Assistant General Counsel

Steel Technologies; Louisville (KY); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employer-Paid Life Insurance

401(k) with company match

Tuition reimbursement

Teammate Assistance Program

Paid time off

Job summary

Steel Technologies is seeking a Strategic Legal Advisor to counsel senior management on operational, regulatory, transactional, and risk matters. You will own issues, drive initiatives, and deliver timely, practical legal remedies across the business.

Responsibilities include drafting and negotiating internal and external contracts, supporting contract templates, and guiding leadership on risk and negotiation strategy. Experience in corporate, regulatory, and in‑house environments is essential.

Qualifications

• JD degree from ABA‑approved law school in good standing.
• 10+ years’ experience as an attorney preferred, with corporate/commercial, regulatory or in‑house focus.

Responsibilities

• Serve as strategic legal advisor to senior management on operational, regulatory, transactional, and risk matters.
• Draft, review, and negotiate contracts and support contract lifecycle processes.
• Provide oversight on regulatory matters, risk management, and corporate governance.

Skills

Legal judgment

Business counseling

Communication skills

Negotiation skills

Confidentiality

Work under pressure

Travel flexibility

Education

JD degree (ABA‑approved)

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Data entry

Job description

• Strategic Legal Advisor – Serve as a strategic legal advisor to senior management and business leaders on assigned operational, regulatory, transactional, and risk matters. Take ownership, proactively identify issues and opportunities, recommend best practices, drive projects and initiatives forward, and ensure timely, practical resolution of legal and business risks.
• Contracts (Internal and External) – Draft, review, and negotiate various types of contracts, including customer and vendor agreements, terms and conditions, bailment agreements, letters of intent, confidentiality agreements, and credit agreements. Develop and maintain contract templates and support contract lifecycle processes. Provide guidance to business leaders regarding contract risk and negotiation strategy. Manage contract disputes, concerns, and dispute resolution.
• Operational and Regulatory Support – Provide legal support and senior level oversight on operational and regulatory matters impacting the business, including environmental, product, supply chain and operational compliance, audits, permitting matters, cross-border transactions, and other specialized compliance areas, as needed. Work with internal stakeholders, outside counsel, consultants, and advisors to assess and mitigate legal and compliance risk.
• Risk Management and Insurance – Manage the Company’s risk management legal and financial initiatives, including overseeing the commercial insurance programs, claims, and related analysis. Identify, evaluate, and communicate legal and business risks in a practical manner and recommend solutions that support the Company’s business objectives.
• Real Estate Matters – Provide legal support for real estate activities, including leases, facility matters, property-related agreements, coordination of property diligence, and related risk evaluation.
• Corporate Transactions, Organizational Structure, and Board Governance – Assist the General Counsel in mergers, acquisitions, and dispositions, the formation, maintenance and dissolution of joint ventures, etc. Assist the General Counsel as needed with Board materials, corporate governance documents, corporate records, and other communications requiring legal review.
• Collections and Bankruptcy – Assist the credit department in collection matters including drafting credit agreements and demand letters and tracking the collection progress up to and including litigation, if applicable. Provide legal support for customer/supplier bankruptcies, including strategy, negotiations, filing claims, preference actions, litigation coordination, and working with internal stakeholders and outside counsel to maximize returns while minimizing business impact.
• Litigation and Dispute Management – (Federal and State Jurisdictions) Coordinate with internal stakeholders and manage outside counsel regarding disputes and litigation matters, strategy, and business impact; evaluate claims, defenses, risks, and settlement options and make recommendations to the General Counsel and/or internal stakeholders; ensure key deadlines, exposures, settlement activity, and litigation risks are tracked and escalated appropriately.
• Employment Law, Workers Compensation, Safety, and OSHA – Assist the General Counsel and management as needed with employment, workers compensation, safety, and OSHA matters; support dispute resolution efforts, including coordination with outside counsel, as appropriate.
• Assist with supervising Senior Corporate Attorney, Corporate Attorney, Paralegal and Legal Intern. Provide guidance, review, and escalation support for legal work handled by other members of the Legal Department.
• Other duties as assigned.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Strategic Legal Advisor – Serve as a strategic legal advisor to senior management and business leaders on assigned operational, regulatory, transactional, and risk matters. Take ownership, proactively identify issues and opportunities, recommend best practices, drive projects and initiatives forward, and ensure timely, practical resolution of legal and business risks.
• Contracts (Internal and External) – Draft, review, and negotiate various types of contracts, including customer and vendor agreements, terms and conditions, bailment agreements, letters of intent, confidentiality agreements, and credit agreements. Develop and maintain contract templates and support contract lifecycle processes. Provide guidance to business leaders regarding contract risk and negotiation strategy. Manage contract disputes, concerns, and dispute resolution.
• Operational and Regulatory Support – Provide legal support and senior level oversight on operational and regulatory matters impacting the business, including environmental, product, supply chain and operational compliance, audits, permitting matters, cross-border transactions, and other specialized compliance areas, as needed. Work with internal stakeholders, outside counsel, consultants, and advisors to assess and mitigate legal and compliance risk.
• Risk Management and Insurance – Manage the Company’s risk management legal and financial initiatives, including overseeing the commercial insurance programs, claims, and related analysis. Identify, evaluate, and communicate legal and business risks in a practical manner and recommend solutions that support the Company’s business objectives.
• Real Estate Matters – Provide legal support for real estate activities, including leases, facility matters, property-related agreements, coordination of property diligence, and related risk evaluation.
• Corporate Transactions, Organizational Structure, and Board Governance – Assist the General Counsel in mergers, acquisitions, and dispositions, the formation, maintenance and dissolution of joint ventures, etc. Assist the General Counsel as needed with Board materials, corporate governance documents, corporate records, and other communications requiring legal review.
• Collections and Bankruptcy – Assist the credit department in collection matters including drafting credit agreements and demand letters and tracking the collection progress up to and including litigation, if applicable. Provide legal support for customer/supplier bankruptcies, including strategy, negotiations, filing claims, preference actions, litigation coordination, and working with internal stakeholders and outside counsel to maximize returns while minimizing business impact.
• Litigation and Dispute Management – (Federal and State Jurisdictions) Coordinate with internal stakeholders and manage outside counsel regarding disputes and litigation matters, strategy, and business impact; evaluate claims, defenses, risks, and settlement options and make recommendations to the General Counsel and/or internal stakeholders; ensure key deadlines, exposures, settlement activity, and litigation risks are tracked and escalated appropriately.
• Employment Law, Workers Compensation, Safety, and OSHA – Assist the General Counsel and management as needed with employment, workers compensation, safety, and OSHA matters; support dispute resolution efforts, including coordination with outside counsel, as appropriate.
• Assist with supervising Senior Corporate Attorney, Corporate Attorney, Paralegal and Legal Intern. Provide guidance, review, and escalation support for legal work handled by other members of the Legal Department.
• Other duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

