Associate General Counsel

Spencer Stuart; New York (NY); On-site; USD 200,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Retirement savings plan

Paid time off (15+ days)

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Disability insurance

Wellness programs

Job summary

Spencer Stuart is seeking an Associate General Counsel based in the United States, ideally in New York or the Northeast, to lead governance and compliance across the firm’s global operations.

The role advises the CLO on governance matters, supports board activities, and oversees corporate documentation, filings, and entity governance worldwide. The position focuses on governance first, with opportunities to engage in partner-level projects.

Qualifications

• Qualified lawyer with 6+ years of legal experience.
• Ideally based in the United States, New York or northeast preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead corporate governance and compliance for the Firm's global footprint.
• Advise on governance, fiduciary duties, director obligations, and governance best practices with the CLO.
• Support the full annual cycle of Board and committee governance activities - planning, agendas, minutes, and onboarding.
• Oversee governance and compliance framework for global subsidiaries and affiliated entities across jurisdictions.
• Coordinate annual corporate maintenance - director changes, filings, and secretarial obligations.
• Ensure compliance with governance documents and domicile requirements.
• Work with Treasury and Finance on corporate matters including restructurings and projects.
• Support employee-owned share structure governance with the CLO.
• Oversee execution and legalization of corporate documentation and file maintenance.
• Review and update governance processes and templates to improve efficiency.
• Provide guidance on governance issues and disseminate knowledge to stakeholders.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Analytical reasoning

Attention to detail

Collaborative

Job description

Associate General Counsel

KEY RELATIONSHIPS Reports to: Global Counsel Other key relationships: Chief Legal Officer and Company Secretary, Firm Chair, Board Committee Chairs, colleagues in Legal Function, Corporate Paralegal, Compliance Specialist, Finance Function, members of senior leadership team (Operating Team)

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Corporate Governance Matters Leads corporate governance and corporate compliance work in the Legal function, ensuring that the Firm is observing corporate formalities globally
• Working closely with the Firm's Chief Legal Officer, advises on legal and governance matters relating to the parent company, providing strategic counsel on governance issues, fiduciary duties, director obligations, and governance best practices
• Supports the full annual cycle of Board and committee governance activities, including meeting planning, agendas, materials, minutes, resolutions, director onboarding, and governance calendars
• Oversees the governance and compliance framework for Spencer Stuart's global subsidiaries and affiliated entities, partnering with local teams and external advisors across multiple jurisdictions
• Coordinates annual corporate maintenance activities, including director and officer changes, statutory filings, corporate secretarial requirements, and legal entity governance obligations worldwide
• Ensures compliance with the Firm’s governance documents and requirements of the Firm’s domicile of incorporation
• Works closely with Treasury, Finance and other functions on corporate matters, including supporting any restructuring, reorganization, or other corporate projects and initiative
• Partners with other members of the Legal function and Treasury to support the Firm's employee-owned share structure and related governance initiatives
• Oversees execution and legalization of corporate documentation and maintains corporate files and records, including entity management
• Reviews, develops, and updates corporate processes and templates to improve efficiency
• Provides advice and counsel on governance issues, develops and disseminates expertise to other stakeholders
• Understands and captures emerging themes within the corporate space, shares best practices, templates, and approaches; disseminates knowledge effectively, and guides other colleagues in the Legal function, ensuring consistent approaches globally
• Support to Chief Legal Officer (CLO) Works closely with and supports the CLO in carrying out her Company Secretary responsibilities vis-à-vis the Board and its committees
• Provides support to the CLO and senior management on governance issues that impact the Company's partnership model, partnership culture and succession planning
• Partners with the CLO to help manage Board and shareholder matters, carry out elections for the Chair, Managing Partner/CEO, Board, Partner, and Principals of the firm, and support of other key partnership culture and governance processes
• Consistently evaluates current resources and capabilities, and raises key issues with the CLO Team
• Oversight Provides guidance and oversight to other colleagues on the team: a Corporate Paralegal based in the United States and a Compliance Specialist based in Ireland
• Relationship with Outside Counsel Oversees the work of outside counsel when outside support is needed, being mindful to be an excellent steward of the Firm’s resources
• Other Responsibilities & Initiatives It is expected that the role will be 60% focused on governance matters for the Firm as described above The remainder of the time will be spent as needed by the Legal function, which may include helping on matters relating to the Firm’s share program (the Firm’s securities issued to certain employees of the Firm), corporate, transactional, and other initiatives as needed in consultation with the Firm’s CLO

