Senior Counsel (Contracts & Technology)

We're committed to bringing passion and customer focus to the business.

The Senior Counsel (Contracts & Technology) is a position within Simmons Bank’s legal department responsible for overseeing legal reviews of the bank’s vendor contracts and providing legal advice to the bank on technology initiatives as well as various regulatory and corporate matters.  This attorney will work with management throughout the bank to effectively address legal and regulatory matters associated with the bank’s contracts and technology matters and will also assist with policy development. This individual will report directly to the bank’s Assistant General Counsel.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Manage the legal department’s review process for third-party vendor contracts and provide legal advice to the bank’s procurement and third-party risk management departments
• Review and negotiate complex commercial contracts, including, those related to software licensing, SaaS products, professional services, and various other products and services.
• Advise on the legal aspects of various technology-related initiatives
• Provide expert advice to senior management concerning laws, rules, and regulations affecting the bank’s operations, including regulations issued by the Arkansas State Bank Department, Federal Reserve, FDIC, and other federal and state regulatory agencies
• Work with representatives from various business units to develop, modify, and interpret policies, practices and procedures to conform to legal requirements and to ensure legal compliance
• Ability to advise on various finance, accounting and tax-related matters and provide legal advice to one or more banking-related business units as needed.
• Direct and supervise outside law firms  
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, the individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The attributes listed below are representative of the requisite knowledge, skill, and/or ability.

         Skills

• In-depth experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating complex contracts (preferably experience contracting with large technology companies)
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret legal documents
• Ability to effectively present information to senior management
• High level of expertise in banking, corporate, or other relevant area of law that results in independent work with little direction or oversight required
• Strong critical thinking skills
• Detail oriented with excellent legal judgment
• Ability to synthesize and advise on complex fact and legal topics
• Strong project management and organizational skills
• High degree of adherence to ethical standards

         Education and/or Experience

• A law degree from an accredited law school
• Admission to at least one state bar
• Preferably five to seven years of extensive, relevant experience as an attorney in a large law firm or corporate legal department
• Experience related to the financial services industry is strongly preferred. 

Other Qualifications (including physical requirements)

• Ability to maintain the highest level of confidentially and sensitivity towards all work-related information

Equal Employment Opportunity Information: Simmons First National Corporation and its subsidiaries are committed to a policy of equal employment with respect to a person's race, color, religion, sex, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, covered veterans, military status, physical or mental disability or any other legally protected classifications.