Avanti Finance - Legal Counsel

Description:

Industry: NBFC / Digital Lending / Financial Services

About Avanti Finance Private Limited

Avanti Finance is a digital-first Middle Layer NBFC backed by leading philanthropists and industry pioneers. Our mission is to enable affordable, accessible, and scalable financial access for underserved communities across India. We work with a broad partner ecosystem and technology-driven platforms to deliver responsible credit solutions.

Role Overview

We are seeking an experienced Legal Counsel with strong NBFC industry exposure to lead legal strategy, manage litigation, and support regulatory compliance for our lending and platform operations. The ideal candidate will have deep expertise in contract drafting, recovery-related litigation, debt resolution, and RBI regulatory frameworks, along with demonstrated experience liaising with external counsel and law enforcement agencies. This role is critical to safeguarding Avantis legal interests, ensuring compliant lending operations, and supporting business growth through sound legal structuring.

Key Responsibilities

1. Contract Drafting & Negotiation

• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of commercial and lending-related contracts, including:

• i. Lender Agreements (Debt drawdown and NCD issuance)
• i. Service / Platform Agreements
• i. Master Service Agreements (MSA)
• i. Co-lending Agreements
• i. Non-Disclosure Agreements
• i. Term Sheets
• i. Assignment & Servicer Agreements
• i. Equity-related agreements and investment documents
• i. NCD and debt documentations

• Ensure all agreements align with business objectives and regulatory expectations for NBFCs.

2. Litigation & Recovery Management (End-to-End)

• Lead and manage litigation matters across civil, criminal, and regulatory forums including:

• i. NI Act Sec.138 matters
• i. Sec.25 PSS Act cases
• i. CrPC 156(3) petitions
• i. Recovery suits, summary suits, loan default cases
• i. NCLT, Lok Adalat, and Samadhan matters
• i. CID / economic offences-related investigations

• Appointment, coordination, and performance monitoring of external legal counsel across jurisdictions.
• Review pleadings, petitions, and legal notices to ensure strong representation.
• Drive recovery strategy including legal-led recoveries, settlements, and court-ordered enforcement.
• Liaise with police, enforcement agencies, and government authorities for complaint filing, investigation support, and execution of legal remedies.

3. Regulatory & Statutory Compliance (NBFC Focus)

• Ensure ongoing compliance with RBI regulations applicable to NBFCs (Fair Practices Code, KYC/AML, Outsourcing, Digital Lending Guidelines, PMLA, partner oversight).
• Provide advisory on regulatory interpretation and implications for lending products, platforms, processes, and partnerships.
• Support internal audits, risk assessments, compliance testing, and governance frameworks.
• Prepare legal opinions on NBFC operations, fintech structures, product design, and partner models.

4. Internal Legal Advisory & Risk Mitigation

• Provide strategic legal support on debt management, risk mitigation, fraud monitoring, dispute resolution, and operational escalations.
• Review new business initiatives, technology platforms, and lending models from a legal and regulatory standpoint.
• Support senior management in evaluating legal risks relating to credit operations, credit policy, partner structures, and corporate governance.

5. Stakeholder Collaboration

• Work closely with business, credit, operations, compliance, finance, and collections teams to ensure smooth end-to-end legal support.
• Engage with external stakeholders such as statutory authorities, industry bodies (MFIN, Sa-Dhan, ISO auditors), and partner institutions.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from a recognised institution; LL.M. preferred.
• Minimum 4-6 years of post-qualification experience in the NBFC / lending / fintech sector.

Strong command over:

• i. NBFC regulatory frameworks
• i. Digital lending guidelines
• i. Debt recovery laws
• i. NI Act, Civil & Criminal procedure
• i. Contract law and commercial negotiations

• Proven experience in managing large-scale litigation portfolios and recovery processes.
• Excellent drafting, analytical, and stakeholder management skills.

Key Competencies

• Strong understanding of NBFC operations and risks
• Excellent contract drafting and commercial negotiation ability
• Litigation strategy and external counsel management
• Regulatory interpretation and compliance advisory
• Ability to work in fast-paced digital lending environments
• High integrity, ownership mindset, and strong communication skills

Why Join Avanti

• Opportunity to work on cutting-edge digital lending models with significant social impact
• Dynamic work environment with cross-functional collaboration
• Exposure to complex and high-impact legal matters across India
• Mission-driven organisation backed by industry leaders