Description:
About the Job:Associate General Counsel (9732GC) or Senior Associate General Counsel (depending on required qualifications and experience)
Office of General Counsel is seeking a skilled, client-focused lawyer with excellent academic credentials to advise and represent academic departments and business units in business transactions. You join a team of attorneys with a focus on improving the legal review process of a high volume of the university's business transactions, and will be responsible for reviewing, drafting, and negotiating a wide range of contracts to ensure compliance with legal requirements and protect the University's interests. You will collaborate closely with the other attorneys in the office, internal stakeholders, and external parties to assist with the facilitation of effective contract management and provide expert advice. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in contract law, exceptional communication skills, and a proven ability to analyze complex legal issues.
The position will perform a review of contracts for legal sufficiency: contracts for purchases of goods and services, sponsorship agreements, agreements with government entities, leases and purchases, along with memoranda of understanding, affiliation type agreements, confidentiality agreements and similar documents. In addition, the candidate will review, analyze, and revise independent contractor, licensing agreements, and purchasing templates.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Under the general direction of the Director of the Transactions Group, the successful candidate will:
- Draft legal documents based on a list of preferred clauses, but also be experienced enough to generate favorable clauses for the University from experience.
- Collaborate effectively with other members of the transactional group and all business units.
- Protect and mitigate University risks that may arise from contractual commitments.
- Review contract terms and seek expertise from other members of the transactional group in order to convey comprehensive legal edits to the business units.
- Collaborate with university teams, including compliance, procurement, finance, and business units, to ensure contracts align with business objectives and comply with university policies and legal regulations.
- Advise internal stakeholders on legal implications, risks, and potential solutions related to contractual matters.
- Conduct legal research to stay updated on changes in contract laws and regulations that may impact the University.
Qualifications:
Required Qualifications: The successful candidate must possess each of the following:
- Associate General Counsel Qualifications
- A Juris Doctorate granted by an ABA accredited law school
- Admission to and good standing in the State Bar of Minnesota or eligibility for prompt admission
- Minimum 4 years of experience as a lawyer advising on commercial transactions, preferably within an in-house corporate legal department (experience in higher education a plus).
- Highest level of integrity and professionalism
- An ability to independently prioritize work and manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
Senior Associate General Counsel Qualifications
- A Juris Doctorate granted by an ABA accredited law school
- Admission to and good standing in the State Bar of Minnesota or eligibility for prompt admission
- Minimum 8 years of experience as a lawyer advising on commercial transactions, preferably within an in-house corporate legal department (experience in higher education a plus).
- Highest level of integrity and professionalism
- An ability to independently prioritize work and manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills.
Desired for both:
- Exceptional attention to detail and strong analytical skills to identify legal risks and propose effective solutions.
- Knowledge and expertise in a broad array of practice areas including significant experience drafting and negotiating business agreements
- Experience in higher education, or advising institutions of higher education
- Experience in a law firm as well as in-house
- Strong analytical and interpersonal skills and cross-cultural competencies
- Having worked collegially and professionally in a diverse environment with peers, subordinates, and clients
- Knowledge in a specific area related to university purchases, such as technology agreements, privacy and security, or import regulations