Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach · 1 week ago
General Counsel
Long Beach, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Director/Executive
$221K/yr - $410K/yr
15+ years expFarmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach is seeking a General Counsel to serve as the Bank’s chief legal advisor. The role involves managing corporate governance, supporting compliance and regulatory activities, and collaborating with executive leadership to mitigate legal risks and protect the Bank’s interests.
BankingFinancial ServicesLending
Responsibilities
Manage and support corporate governance including but not limited to the annual shareholder meeting, the proxy statement, annual filings, and general corporate governance documents and activities
Work with the CEO and President on meeting with large current and prospective investors on a regular cadence to build relationships; participate in meetings with institutional investors
Participate in any significant organizational or entity structural changes that the Bank may execute as it relates to agreements, entity documents, and legal filings
Complete and file required forms and documents for OTCX and related activities
Support and collaborate with the Chief Risk Officer to identify, assess, and mitigate legal, regulatory and reputational risk exposure across the Bank
Work with the Chief Risk Officer on compliance and risk governance as the Bank grows in size and complexity
Coordinate from a legal perspective with Compliance, Finance, and others on filings required for share repurchases and other capital related activities, branch changes, and other legal/regulatory requirements as part of ongoing bank operations
Support board governance activities such as the review of board and committee meeting minutes, participating in board and board committee meetings, and providing guidance on required board activities ensuring alignment with legal requirements
Participate in reducing the Bank’s reliance on outside counsel for corporate matters
Participate in updating the Bank’s deposit disclosures and client agreements; provide ongoing legal overview of these documents to ensure they stay current and reflect regulatory requirements
Provide support and overview of Bank litigation and other legal activities
Provide legal and regulatory support and guidance to the Compliance, BSA and operational groups, as required
Manage the Bank’s intellectual property and trademarks
Participate in executive sessions with the Nominating and Governance Committee of the Board of Directors, as requested
Participate in Bank initiatives and projects, as required
Assume additional responsibilities, as requested
Qualification
Required
Strong knowledge of the financial services industry, including Bank structures, regulatory and legal environments and its products and services
Strong knowledge of corporate governance requirements
Proven leadership and management abilities to build relationships with executives and management and achieve goals
Excellent strategic thinking, critical thinking, business judgment, and problem-solving skills
Clear and effective communicator to explain complex legal and/or regulatory language into understandable concepts
Excellent time management, verbal and written communication skills
Experience with presenting and communicating with external regulators, board directors, shareholders and potential investors
High degree of professional ethics and integrity, serving as a role model for the Bank's ethical standards
Strong team player and self-starter
Juris Doctorate (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school
15+ years of progressive legal experience, preferably within a financial institution, major law firm, or a US banking regulatory agency
Active member in good standing with the CA state bar
Strong knowledge of federal and CA state banking laws and regulations
Experience with litigation, transactions, commercial lending and deposit documentation
Preferred
Familiarity with banking compliance areas such as BSA/AML, general Bank compliance including data privacy and protection is a plus
Company
Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach
Founded in Long Beach in 1907 by C.J.
501-1000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$200M2025-10-20Post Ipo Equity· $200M
1997-03-27IPO
Leadership Team
Melissa Lanfre
EVP and Chief Operating Officer
Kathleen Salmons
SVP/Chief Risk Officer
Recent News
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2025-03-06
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