Counsel - AVP

About this role:
Wells Fargo is seeking a dynamic and experienced Counsel to join its International Employment Legal team, supporting the Philippines region. This critical role involves delivering strategic legal guidance on a wide range of employment-related matters, collaborating closely with HR, management, and cross-functional teams. The successful candidate will manage complex employment issues, advise on global employment policies and investigations, and play a key role in coordinating legal initiatives across the Philippines and broader international legal function.
In this role, you will:

• Participate in less complex initiatives and identify opportunity for process improvements
• Represent the Company in highly complex litigation, negotiations, settlement discussions, and claims-related legal issues
• Provide guidance to internal clients on legal matters
• Review and analyze basic assignments or challenges that require research, evaluation, and selection of alternatives, and exercise independent judgment to guide medium risk deliverables
• Manage highly complex claims and litigation
• Participate in initiatives of varying scope and complexity
• Support the work of more experienced counsel along with professional staff on complex matters or may consult with more experienced counsel and outside counsel on complex matters
• Present recommendations for complex situations and exercise independent judgment while developing expertise in policies, procedures, and compliance requirements
• Provide leadership and direction for certain complex functions worldwide
• Advise on the impact of policy, legal, and regulatory changes
• Provide guidance to less experienced counsel or paralegals
• Develop the strategic direction for certain claims functions and management of related policies, procedures, and controls to mitigate risk
• Collaborate with functional colleagues, internal partners, and stakeholders
• Partner with business leaders and management of other corporate departments to develop and implement risk management programs

Required Qualifications:

• 2+ years of Law experience, or equivalent demonstrated through one or a combination of the following: work experience, training, military experience, education
• Active State Bar membership or the equivalent in a country outside the United States

Desired Qualifications:

• Excellent knowledge of and experience in Philippine employment laws and regulations applicable to the BPO sector.
• Strong client-relations, interpersonal, written, and oral communication, and analytic skills.
• Be able to assume responsibility quickly and can work in a complex environment requiring a high degree of collaboration.
• Experience of coordination of complex regional or International-wide employment projects.
• Work experience with a law firm that caters to clients in the financial services or BPO sector and/or in-house experience within a financial services environment strongly preferred
• Familiarity with and exposure to employment, regulatory and compensation legal issues applicable to large diversified international financial institutions.
• Candidate should also be amenable to working at McKinley Hill or in the Bonifacio Global City area on a midday or flexible work schedule.

Job Expectations:

• Provide day-to-day legal advice on a broad spectrum of employment-related matters to the Philippines HR team, regulatory compliance and senior management;

• Manage employment threats and/or claims within the region, and working closely with HR, Employee Relations (ER), outside counsel, and other internal stakeholders to develop and execute plans to bring such matters to a satisfactory conclusion;
• Review and advise on corporate employment practices and policies, ER and investigations issues, employment contracts, benefit plans and agreements;
• Provide training to management and HR;
• Work with relevant attorneys on providing employment related advice on compensation plans and issues;
• Work with the International and US Employment Legal teams on the coordination of legal advice on global projects, policies and initiatives; and
• Collaborate closely with a variety of internal stakeholders.

Posting End Date:
29 Nov 2026
*Job posting may come down early due to volume of applicants.
We Value Equal Opportunity
Wells Fargo is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other legally protected characteristic.
Employees support our focus on building strong customer relationships balanced with a strong risk mitigating and compliance-driven culture which firmly establishes those disciplines as critical to the success of our customers and company. They are accountable for execution of all applicable risk programs (Credit, Market, Financial Crimes, Operational, Regulatory Compliance), which includes effectively following and adhering to applicable Wells Fargo policies and procedures, appropriately fulfilling risk and compliance obligations, timely and effective escalation and remediation of issues, and making sound risk decisions. There is emphasis on proactive monitoring, governance, risk identification and escalation, as well as making sound risk decisions commensurate with the business unit's risk appetite and all risk and compliance program requirements.
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