Senior Vice President – Outside Counsel Management Lawyer International 

What you’ll do

Primarily, this role will support various initiatives to support the overall goals and strategy of Citi Legal.

Duties include, but are not limited to, the below:

• Negotiate rates and fee structures with outside counsel to ensure competitive and cost-effective arrangements. This includes benchmarking analysis with peer firms and presenting financial impact findings to senior management. Oversee the creation of formal confirmations of rate agreements with law firms.

• Analyze financial data to optimize law firm selection and management. Monitor and analyze market trends in legal pricing and provide recommendations for cost savings and efficiencies.

• Partner with Citi lawyers to align on counsel selectionbased on specific needs, analyzing legal issues and strategic decision-making.

• Manage the Legal Bill Review program. Interact and train internal and external stakeholders to ensure legal bills are following established standards and guidelines.

• Lead the Alternative Fee Arrangement process for Citi Legal, including the drafting, negotiating and validating all AFAs to ensure within policy and scope. Develop and manage alternative pricing strategies to ensure cost-effective legal services.Challenge AFA structures and proposals, evaluate costs and engage with Citi attorneys to strategically align with priorities. 

• Hold regular meetings with internal stakeholders to review legal bills and pricing models.

• Manage and expand the competitive tender / Request for Proposal (RFP) process by identifying high value matters or groups of matters suitable for competitive tender, scoping and drafting RFPs (including relevant matter-specific questions), coordinating law firm responses, assisting in the selection process, and delivering training to internal stakeholders.

• Manage and advise both internal and external stakeholders on questions and issues related to outside counsel management.Exercise independent legal judgement on the review of law firm contracts and terms, including but not limited to engagement letters.

• Lead Citi’s Conflict Waiver Review program for law firm conflicts, managing and overseeing Citi’s Conflicts Attorney, and exercising legal judgment and providing advice related to conflict waivers.Drive innovative methods to improve the process.

• Strategize and manage the use of outside counsel on Citi’s Legal Panel and Network. 

• Strategically source secondments from panel law firms to develop firm relationships.  

• Develop, implement and manage law firm panels in APAC and MEA. 

• Develop, implement and manage a panel of Alternative Legal Service Providers (“ALSPs”) to drive value and efficiency to Citi Legal. 

• Leverage technology and automation where possible to continue to drive efficiency. 

The Senior Vice President – Outside Counsel Management Lawyer, International,will work in close daily collaboration with Citi attorneys, Law Firm partners, and GLS teammates at all levels across functions including Finance, Technology, Project Management and Operations while adhering to GLS program goals and priorities, evaluating complex legal and operational issues and impact to Citi businesses and Citi’s broader legal organization.

What we’ll need from you

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent, JD/Law degree required, Qualified.

• Experience as a practicing lawyer, preferably in a large financial institution with a global footprint.

• Experience in legal operations and legal spend management. 

• Practical knowledge of common legal matters facing financial institutions from a transactional and disputes perspective, including progression (e.g., course of litigation, basic procedure, basic corporate or financial transactions).

• An ability to understand complex legal issues to right-place strategic contributions to support.

• An ability to lead and influence people across cultures at a senior level using sound judgment, successful execution of strategies, and an understanding of how to operate effectively across diverse businesses.

• Project management skills, including the capability to prioritize work and deadlines effectively, file conflicts requests and update stakeholders as required. 

• Exceptional data analysis skills, including advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel.

• Exceptional written communication skills, including advanced proficiency in Microsoft PowerPoint and Microsoft Word.