some positions may require additional credentials or a background check to verify your identity.