Legal Manager

Job Role: Legal Manager

Department: Legal & Collections

Location: Bangalore

Position reporting to: Head of Legal

No. of Direct Reports: 0

About the Role

The Legal Manager will drive endtoend legal support for secured lending and mortgage lending portfolioscovering presanction title diligence, documentation, security perfection, and postsanction recovery via SARFAESI and nonSARFAESI legal routes. The role requires handson experience in Section 13(2)/13(4) actions, Section 14 applications before DM/CMM, auction processes, as well as civil suits, summary suits, arbitration, NI Act 138, and execution. The role includes litigation management, vendor governance, and compliance with RBI NBFC guidelines and Fair Practices.

Responsibilities

• PreSanction & Documentation
• Vet loan documentation for secured/mortgage lending (term loans, LAP, SME secured, construction finance where applicable).
• Conduct/Review title due diligence: title search, encumbrance checks, chain of title, RERA, revenue records, pending litigation search, and property tax diligence.
• Ensure security perfection: mortgage creation (equitable/registered), stamping & registration, CERSAI registration, ROC charge filing (for corporate borrowers), hypothecation marking where applicable.
• Draft and vet sanction letters, loan agreements, security documents, deeds of guarantee, POAs, undertakings, escrow and assignment deeds.
• Frame checklists & SOPs to minimize documentation defects and fraud risk.

• Post Sanction Recovery SARFAESI
• Issue and track Section 13(2) demand notices, handle borrower objections/representations under 13(3A).
• Execute Section 13(4) measures, including symbolic/physical possession, Rule 8/9 process, valuation, reserve price setting, and eauction endtoend.
• File and pursue Section 14 applications before DM/CMM for assistance in taking possession.
• Engage advocates, valuers, enforcement agencies, and coordinate panchnama, inventory, and custody.
• Manage sale certificates, appropriation, and closure documentation; ensure timeline adherence and documentation integrity.

• Non SARFAESI Legal Recoveries
• Initiate and monitor civil suits, summary suits (Order 37 CPC), arbitration (where contractually applicable), NI Act Section 138 cheque dishonor cases, execution proceedings, and prelitigation mediation.
• File injunctions, receivership applications, police complaints (where fraud), and coordinate with Lok Adalats and Mediation Centers to drive settlements.
• Strategize case prioritization based on exposure, asset value, limitation risk, and probability of recovery.

• Litigation Management & Vendor Governance
• Incumbent should be able to handle by company (FIR, arbitration, filing anticipatory bail etc.) and against company cases (such as DRT, consumer cases etc.)
• Maintain a live litigation tracker with TATs/MIS, including exposure, provisioning inputs, next dates, and stagewise outcomes.
• Empanel and manage law firms, counsel, DRA/legal collection agencies, valuers, investigators; enforce rate cards, SLAs, and quality audits.
• Review pleadings, ensure evidence readiness, witness prep, and affidavits; guide branches and collections on legal strategy.

• Compliance & Policy
• Ensure adherence to SARFAESI Act, 2002, Securitisation Rules, CPC, Arbitration & Conciliation Act, NI Act, and relevant State amendments.
• Align processes with RBI NBFC Master Directions, Fair Practices Code, KYC/AML, outsourcing guidelines, data privacy, and ombudsman/customer grievance redressal norms.
• Draft/update Legal SOPs, playbooks, templates, and risk controls; train business/collections teams.

• Business Partnering
• Advise Sales, Credit, Collections, and Operations on structuring, documentation, recoveries, and regulatory queries.
• Participate in Credit Committee discussions for highvalue/complex cases.
• Support portfolio sales/assignments and colending from a documentation and enforcement perspective.

Qualifications

• LLB / LLM

Required Skills

• 5-7 years dealing with Legal cases/Arbitration. Experience of recovery from hard bucket is essential.
• Exposure to digital lending, DPDP Act compliance, and fintech partnerships.
• Postqualification experience with NBFCs/Banks/ARCs or reputed law firms handling secured lending.
• Demonstrated, handson SARFAESI execution (13(2), 13(4), Rule 8/9 auctions, Section 14) and nonSARFAESI recoveries (civil suits, arbitration, NI 138).
• Strong command over title diligence, mortgage creation, CERSAI, registration, and ROC charge filings (for corporate borrowers).
• Proven court exposure (DM/CMM, DRT/DRAT desirable), drafting excellence, and vendor management.
• Familiarity with RERA, local revenue records, urban development norms, and stamp/registration nuances across states.

Preferred Skills

• Litigation strategy and negotiation for settlements/O.T.S.
• Ability to triage portfolios, drive timebound recoveries, and manage highvolume caseloads.
• Strong stakeholder management with field