• Strong legal judgment and ability to balance legal risk with business objectives
• Ability to advise senior management with practical, business oriented legal counseling and work effectively with business groups
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills
• Knowledge of business operations and applicable corporate law and general regulatory frameworks, including environmental, product, and operational compliance considerations
• Negotiation skills
• Computer skills in word, excel, power point, and data entry
• Ability to adhere to strict confidentiality requirements
• Ability to be able to closely examine and analyze information, and present findings
• Ability to work closely with other departments and to effectively manage outside consultants and outside counsel
• Ability to work under pressure, balance various priorities
• Ability to work after normal business hours and travel, as needed
• Ability to sit or stand for long periods of time

Reasonable accommodations may be made to those who are able to perform the essential duties of the job.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

A JD degree from ABA-approved law school, in good standing with a State Bar, 10+ years’ experience as an attorney is preferred. Experience should include mix of corporate/commercial, regulatory, or in-house legal experience, with a focus on commercial contracting and business-facing support. Experience supporting compliance initiatives and risk management functions is preferred.

WORKING CONDITIONS

This work is performed in an office setting with minimal to moderate noise due to computers, printers, and people.

Here’s what we can offer

Insurance:

• Affordable plans for medical, dental, vision, and wellbeing on the first day of the month following your start date
• Employer-Paid dental with available Buy-up options
• Free MDLive Telehealth Services through our Medical Plan
• Competitive Wellness Program, providing up to 100% discount on medical premiums
• Employer-Paid Short-Term and Long-Term Disability with Buy-up options
• Supplemental Accident Insurance through Allstate for additional coverage on accidents, cancer, and long-term care
• Employer-Paid Life Insurance
• Teammate Assistance Program (TAP) which offers professional assistance for Counseling, Financial, Legal and Family services

Work-Life Balance:

• Paid Time Off
• 9 Paid Holidays starting day one!
• Bonus Paid Floating Holiday in recognition of the diversity of our team

Financial:

• 401(k) after 60 days of employment + competitive match up to 4.5% after one year
• Pretax Health Savings Account
• Pretax Flexible Spending Account
• Paid bi-weekly
• Quarterly bonus based on company performance

Career Growth:

• Tuition reimbursement is available for job related courses to further your education, with up 100% paid tuition for maintenance-related coursework and certifications
• Skill Development Programs
• Learning Management System
• Promotional Opportunities

Local Perks & Discounts:

• Dress for your day!
• Teammate referral bonus
• Boot and Glasses Allowance after 60 days of employment
• Teammates appreciation activities

Steel Technologies is an equal opportunity employer and considers all qualified applicants without regard to any classification protected by federal, state and/or local law.

Steel Technologies is a safety-sensitive workplace. All employment offers are contingent upon results of a 10-panel drug screening, including marijuana.