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 to support effective communication and workflow.
Responsibilities
- Develop a deep understanding of the organization's service lines, technology offerings, and business strategies, including risk profiles associated with professional services, consulting, and technology-enabled engagements.
- Lead and negotiate complex, bespoke, and high-value professional services and technology-related agreements such as 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, exercising sound legal and business judgment and partnering with Legal Department leadership on material risk decisions.
- Negotiate vendor agreements with an understanding of operational, regulatory, and information security risks associated with vendor services or products.
- Review requests for proposals (RFPs) to identify areas of risk and advise partners and business personnel on appropriate risk-based, commercially practicable mitigation strategies.
- Apply U.S. and international privacy and data protection laws and information security requirements in reviewing and negotiating client and vendor agreements, collaborating closely with information security, privacy, and risk teams.
- Own, maintain, and continuously improve contract templates, standard terms, and fallback positions; draft new contract templates and provisions as business needs evolve.
- Evaluate and improve contracting processes and workflows by leveraging technology, automation, offshore resources, contract lifecycle management (CLM), and AI-enabled tools to enhance efficiency, consistency, and scalability.
- Assist in maintaining and expanding commercial contracting playbooks, ensuring consistent application of approved negotiation positions while allowing for appropriate risk-based flexibility and escalation.
- Provide leadership, guidance, supervision, and mentorship to Senior Counsel, Counsel, and other legal professionals, including workload prioritization, issue escalation, and career development support.
- Influence and align stakeholders across the firm, motivating collaboration 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 the firm’s risk profile and 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 is strongly preferred, 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, working with contract management or AI tools, or collaborating 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 skill sets, 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 for this role 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 of any type.
- Candidates with criminal histories will be considered in compliance with applicable state and local laws.
- Reasonable accommodations are available for applicants who require assistance during the application process.