Description:
Position Summary:The Corporate Counsel at A Paper & Forest Product Manufacturing Company will support the day-to-day legal needs of the Company. This position will work on a broad range of legal matters with a focus on commercial contracts, employment matters, and provide advice and documentation with respect to corporate and commercial matters, risk management, employment and labor matters, and litigation. This is a newly added Corporate Counsel opening due to company growth and will be based at our office in Lenexa, Kansas.
Principal Responsibilities:
Corporate and Commercial Matters
- Draft, review and negotiate contracts, leases, and other commercial agreements.
- Provide strategic legal advice on business and financial transactions.
- Assist in potential acquisitions and divestitures, including due diligence and contract preparation/negotiation.
- Assist with implementation of corporate legal initiatives.
- Make recommendations in conjunction with company policies and strategy.
- Ensure business practices, policies and operations meet regulatory requirements.
- Advise Management and draft memos on various points of law.
Employment and Labor
- Provide legal guidance on employment law matters, including hiring practices, employee relations, terminations, policies and compliance with federal and state employment regulations.
- Assist business and HR with employment matters.
- Research and advise on labor and employment points of law.
Risk Management
Contribute to the overall legal function of risk analysis and management.
Participate in defining, developing and implementing corporate policies, procedures and programs.
Litigation:
- Draft notice letters.
- Coordinate responses to subpoenas and other legal requests.
- Participate in establishing and reviewing litigation reserves.
- Manages litigation files assigned to outside counsel.
- Coordinate responses to discover.
- Negotiate settlements, including participation in various forms of Alternative Dispute Resolution.
Other:
- Maintain awareness of any new developments in the fields of expertise.
- Participates and contributes to company safety and environmental programs
- Perform other related duties as assigned.
- Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.
Qualifications:
- Education: Juris Doctorate from accredited law school
- Experience: Minimum 2 years' experience in contract, corporate and commercial law and/or employment law with a reputable law firm or corporate law department required
- License/Certification: Active license to practice law in at least one state.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Substantive legal knowledge of contract, corporate and commercial law
- Experience with labor and employment law preferred
- Experience with privacy or environmental law a plus
- Canadian legal experience a plus
- Intellectually curious and willingness to broaden legal experience across multiple practice areas
- Partnership mentality with a high level of integrity and excellent interpersonal skills
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Strong legal research and analytical skills
- Able to read, analyze and interpret complex documents
- Solid understanding of, and ability to research, federal and state laws and regulations
- Customer service mentality
- Dynamic, organized and proactive
- Able to work independently
- Able to work with all levels of management
- Prioritize and manage priorities effectively
- Sound business judgment in interpersonal, managerial and technical matters
- Computer literate (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.)