Description:
Description:Swickard Automotive Group is a rapidly expanding, family-owned dealership group with over 50 dealerships across 6 states. We are committed to providing an exceptional experience for our customers and fostering a supportive and dynamic environment for our employees. As we continue to grow, we are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Attorney to join our in-house legal team.
This is a unique opportunity for a skilled legal professional to play a key role in supporting the diverse legal needs of a large and growing automotive group. The ideal candidate will possess a strong understanding of various areas of law relevant to business operations, with a particular emphasis on transactional, litigation, and regulatory compliance.
Key Responsibilities:
Provide legal advice and counsel to all levels of the organization on a wide range of legal issues, including but not limited to:
- Contracts: Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating various commercial agreements, vendor contracts, real estate leases, and other business-related agreements.
- Litigation Management: Overseeing and managing litigation matters, including working with outside counsel, developing litigation strategies, and conducting discovery.
- Employment Law: Advising on employment-related matters, including hiring, termination, disciplinary actions, wage and hour compliance, and workplace policies.
- Regulatory Compliance: Ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations applicable to automotive dealerships (e.g., FTC, CFPB, DMV, consumer protection laws).
- Real Estate: Assisting with real estate transactions, zoning, and land use matters.
- Corporate Governance: Assisting with corporate governance matters and maintaining corporate records.
Other Responsibilities:
- Conduct legal research and provide accurate and timely legal opinions.
- Develop and implement legal policies and procedures to mitigate risk and ensure compliance.
- Manage and supervise outside counsel as needed.
- Stay abreast of legal developments and advise the company on potential impacts.
- Assist in the resolution of disputes and negotiate settlements.
- Provide training to employees on legal and compliance topics.
- Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
- Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school.
- Active membership in good standing with the California State Bar is a strong plus.
- Minimum of 3-5 years of experience practicing law, with a significant portion of that experience in a corporate in-house setting or representing corporate clients.
- Demonstrated experience in transactional law, litigation management, collections, and regulatory compliance.
- Significant litigation experience is desired.
- Strong understanding of business operations and the ability to provide practical, business-oriented legal advice.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate complex legal concepts clearly and concisely to non-legal stakeholders.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and negotiation skills.
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced environment.
- High level of integrity, professionalism, and ethical conduct.
- Experience in the automotive industry or with franchise law is a plus, but not required.