KEY CAPABILITIES

• Strong intellectual horsepower
• Ability to navigate nuance and complexity and to work independently
• Ability to think strategically while demonstrating outstanding attention to detail
• Excellent judgment and ability to problem-solve creatively and effectively with an enterprise-wide mindset
• Highly collaborative, able to work effectively with senior stakeholders and multiple functions
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills
• Calm under pressure and able to effectively manage multiple competing priorities and deliver consistently with a high standard of excellence on a timely basis

IDEAL CANDIDATE

Qualified lawyer with 6+ years of legal experience

Ideally based in the United States, New York or northeast preferred

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The base compensation range for this position is $200,000 - $250,000 per year. The actual base compensation offered within this range will be dependent on the individual’s skills, experiences, and qualifications. This position will be eligible to participate in our annual discretionary bonus program. Spencer Stuart also offers a competitive benefits package, which includes:

• Retirement savings plan with discretionary profit sharing contribution and employer match;
• PTO (minimum 15 days per year, increases with tenure), paid sick time (10 days per year), company holidays (12 days per year), and paid leaves of absence when applicable;
• Comprehensive health benefits, including medical, dental, and vision insurance, and healthcare flexible spending account;
• Life Insurance, and short-term and long-term disability insurance;
• Wellness benefits, including an employee assistance program, virtual mental health program, and mindfulness program;
• and Voluntary benefit options, including supplemental life insurance, identity theft protection, and whole life insurance with long-term care and critical illness coverage.

Spencer Stuart is a proud equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. We are committed to non-discrimination without regard to actual or perceived race, ethnicity, creed, color, religion, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions), national origin, immigration status, ancestry, age, marital status, protected veteran status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any basis prohibited under applicable federal, state or local law.

Founded in 1956 and privately owned, Spencer Stuart is one of the world’s leading executive search and leadership advisory firms. With 70 offices in 31 countries, the firm is considered to be the advisor of choice among top companies seeking guidance and counsel on senior leadership needs, and has unrivaled access to leading executives around the world. Spencer Stuart works with a wide range of clients, including multinational corporations, entrepreneurial businesses, private equity firms, family-owned companies, and nonprofit organizations.

ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE

As a leading professional services firm, Spencer Stuart prides itself on having a unique culture—a company culture made up of extremely results-oriented individuals, who also have strong relationship and collaboration orientations. Spencer Stuart strives for excellence in all that it does, and in all of its teams.

LOOKING FOR LEADERS

Spencer Stuart consultants apply real insight into clients’ strategic requirements and proven assessment tools to recruit leaders who have the necessary skill, experience, and personal qualities to advance company strategies and achieve outstanding results. Teams are organized into industry and functional practices to maximize sector specialization and knowledge sharing across the firm. These client service teams are supported by first-rate associates and research analysts, working across international borders and backed by state-of-the‑art technology.

PROBLEM SOLVERS

Spencer Stuart is not only matching the right management with the right business missions, it’s also creating incredibly meaningful Leadership Teams that add long-term value, solve a wide range of important problems across organizations, and help candidates further exceptional careers.

Professionally, employees also learn multinational businesses inside out by working side‑by‑side with the world's most phenomenal clients and leaders.

WEBSITE ACCESSIBILITY DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION FOR INDIVIDUALS APPLYING TO SPENCER STUART U.S.

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WEBSITE ACCESSIBILITY DISABILITY ACCOMMODATION FOR INDIVIDUALS APPLYING TO SPENCER STUART U.K.

Spencer Stuart UK is an equal opportunities employer whereby all employment decisions are based on job requirements, business needs and individual qualifications, with no attention to any protected characteristic. We are also a Level 1 Disability Confident Employer and will therefore provide reasonable adjustments to individuals in job application processes and ensure the process is fully inclusive and accessible. If you have any difficulty using our online system and you need an accommodation due to a disability, you may use the alternative email address below to contact us about your interest in employment in the United States or United Kingdom: [e-mail]. Only resumes for current open positions can be accepted.

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