Description
Wealth Management Attorney - Retirement General DescriptionMorgan Stanley seeks an experienced ERISA attorney to join the Retirement Legal Group, supporting a variety of service and product offerings within its retail Wealth Management business. The ideal attorney will be able to perform well in a fast paced environment and collaborate with a wide variety of investment professionals across many disciplines.

The candidate must have a strong working knowledge of the Internal Revenue Code, ERISA and related regulatory frameworks. Responsibilities include: Retirement tax and ERISA legal support for (i) the various Wealth Management Retirement Businesses, ie, Personal Retirement business, Digital Direct Retirement business (Legacy E*TRADE Retirement business) and Morgan Stanley At Work Retirement and NQ Deferred Compensation Solutions business; (ii) Wealth Management Field; (iii) Wealth Management Operations; and (iv) the various Wealth Management product groups, eg, Alternative Investments, Capital Markets, RIA channel, Investment Advisory, Digital Direct (legacy E*TRADE business), etc. Provide advice and respond to inquires concerning (i) individual retirement accounts ( IRA ) (including traditional, Roth, SEP, SAR-SEP and SIMPLE IRAs), Coverdell education savings accounts ( CESA ), and tax-qualified retirement and welfare benefit plan accounts (collectively, Retirement Accounts ); (ii) nonqualified deferred compensation plans ( NQDC Plans ); and (iii) custom beneficiary designations for IRAs.

Provide advice and support concerning (i) tax reporting and withholding for Retirement Accounts; (ii) tax-qualification and other tax related matters related to Retirement Accounts and NQDC Plans (iii) fiduciary and prohibited transaction issues that arise under the Internal Revenue Code and ERISA, as it relates to Retirement Accounts; (iv) retirement-related marketing material generated by the firm and third-party providers; (iv) issues related to the firm's status as IRS approved nonbank custodian; and (v) various retirement initiatives. Review, draft and provide advice on (i) IRA and CESA related account agreements and prototype plan documents; (ii) tax-qualified retirement and welfare benefit plan account agreements and prototype plan documents; and (iii) service agreements with corporate clients and third party service providers. General support on regulatory and legislative initiatives, especially regulatory matters originating with the Internal Revenue Service (eg, required minimum distribution regulations, tax reporting and withholding changes, regulatory changes resulting from new legislation, etc.

) and Department of Labor (eg, investment advice definition, prohibited transaction exemptions, reporting obligations, ESG, etc.)Company ProfileMorgan Stanley is a leading global financial services firm providing a wide range of investment banking, securities, investment management and wealth management services. The Firm's employees serve clients worldwide including corporations, governments and individuals from more than 1,200 offices in 43 countries.

As a market leader, the talent and passion of our people is critical to our success. Together, we share a common set of values rooted in integrity, excellence and strong team ethic. Morgan Stanley can provide a superior foundation for building a professional career - a place for people to learn, to achieve and grow.

A philosophy that balances personal lifestyles, perspectives and needs is an important part of our culture.Background on the DivisionMorgan Stanley Wealth Management is one of the largest retail broker-dealers and serves the needs of individuals and small and mid-sized institutional clients through a network of over 15,000 financial advisors located throughout the US. The Attorney will be part of the Retirement Legal team currently consisting of four attorneys and will be a member of a broader group of attorneys servicing Morgan Stanley Wealth Management's products and services.

The Retirement Legal team provides support for the firm's retirement and welfare benefit products and services. Department ProfileProfessionals within Legal and Compliance provide a wide range of services to our business units. They might help to structure a complex and sensitive cross-border transaction; advise on a new product introduction; develop a training program or defuse an investor dispute.

They preserve the firm's invaluable reputation for integrity and protect the firm from sanctions with policies and procedures that meet regulatory requirements around the world. They also strive to maintain cooperative relationships with governmental policy makers and the regulatory and self-regulatory agencies that govern the firm's businesses.QualificationsQualificationsSkills Required (essential) Minimum of 3 to 5 years of relevant experience at a law firm or in-house legal department, with preference given to candidates with broker-dealer experience.

Familiarity with the US regulatory framework, with special emphasis on SEC, ERISA, IRS and FINRA regulatory regimes. Candidate should be commercially-oriented team player and able to demonstrate an ability to work in a highly collaborative environment and to build strong relationships with business, legal, compliance and risk partners across Morgan Stanley's business. Professional demeanor, with strong relationship skills and ability to deliver prompt and clear messages to business partners.

This position is open to the Vice President or Executive Directorlevel. The role is based in New York (either Manhattan or Purchase) and is hybrid between office and a remote location.Morgan Stanley's goal is to build and maintain a workforce that is diverse in experience and background but uniform in reflecting our standards of integrity and excellence.

Consequently, our recruiting efforts reflect our desire to attract and retain the best and brightest from all talent pools. We want to be the first choice for prospective employees.It is the policy of the Firm to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, sex stereotype, gender, gender identity or expression, transgender, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, disability, marital and civil partnership/union status, pregnancy, veteran or military service status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Morgan Stanley is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversifying its workforce (M/F/Disability/Vet).Expected base pay rates for the role will be between $110,000.00 and $190,000.00 at the commencement of employment.

However, base pay if hired will be determined on an individualized basis and is only part of the total compensation package, which, depending on the position, may also include commission earnings, incentive compensation, discretionary bonuses, other short and long-term incentive packages, and other Morgan Stanley sponsored benefit programs.Job Field: Attorney.