The Senior Litigation Counsel works under minimal supervision to litigate nationwide non-disciplinary and disciplinary proceedings filed with the Office of Hearing Officers (OHO) and to brief and argue appeals before the National Adjudicatory Council (NAC).

Essential Job Functions:

• Represent FINRA in a first or second chair capacity in complex disciplinary proceedings involving violations of the federal securities laws, FINRA and NASD Rules, Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB) rules, and other self-regulatory organization (SRO) rules.
• Represent FINRA in a first chair capacity in non-disciplinary hearings and litigation arising out of expedited proceedings, statutory disqualification decisions, membership application decisions, and exemption/waiver decisions.
• Represent FINRA in appeals before the National Adjudicatory Council; draft appellate briefs and argue appeals as needed.
• Provide guidance and advice to Member Supervision and the Member Application Program on issues of statutory disqualification, member application denials, and waiver/exemption requests.
• Draft, review and/or finalize complaints and other legal documents, including motions and responses thereto, exhibit and witness lists, and pre- and post-hearing briefs.
• Be an active participant and coach in litigations. Advise on litigation strategy and the effective use of evidence; deliver and coach staff to deliver opening and closing statements; and conduct and coach staff to conduct direct and cross examinations of hearing witnesses. 
• Oversee all pre-hearing tasks, including ensuring the timely and complete production of discovery, drafting and arguing motions, collecting and preparing hearing exhibits, and conducting witness prep.
• Ensure that team members are adequately prepared for hearing; conduct moot sessions and provide feedback to team members on witness prep, witness examination outlines, and work product.
• Conduct litigation consults, including consulting with staff and managers on charging issues, legal theories, litigation strategy, pleading style, evidentiary issues, litigation risks, and sanctions.
• Counsel staff on concerns or needs related to any potential litigation, such as required witness testimony, use of transcripts in lieu of testimony, evidence related to sanctions, defenses to mitigation, expert testimony, and summary exhibits.
• Independently conduct legal research, and prepare clear and concise advocacy documents that require minimal editing.
• Negotiate settlements with respondents and their attorneys and review and prepare Offers of Settlement.
• Recommend and deliver content for litigation training as requested. 
• Effectively collaborate with available staff across FINRA as appropriate (Enforcement investigative staff, Member Supervision, Member Application Program, Market Regulation, Office of General Counsel).

Other Responsibilities:

• Work on special projects as assigned.

Education/Experience Requirements:

• Law degree and ten years of litigation experience with demonstrated ability to administer, manage, and try complex securities cases.
• Comprehensive knowledge of trial techniques, Federal Rules of Evidence, and Federal Rules of Civil Procedure is required. Superior litigation, oral and written communication skills.
• Admission to the bar of the highest court of the District of Columbia or state.

Work Conditions:

• The Enforcement Department is a professional environment in which quality legal work is expected. Because the majority of disciplinary hearings that take place occur in FINRA District Offices, travel is required, and work outside of business hours expected.

For work that is performed in CA, CO, HI, MN, VT, IL, Jersey City, NJ, NY, NY, MD, Washington DC, and WA the chart below outlines the proposed salary range for the corresponding location. In addition to location, actual compensation is based on various factors, including but not limited to, the candidate’s skill set, level of experience, education, and internal peer compensation comparisons.

CA: Minimum Salary $146,200, Maximum Salary $296,100

CO/HI/MN/VT*: Minimum Salary $127,300, Maximum Salary $246,600

IL*: Minimum Salary $139,800, Maximum Salary $271,400

Jersey City, NJ/NY, NY: Minimum Salary $152,700, Maximum Salary $296,100

MD/Washington, DC: Minimum Salary $146,200, Maximum Salary $283,800

WA: Minimum Salary $127,300, Maximum Salary $283,800

*Including positions performed outside the state but reporting to an office or manager in that state.

Candidates can expect salary offers that range from the minimum to the mid-point of the salary range. FINRA provides full pay ranges so that the candidate can consider their growth potential while at FINRA.

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To be considered for this position, please submit an application. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

The information provided above has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work of the position. It is not a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required.

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FINRA strives to make our career site accessible to all users. If you need a disability-related accommodation for completing the application process, please contact FINRA's Employee Relations team at 240.386.4865 or by email at EmployeeRelations@finra.org. Please note that this process is exclusively for inquiries regarding application accommodations. 

Employees may be eligible for a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. FINRA provides comprehensive health, dental and vision insurance.  Additional insurance includes basic life, accidental death and dismemberment, supplemental life, spouse/domestic partner and dependent life, and spouse/domestic partner and dependent accidental death and dismemberment, short- and long-term disability, long-term care, business travel accident, disability and legal.  FINRA offers immediate participation and vesting in a 401(k) plan with company match and eligibility for participation in an additional FINRA-funded retirement contribution, tuition reimbursement and many other benefits. 

Time Off and Paid Leave*

FINRA encourages its employees to focus on their health and wellness in many ways, including through a generous time-off program of 15 days of paid time off, 5 personal days and 9 sick days (all pro-rated in the first year). Additionally, we are proud to support our communities by providing two volunteer service days (based on full-time schedule). Other paid leave includes military leave, jury duty leave, bereavement leave, voting and election official leave for federal, state or local primary and general elections, care of a family member leave (available after 90 days of employment); and childbirth and parental leave (available after 90 days of employment). Full-time employees receive nine paid holidays.

*Based on full-time schedule

Important Information

FINRA’s Code of Conduct imposes restrictions on employees’ investments and requires financial disclosures that are uniquely related to our role as a securities regulator. FINRA employees are required to disclose to FINRA all brokerage accounts that they maintain, and those in which they control trading or have a financial interest (including any trust account of which they are a trustee or beneficiary and all accounts of a spouse, domestic partner or minor child who lives with the employee) and to authorize their broker-dealers to provide FINRA with duplicate statements for all of those accounts. All of those accounts are subject to the Code’s investment and securities account restrictions, and new employees must comply with those investment restrictions—including disposing of any security issued by a company on FINRA’s Prohibited Company List or obtaining a written waiver from their Executive Vice President—by the date they begin employment with FINRA. Employees may only maintain securities accounts that must be disclosed to FINRA at one or more securities firms that provide an electronic feed (e-feed) of data to FINRA, and must move securities accounts from other securities firms to a firm that provides an e-feed within three months of beginning employment.

You can read more about these restrictions here.

As standard practice, employees must also execute FINRA’s Employee Confidentiality and Invention Assignment Agreement without qualification or modification and comply with the company’s policy on nepotism.

Search Firm Representatives

Please be advised that FINRA is not seeking assistance or accepting unsolicited resumes from search firms for this employment opportunity. Regardless of past practice, a valid written agreement and task order must be in place before any resumes are submitted to FINRA. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at FINRA without a valid written agreement and task order in place will be deemed the sole property of FINRA and no fee will be paid in the event that person is hired by FINRA.

FINRA is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, citizenship status, color, disability, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status or any other classification protected by federal state or local laws as appropriate, or upon the protected status of the person’s relatives, friends or associates.

FINRA abides by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-741.5(a). This regulation prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals on the basis of disability, and requires affirmative action by covered prime contractors and subcontractors to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities.

FINRA abides by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-300.5(a). This regulation prohibits discrimination against qualified protected veterans, and requires affirmative action by covered prime contractors and subcontractors to employ and advance in employment qualified protected veterans.

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