Overview
An organization is seeking an Assistant General Counsel to join their transaction-focused legal practice. This role involves leading the review, negotiation, and resolution of complex and high-risk professional services and technology-related agreements. The Assistant General Counsel will serve as an escalation point for transactional matters and manage key aspects of the contracting process. Acting as a trusted advisor to partners, business unit leaders, and senior leadership, the role balances commercial objectives with legal, regulatory, and reputational risk.
The position reports to the leader of the Legal Department’s commercial transactions function within the Firm Risk Management enabling function. It requires collaboration with a globally located legal and contract support team, including colleagues based in India, and necessitates reasonable availability during overlapping business hours for effective communication.
Responsibilities
- Develop a deep understanding of the organization’s service lines, technology offerings, business strategies, and associated risk profiles.
- Lead and negotiate complex, bespoke, and high-value agreements including master services agreements, engagement letters, confidentiality agreements, business associate agreements, SaaS agreements, data protection agreements, software licenses, subcontractor agreements, government contracts, and related statements of work.
- Serve as an escalation point for non-standard, high-risk, or novel commercial issues, partnering with Legal Department leadership on material risk decisions.
- Negotiate vendor agreements with consideration of operational, regulatory, and information security risks.
- Review requests for proposals (RFPs) to identify risks and advise on risk-based, commercially practical mitigation strategies.
- Apply U.S. and international privacy and data protection laws and collaborate with information security, privacy, and risk teams.
- Own, maintain, and improve contract templates, standard terms, fallback positions, and draft new provisions as business needs evolve.
- Evaluate and enhance contracting processes and workflows using technology, automation, offshore resources, contract lifecycle management (CLM), and AI-enabled tools.
- Assist in maintaining and expanding commercial contracting playbooks, ensuring consistent application of approved negotiation positions with appropriate risk-based flexibility.
- Provide leadership, guidance, supervision, and mentorship to Senior Counsel, Counsel, and other legal professionals.
- Influence and align stakeholders across the firm through credibility, judgment, and strong relationships.
Requirements
- Minimum of nine (9) years of relevant experience in a law firm or in-house counsel role, with demonstrated experience handling complex commercial transactions and advising senior stakeholders.
- Admission to a U.S. state bar in good standing; preference for candidates admitted to the Illinois bar and located in the Chicago area, though remote candidates admitted elsewhere will be considered.
- Strong organizational skills, business judgment, strategic thinking, and exceptional written and verbal communication skills tailored to senior audiences.
- Ability to set priorities, manage workload amid competing demands, and make risk-based decisions aligned with business objectives.
- Solutions-oriented, relationship-focused negotiation approach, maintaining positive professional relationships with internal stakeholders, clients, and opposing counsel.
- Ability to lead and influence through credibility, including where direct reporting lines do not exist.
- Experience leveraging technology to improve legal service delivery, including proficiency with Microsoft Office; familiarity with CLM platforms and AI-assisted contract review tools is a plus.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with state or federal government contract requirements and compliance.
- Background in governmental, accounting, or financial regulatory sectors.
- Experience with cross-border or multi-jurisdictional contracting.
- Knowledge of intellectual property matters related to marketing, trade secrets, licensing, patents, and copyright.
- Experience in public accounting, consulting, or other professional services environments.
- Familiarity with regulated or compliance-driven contracts, including government contracts.
- Experience improving contracting processes and working with global or offshore teams.
- Knowledge of data privacy regulations or certifications such as CIPP-US or CIPP-E.
Compensation & Benefits
- Estimated salary range: $149,400.00 - $317,100.00 per year, dependent on skills, experience, licensure, certifications, and organizational needs.
- Comprehensive total rewards package including benefits.
Location
- Preference for candidates located in the Chicago area; however, candidates admitted to a U.S. state bar in good standing in their state of residence will be considered.
Additional Information
- The application deadline is February 28, 2026.
- Employment eligibility verification is required; the organization is not sponsoring work authorization at this time.
- The organization is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment.
- Candidates with criminal histories will be considered in compliance with applicable laws.
- Attorneys in this smaller department may be expected to work on a variety of legal matters beyond their central role.
- The role requires ethical conduct and integrity at all times.