Overview
This role is for an Associate Attorney to join the organization’s in-house legal team. The position reports to the Legal Directors and provides day-to-day legal support related to client engagements and commercial contracting.
Responsibilities
- Review and negotiate client engagement letters based on the firm’s templates, identifying professional services risk issues and advising professionals on acceptable positions and fallback language.
- Draft, review, and negotiate NDAs, including confidentiality and third-party access agreements.
- Respond to RFPs by reviewing legal and contractual requirements, completing the legal sections, and coordinating with business teams.
- Manage and organize the legal department’s intake process (Smartsheet), including triaging, assigning, tracking requests, and maintaining accurate records.
- Review and negotiate MSAs, BAAs, subcontractor agreements, government contracts, and other commercial contracts; identify risks and recommend revisions.
- Provide legal support and guidance to the firm’s directors on contract and engagement-related matters, escalating complex issues to the Legal Directors as appropriate.
- Assist with maintaining and improving contract templates, playbooks, and process documentation.
- Implement and understand Artificial Intelligence tools and platforms, including leveraging use cases to increase efficiencies.
Requirements
- J.D. degree with current bar admission.
- 3 or more years of post-law school experience in contract drafting, review, and negotiation.
- Ability to independently review, respond to, and negotiate commercial agreements, including MSAs, BAAs, subcontractor agreements, and government contracts.
Preferred Qualifications
- Strong contract drafting and negotiation skills, including experience with engagement letters, NDAs, and MSAs.
- Clear and confident communication skills with the ability to guide and advise professionals and engage effectively with clients, counterparties, and outside counsel.
- Ability to manage multiple matters and deadlines in a fast-paced environment with minimal supervision.
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail; comfort with workflow tools such as Smartsheet.
- Familiarity with HIPAA and data privacy requirements as they relate to BAAs is a plus.
- Ability to spot and escalate legal and risk issues specific to professional services engagements, including professional liability exposure.
- Ability to identify, explain, and balance business and legal risks.
Compensation & Benefits
- Merit-based employment.
- Flexibility in managing workdays to support work/life balance.
Location
Preferred location: Baton Rouge