About This Role
This General Counsel role supports a growing legal function within a privately held, Midwest-based manufacturer and distributor. The position involves providing practical, business-oriented counsel across a broad range of corporate legal matters, including commercial transactions, employment, compliance, intellectual property, litigation management, and enterprise risk. The ideal candidate is a hands-on, solutions-focused attorney who can independently manage competing priorities and partner effectively with leaders throughout the organization.
Responsibilities
- Advise business leaders and internal stakeholders on a broad range of corporate legal matters, including commercial contracting, employment, compliance, intellectual property, litigation, and enterprise risk management
- Draft, review, revise, redline, negotiate, and provide legal and compliance guidance regarding customer, vendor, supplier, and other commercial agreements, including agreements with annual values exceeding $10 million
- Develop and maintain practical contract-review processes, playbooks, templates, and policies that balance commercial objectives with appropriate legal and business protections
- Provide day-to-day employment-law counseling to management and Human Resources on matters such as hiring, onboarding, employee performance, discipline, leaves, workplace policies, investigations, separations, and risk mitigation
- Draft and revise employment-related documentation, including offer letters, employee handbooks and policies, confidentiality agreements, restrictive-covenant agreements, separation and release agreements, and other workforce-related materials
- Monitor federal, state, and local legal and regulatory developments that may affect the company’s operations, workforce, commercial activities, or strategic objectives
- Assess the impact of legal and regulatory changes and implement practical compliance plans, policies, training, and operational measures to reduce legal exposure and mitigate business risk
- Support the company’s compliance program by advising on applicable laws, internal policies, ethics requirements, and risk-management initiatives
- Manage and oversee outside counsel on intellectual-property matters, litigation, employment matters, regulatory issues, and other specialized legal projects
- Coordinate with outside counsel to establish project scope, manage budgets, evaluate legal strategy, and ensure timely, cost-effective delivery of legal services
- Partner with internal teams—including executive leadership, finance, sales, operations, human resources, technology, and procurement—to identify legal issues early and provide proactive, commercially sound solutions
- Assist with the protection and management of the company’s intellectual-property assets, including coordination with outside counsel on trademarks, copyrights, licensing, disputes, and related matters
