Description:
A Food Safety Company, is seeking a highly motivated and talented Attorney, to support Ecolab's growth in its global A Food Safety Company division (a major division of A Food Safety Company industrial segment), to protect and advance the company's competitive position and shareholder value through proactive, cost effective and value-added legal services in the role's specialized areas of law. A Food Safety Company works with customers across a wide range of industries to help meet their specific sustainability and business goals. A Food Safety Company solutions combine chemistry, digital innovation, and extensive expertise to help industries minimize water and climate impacts while maximizing operational efficiency. As an Ecolab company, A Food Safety Company is aligned with its corporate ambition to make the world cleaner, healthier and safer by providing and protecting what's vital.The number and complexity of laws and regulations affecting our management and operations require competent, responsive legal advice and services so that corporate objectives are fulfilled. The professional in this role will provide management with responsive, practical and actionable legal advice and guidance, with alternate solutions where appropriate, which meet the company's business objectives and policies; to recommend such measures as will minimize the occurrence of legal problems; to resolve legal disputes with a minimum of cost and loss of management time; and to definitively advise management if a course of business conduct will clearly violate applicable law or corporate policy. This position has a significant role in the shaping of company transactions and conforming them to applicable legal requirements. The position requires building and maintaining collaborative relationships with legal and business colleagues and subject matter experts globally, and with executives in Naperville and Ecolab's headquarters in St. Paul, MN.
This position is located at Ecolab's offices located in Naperville, IL and reports to the Assistant General Counsel for A Food Safety Company Global Light business division. This position may require occasional travel as necessary.
Main Responsibilities:
Commercial Transactions and Contracts
Review, negotiate and draft a variety of commercial/business contracts and transactions, including sales contracts, master services agreements, purchasing contracts, engineering, procurement and construction contracts, design, build, own, operate and maintenance agreements, licensing agreements, equipment lease agreements, joint development agreements, distributor and agency agreements, confidentiality agreements, consortium agreements, manufacturing and tolling agreements, leasing agreements, digital program agreements, SAAS agreements and other commercial contracts involving commitments between the Company and its global customers, suppliers and other parties.
Legal Guidance and Counseling
Provide strategic and tactical legal advice on a wide range of matters including new ventures, growth initiatives, commercial dispute resolution, and global acquisitions and divestitures under the direction of the Assistant General Counsel to help advance business objectives. Conduct training on legal policies and procedures as necessary.
Minimum Qualifications:
- JD degree or equivalent from a well-regarded university
- Licensed in good standing to practice law in at least one state, preferably Illinois
- 5 years of legal experience in commercial transactions, preferably in the chemical industry
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, willingness, and enthusiasm to handle a wide range of agreements and contracts from simple to complex
- An ability to analyze, interpret, and present complex legal ideas and concepts in a clear and concise fashion to non-legal audiences
- Commercial awareness and practical approach to negotiating and resolving transactional issues to meet business objectives while managing risk
- Positive client-service attitude with a customer focus
- Capable of successfully managing multiple projects simultaneously and effectively to completion.
- Ability to effectively plan and manage a heavy workload meeting tight time constraints
- High degree of accountability and professional motivation with the ability to thrive in a results-oriented culture
Preferred Qualifications:
- 5 years' experience negotiating and drafting complex commercial contracts in multiple commercial contexts and countries; Experience in-house within a corporation or other large matrixed business structure is very desirable
- Ability to assist on various projects as needed
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Strong business acumen and working knowledge of corporate organization and administration, as well as company operations and business objectives in an industrial setting
- Ability to provide timely advice and exercise good judgment
- Ability to advise business partners on the implications of their business objectives and suggest strategic legal solutions
- Ability to counsel, influence and collaborate with others inside and outside the company
- Ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions
