ALM_Collections - Retail Litigation_ Hyd

Job description

****Job Description: Area Legal Manager – NBFC**** ****Position Title:** Area Legal Manager** ****Location:** Hyderabad** ****Department:** Collections - Retail Litigation** ****Reporting To:** Regional Legal Manager** ****Role Purpose**** The Area Legal Manager will be responsible for managing all legal activities for the assigned geography, including litigation management, collections-related legal actions, contract vetting, regulatory compliance support, and coordination with external law firms. The role ensures legal risk mitigation while supporting business growth across secured and unsecured lending products. ****Key Responsibilities**** ****1. Litigation & Legal Recovery**** - Manage end-to-end litigation for retail, SME, and corporate loan portfolios. - Oversee filing, tracking, and closure of legal cases under: - Section 138 (Cheque Bounce) - Arbitration - Sec 9/ Sec 17 proceedings - SARFAESI actions (where applicable) - Civil suits & criminal complaints - Coordinate with external advocates for case strategy, court appearances, and timely filings. - Review and approve legal notices, replies, and case drafts. - Ensure timely execution of decrees, awards, and recovery orders. ****2. Collections Legal Support**** - Identify accounts requiring legal intervention in coordination with Collections and Business teams. - Drive legal recoveries by initiating and monitoring: - Demand notices - Pre-litigation processes - Property possession and auction (for secured loans) - Provide legal opinion on complex delinquent cases. ****3. Documentation & Contract Management**** - Vet and finalize loan-related documents, agreements, vendor contracts, and renewal documents. - Support business in rolling out updated documentation aligned with regulatory changes. - Conduct periodic audits to ensure compliance of branch-level documentation. ****4. Regulatory & Compliance Support**** - Monitor changes in NBFC regulatory framework and support internal implementation. - Ensure legal processes comply with RBI guidelines, Arbitration Act, IBC, NI Act, and other relevant laws. - Assist in internal and external audits from a legal standpoint. ****5. Vendor & Advocate Management**** - Empanel, evaluate, and monitor performance of external advocates and legal vendors. - Ensure adherence to cost, quality, and compliance parameters. - Negotiate and manage professional fee structures. ****6. Stakeholder Management**** - Work closely with Business, Credit, Collections, Risk, Operations, and Compliance teams. - Provide legal opinions for business expansion, new products, major NPAs, and policy-level decisions. - Conduct training for internal teams on legal processes and documentation. ****Qualifications & Experience**** - Education: LL.B or LL.M from a recognized university. - Experience: 5–10 years of experience in legal functions within NBFC, Banking, or Financial Services. - Strong experience handling litigation, arbitration, SARFAESI, and collection legal processes. - Exposure to secured and unsecured lending portfolios preferred.