[Hiring] Associate Counsel @Manulife

Role Description

John Hancock seeks an attorney to join its Advanced Markets team as Associate Counsel. This dynamic role partners with sales personnel, distributors, and internal business partners to deliver sophisticated planning strategies for clients. The attorney will provide technical and legal guidance on advanced planning matters, translate complex concepts into practical business solutions, and help expand sales and marketing opportunities while supporting responsible growth and alignment with enterprise legal, compliance, and risk frameworks.

The successful candidate will bring a strong technical foundation in high-end estate and business planning, a can-do attitude, and the ability to work independently from issue identification through resolution. With knowledge and practical experience in the areas of wealth transfer planning, business succession planning, charitable planning, and related tax issues, the associate counsel will work as a trusted partner who can effectively engage across a wide customer network to help navigate and implement sophisticated planning opportunities. This position also partners closely with advanced markets consultants, product, marketing, compliance, sales leadership, and operations to enable growth, manage regulatory risk, and advance strategic initiatives.

This opportunity is a remote role and can be based anywhere in the US.

Key Accountabilities

• Strategic Case Consultation
  • Provide timely written and verbal consultation on complex life insurance opportunities involving wealth transfer, estate planning, business succession, charitable planning, executive benefits, and related tax matters.
  • Analyze sophisticated client fact patterns and develop practical planning approaches that are technically sound, commercially relevant, and consistent with company guidelines and risk principles.
  • Partner with sales professionals and distributors to clarify objectives, identify planning considerations, and communicate recommendations in clear, actionable terms.
  • Exercise sound judgment and appropriate independence in managing inquiries, research, follow-up, and stakeholder communication.
• Advanced Planning, Legal Research, and Risk Management
  • Serve as a technical resource on federal estate, gift, generation-skipping transfer, income, and related tax issues affecting advanced life insurance planning.
  • Research emerging planning strategies, legislative and regulatory developments, and industry trends; assess their implications for clients, distribution partners, and the business.
  • Assist with complex legal, regulatory, and compliance matters and review planning concepts within the company’s legal, compliance, and enterprise risk framework.
  • Collaborate with Legal, Compliance, Underwriting, Product, Operations, Marketing, and Sales leadership to facilitate well-reasoned and appropriate outcomes.
• Content Development, Innovation, Education, and Thought Leadership
  • Draft and review advanced markets educational, promotional, and technical materials, including concept pieces, case studies, presentations, articles, guides, and field-facing resources.
  • Conduct legal and technical review of materials created by attorneys and non-attorneys for accuracy, clarity, and alignment with applicable standards.
  • Develop and deliver education on advanced planning concepts and relevant legislative, regulatory, tax, and industry developments for internal and external audiences.
  • Present at conferences, study groups, webinars, producer meetings, and internal forums, adapting highly technical content for audiences with varying levels of expertise.
  • Contribute ideas for new content and market-facing resources that make complex planning concepts easier to understand and use.
• Cross-Functional Partnership and Strategic Initiatives
  • Participate as an Advanced Markets subject matter expert on initiatives spanning product development, underwriting, marketing, distribution, new markets, and other business priorities.
  • Build trusted relationships with internal and external stakeholders through responsiveness, practical problem solving, and consistent follow-through.
  • Lead or contribute to research projects, working groups, industry committees, and strategic initiatives.
  • Share field intelligence and technical insights that support business growth, product positioning, and responsible innovation.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor and admission in good standing to at least one U.S. state bar
• Minimum of 4 years of relevant professional experience in high-end estate planning, private wealth, life insurance, advanced markets, tax, business planning, or a closely related discipline.
• LLM, CPA, and CFP designations are an asset

Requirements

• Demonstrated technical knowledge of sophisticated estate and wealth transfer planning and business planning
• Strong knowledge of life insurance industry, products, and sales strategies along with advanced planning concepts
• Ability to analyze complex legal and tax issues and translate them into practical guidance for a range of audiences
• Marketing or content development experience, with an interest in editorial drafting and creating compelling educational or promotional materials.

Professional Skills

• Strong writing, editorial, project management, organization, and customer service skills
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, comfort with presenting at various size audiences and methods (in-person seminars/townhalls, webinars etc.)
• Highly developed negotiation, influencing, and networking skills
• Ability to travel to industry and distributor conferences, meetings, etc.

Benefits

• Health, dental, mental health, vision, short- and long-term disability, life and AD&D insurance coverage
• Adoption/surrogacy and wellness benefits, and employee/family assistance plans
• Various retirement savings plans (including pension/401(k) savings plans and a global share ownership plan with employer matching contributions)
• Financial education and counseling resources
• Generous paid time off program in the U.S. includes up to 11 paid holidays, 3 personal days, 150 hours of vacation, and 40 hours of sick time (or more where required by law) each year
• Full range of statutory leaves of absence