Overview
This full-time, remote Corporate Counsel role supports commercial growth while proactively managing legal risk. You will serve as a strategic business partner to the Sales and Beverage teams, handling a wide range of commercial transactions and cross-functional initiatives.
Responsibilities
- Lead end-to-end contract management for primarily sales and customer-focused commercial agreements, including intake, prioritization, drafting, negotiation, and execution of master agreements, amendments, addenda, NDAs, and related documents with minimal supervision.
- Serve as the primary legal point of contact for the Water and Beverage Sales teams, providing real-time commercial legal support and strategic counsel on customer-facing transactions and relationships.
- Advise internal stakeholders across multiple business units by translating complex legal concepts into practical, actionable business guidance.
- Develop, maintain, and continuously improve contract templates, playbooks, and processes to drive efficiency and scalability.
- Build and maintain cross-functional relationships with internal business partners (e.g., Sales, Operations, Finance, Manufacturing, Quality, Supply Chain, Product Development, Product Engineering, Compliance) and external partners, including key customer stakeholders.
- Participate in pipeline meetings, deal reviews, and strategic planning sessions to provide early-stage legal input and embed into business operations.
- Identify, assess, and mitigate commercial and contractual risks; escalate material issues to legal and business leadership; recommend risk mitigation strategies that enable business objectives.
- Manage and help resolve pre-litigation disputes, customer claims, and commercial controversies while working to achieve favorable outcomes and preserve business relationships.
- Support special projects, M&A/joint venture due diligence, and other strategic initiatives as requested by the Associate General Counsel, Sales and Beverage and/or the General Counsel / Vice President of Legal Affairs.
- Design and deliver training for cross-functional business partners and plant personnel on contract processes, legal risk awareness, and compliance-related matters.
- Stay current on legal developments, industry trends, and emerging issues affecting the food and beverage and CPG industries.
Requirements
- Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an ABA-accredited law school.
- Active bar membership in good standing in at least one U.S. state (California bar preferred).
- 8+ years of relevant legal experience, including substantial experience in commercial contracts, transactions, and/or sales-related legal matters.
- Significant experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating complex commercial agreements (MSAs, supply agreements, distribution agreements, license agreements, etc.).
- Proven track record of serving as a trusted legal advisor to business stakeholders in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
- Experience may include a combination of law firm and in-house practice.
Preferred Qualifications
- 10+ years of relevant legal experience with progressive responsibility.
- Prior in-house experience at a consumer packaged goods (CPG), food and beverage, or manufacturing company strongly preferred.
- Intellectual property law knowledge in the context of drafting, revising, and negotiating commercial agreements.
- Experience supporting national retail accounts or large-scale and complex commercial relationships.
- Familiarity with food and beverage regulatory frameworks, product labeling, and supply chain compliance.
Key Competencies & Skills
- Exceptional legal acumen with strong issue-spotting, analytical, drafting, and negotiation skills.
- Outstanding interpersonal and relationship-building skills with a customer-service orientation.
- Proven ability to build trust and credibility with business partners at all levels, from plant managers to C-suite executives.
- Strong executive presence and ability to communicate complex legal concepts clearly to non-legal audiences.
- Expert knowledge of contract law, commercial transactions, and the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) as applied to sales and purchasing.
- Familiarity with or interest in emerging legal topics such as data privacy, sustainability/ESG, AI governance, compliance, and regulatory topics.
- Experience in consumer packaged goods (CPG), food and beverage, or manufacturing industries highly valued.
- Demonstrated leadership and strategy abilities with potential for growth within the legal function.
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-volume environment while maintaining exceptional attention to detail and meeting tight deadlines.
- Self-starter mentality with strong initiative, adaptability, and ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, Copilot) and contract lifecycle management (CLM) systems; experience with Icertis, Legal Tracker, HarveyAI, Smartsheet, or Oracle a plus.
- Enthusiasm for leveraging legal technology, including AI-powered tools, to drive efficiency and innovation in legal service delivery.
- Highest ethical standards and a positive, collaborative approach.
Compensation & Benefits
Typical Compensation Range
- Pay Rate Type: Salary
- $118,937.79 - $172,459.80 / Yearly
- Bonus Target: 10% Annual
Benefits (Regular full-time team members)
- Paid Time Off for holidays, sick time, and vacation time
- Paid parental and caregiver leaves
- Medical (including virtual care options)
- Dental
- Vision
- 401(k) with company match
- Health Savings Account with company match
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Expanded mental wellbeing benefits including free counseling sessions for all team members and household family members
- Family Building Benefits including enhanced fertility benefits for IVF and fertility preservation plus adoption, surrogacy, and Doula reimbursements
- Income protection including Life and AD&D, short and long-term disability, critical illness, and an accident plan
- Special discount programs including pet plans, pre-paid legal services, identity theft, car rental, airport parking, etc.
- Tuition reimbursement, college savings plan, and scholarship opportunities
Location
- Remote
- Standard business hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:30 PM PT, with flexibility as business needs require.
- Some evening and weekend work may be required from time to time, and some travel may be necessary to support business objectives and customer relationships.
- Los Angeles County applicants only: Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, the California Fair Chance Act, and any other applicable local and state laws.