Capital markets counsel | Wells Fargo Bank
Bridget Burns
Capital markets counsel | Wells Fargo Bank
What are the most significant cases or transactions that you have been involved in over the past year?
Wells Fargo has deployed resources in strengthening the APAC macro sales and trading business as part of the broader global markets business to help support our clients in APAC and globally. This was part of a global initiative which has included the build out of the business in Singapore with additional back office and support functions being brought in to help provide support to the business, including compliance, credit, legal, middle office and other teams. Being involved in the build out of a line of business and being involved in every step of the business development – from handling legal issues such as drafting legal agreements, advising on licensing and regulatory matters, advising on transaction reporting, drafting onboarding documents, negotiating client trading agreements – and working with global colleagues and internal stakeholders through the process- has given me a clearer perspective of the front to back issues across all parts of the business (not simply the legal perspectives) and strengthened my understanding of the business that I cover. Being able to collaborate with a variety of stakeholders across the Wells Fargo ecosystem has strengthened my internal network and enabled me to leverage off those networks in my day-to-day role allowing me to better support my business partners.
Apart from legal matters, has the team worked on other company initiatives you would like to highlight?
Wells Fargo provides internal support to many initiatives including Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) which includes the Women’s network, charity events and pro-bono initiatives in each region where Wells Fargo operates globally. Legal department personnel are encouraged to participate in various pro-bono matters through advocacy centres in their region or can assist our global peers on pro-bono matters outside of their specific region. The legal department personnel engaged in pro-bono matters have an opportunity to volunteer their time and expertise to assist individuals that may not be able to afford legal support or who cannot access the legal system. The feedback from the attorneys who participate in the pro-bono work is that it is extremely rewarding and can expand on existing skills and experience that they would not otherwise have and provides developmental opportunities outside of their existing roles.