Description:
Overview:The Staff Counsel (“SC”) is a staff lawyer in the firm's Office of the General Counsel (“OCG”) dedicated to supporting the firm's contracting activities as a business. This position is in-house and does not involve the delivery of services to the firm's clients; rather, the SC is a member of the administrative management team and is a practicing lawyer whose sole client is the firm. The SC will manage, review, and negotiate a wide variety of contracts for the firm.
Responsibilities:
The SC will work directly with the Procurement and Facilities Department and other members of the firm to assist with various aspects of vendor agreements as follows:
- Review, negotiate, and when appropriate, draft vendor agreements, primarily for the Technology, Talent and Marketing & Business Development Departments, but also with other departments as needed
- Engage and coordinate with internal resources (e.g., information security, privacy, subject matter experts, senior members of the OCG, and stakeholders) on contracting terms as needed
- Work closely with firm management to receive approvals for any deviations from the firm's contracting guidelines and standard practices
- Improve and implement guidelines for vendor agreements, with regard to such terms as limitations of liability, indemnification, and minimum insurance coverages
- Provide advice and counsel to the firm's administrative staff and business leaders regarding key commercial and legal considerations throughout the contracting process
- Manage the firm's Contract Lifecycle Management (“CLM”) system, as well as the development of related processes and policies regarding the CLM
- Work with department leadership to develop, improve and maintain template or form documents (e.g., master service agreements, terms and conditions, etc.)
- Develop and maintain relationships with business professionals in various departments to understand their contracting needs
- Supporting other OCG members in their review of agreements between the firm and its clients including, but not limited to, engagement letters, outside counsel guidelines, requests for proposal, and non-disclosure agreements
- Assist with the review and negotiation of HIPAA Business Associate Agreements between the firm, its clients and their vendors
- Review contracts with vendors or consultants retained on behalf of clients in connection with the firm's provision of legal services to its clients
- Other duties and special projects as assigned
- The SC will supervise the Contracts Management Specialist:
- Oversee the Specialists' management of the firm's Contract Lifecycle Management (“CLM”) system, as well as the development of related processes and policies regarding the CLM
- Train and supervise the Specialist with regard to use of templated agreements for routine contracts
Qualifications:
- J.D. and current license to practice law in the state in which the employee is located required
- Minimum of three (3) years of relevant legal experience required, experience working with a large law firm or in-house practice preferred
- Experience interacting with partner level attorneys and senior management preferred
- Strong legal research and writing skills with ability to translate legal requirements into operational processes required
- Demonstrated, working knowledge of CLM software and systems, and with various types of agreements preferred including:
- Software License Agreements (SaaS and on-prem)
- Professional Service Agreements
- Marketing and Events Agreements
- Data Protection Agreements
- Business Associate Agreements
- Non-Disclosure Agreements