In-house Counsel - Asset Recovery Manager

Position Summary

Responsible for serving a dual role within the Bank, providing strategic legal guidance and overseeing the recovery of distressed assets. Manage legal risk, ensuring regulatory compliance, and supporting the Bank's operational and credit functions through proactive legal counsel. Simultaneously, will leads the asset recovery process, working closely with credit and special assets teams to maximize recoveries, minimize losses, and support workout strategies.

Will possess strong legal acumen, particularly in banking and commercial law, and demonstrate expertise in asset recovery, including litigation, foreclosure, bankruptcy, and loan workouts. This role requires excellent negotiation skills, sound judgment, and the ability to collaborate across departments to protect and advance the Bank's interests.

Asset Recovery Leadership

• Oversee all functions of the Asset Recovery Group, from early-stage collection activity through workout and liquidation phases.
• Support the management of commercial and SBA loan liquidations; provide guidance to the Bank's sub-servicer in its oversight of residential foreclosures.
• Ensure timelines for foreclosure actions and SBA filings are consistently met, in alignment with regulatory and internal standards.
• Analyze portfolio performance and recovery metrics; prepare and present regular reports to senior management.
• Provide direction to loan servicing staff regarding the allocation of legal expenses to loan accounts.
• Ensure Bank systems are accurately updated with current information related to collections and asset recovery efforts.
• Assist in the sale and transfer of loans to third-party investors under the direction of Executive Management.

Legal Oversight & Advisory

• Oversee and proactively manage asset recovery-related litigation handled by outside counsel; maintain litigation oversight guidelines and support additional Unity Litigation as directed.
• Personally handle select legal matters and litigation as directed by the Loan Servicing Manager or Executive Management.
• Review and maintain policies and procedures related to the retention and oversight of outside counsel.
• Evaluate legal invoices for reasonableness and contribute to strategies aimed at reducing legal costs.
• Review, track, and coordinate responses to subpoenas and other legal requests.
• Assist other departments with legal matters including levies, garnishments, and customer complaints, as directed.
• Revise and update standard loan document templates for all lending areas upon request; retain ownership of commercial loan documentation.
• Review drafted loan documents and supporting materials prior to closing, as directed by the Loan Servicing Manager.

Job Requirements and Qualifications

• Thorough understanding of Bank's structure
• High-level analytic skills
• Able to navigate bank systems and third party systems to gather data and documentation for collection, foreclosure and litigation activity.

Education and Experience

• D. Degree from an ABA Accredited Law School
• J. Bar Admission
• Seven plus years of litigation, commercial lending, residential lending, banking regulation and/or corporate experience. (Minimum two years)
• Knowledge of Standard Operating Procedures for Commercial, Residential and SBA liquidations.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• High-level oral and written communication skills
• Good computer skills in a Microsoft Windows environment including proficiency in Word and Excel
• Ability to calculate figures and amounts and use elementary mathematical concepts
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to inquiries
• Ability to speak and write clearly in order to effectively convey information so that others understand and as appropriate for the needs of the audience
• Ability to apply common sense understanding to carry out written and oral instructions.
• Ability to work independently with supervision
• Ability to effectively handle multiple tasks and meet deadlines

Physical Requirements

• Ability to sit for long periods of time up to 75% of work hours.
• Ability to use hands to grasp, handle or feel.
• Ability to use computer keyboard and system to enter data and process information.
• Ability to read a computer screen at a close distance.
• Ability to talk, hear, and see.
• Ability to use telephone to communicate with others.
• Ability to use office equipment such as teller scanner, personal computer, telephone, mobile device, copier, etc.

Working Conditions

• Moderate sound as in business office with office machines, computers, and people traffic.

Compliance

• It is the responsibility of each bank staff member and of management to adhere to policies and procedures designed to implement compliance with the laws and regulations to which the bank is subject. Each bank staff and management member shall be accountable for understanding how compliance with laws and regulations affects the performance of their day-to-day duties, for completing compliance training as assigned and for carrying out those duties in a manner to achieve compliance with those laws and regulations.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, age, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status or disability.

This job description is not an employment agreement or contract, implied or otherwise. Unity Bank maintains "at will" employment.

This document describes the position currently available. It is intended to convey information essential to understanding the scope of the position and is not an exhaustive list of skills, efforts, duties, responsibilities, or working conditions associated with it. Unity Bank reserves the right to modify duties or job descriptions at any time. Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities at any time. Individuals may perform other duties as assigned, including work in other functional areas to cover absences or relief, to equalize peak work periods, or otherwise balance the workload.

Unity Bank is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity and prohibits discrimination in hiring, promotion and terms and conditions of employment on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin/nationality, ancestry, religion/religious practices or observances, age, sex, gender identity or expression, affectional or sexual orientation, marital status, civil union status, domestic partnership status, disability or perceived disability, atypical hereditary cellular or blood trait, genetic information, and status as a veteran or disabled veteran of, or liability for service in, the Armed Forces of the United States.

Unity Bank commits to making reasonable accommodation to the known physical or mental limitations of qualified individuals with disabilities and qualified disabled veterans provided the individual is able to perform the essential functions of the job , unless such accommodation would impose an undue hardship upon Unity Bank. A qualified employee or job applicant with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation by contacting Unity Bank's human resources department.