Corporate Counsel

Yaskawa America, Inc. / Motoman; Franklin, Northern (WI, KY); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 320,000; Full time

Job summary

Yaskawa America, Inc. is seeking a Corporate General Counsel Attorney to join its growing organization across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Brazil.

You will guide strategic legal matters, manage contracts, regulatory compliance, and governance for the Sales, Engineering and Manufacturing teams. You will report to the CEO, act as a sole attorney in the corporate legal function, and partner with cross-functional leaders to mitigate risk while enabling business growth in a dynamic, multinational

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school and bar admission in at least one U.S. state.
• 3+ years of corporate or transactional law experience.
• Experience in manufacturing or distribution is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate commercial contracts (supply/distribution, MSAs, NDAs, vendor agreements).
• Provide guidance on regulatory, compliance, and business strategy matters.
• Advise on contract implications and antitrust, employment, and general business issues.
• Lead cross-functional teams on legal matters and advise senior leadership.
• Prepare corporate filings and registrations across jurisdictions.

Skills

Contract drafting

Negotiation

Legal risk assessment

Independent work

Communication

Education

Juris Doctorate (J.D.)

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Yaskawa America, Inc. - Drives & Motion Division is a U.S.-led and managed corporation, created to provide Automation Solutions and Support to our customers in North America, Central America, and South America. Yaskawa is the world's largest manufacturer of AC Inverter Drives, Servo and Motion Control, and Robotics Automation Systems. Products are marketed through direct sales, partners, representatives, dealers, and distributors. Yaskawa America, Inc. - Drives & Motion Division is a wholly owned corporation of Yaskawa Electric Corporation of Japan. Since 1915, Yaskawa Electric has served the world needs for products to improve global productivity through Automation. To match Yaskawa’s growth, we are looking for a Corporate General Counsel Attorney to join our growing organization.

We are looking for an experienced and business-minded Corporate Counsel to join our growing Sales, Engineering and Manufacturing organization. In this role, you will provide strategic legal guidance across the business to help us scale responsibly and stay ahead of an evolving regulatory landscape. Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, you will be a key advisor on legal risk, contracts, and regulatory and legal changes across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Brazil where we operate.

This is an exciting opportunity to function as the sole attorney in our newly created Corporate Legal team supporting a dynamic and growing organization. You will play a key role in advising the business on commercial transactions and supporting a range of legal functions including contract management, regulatory compliance, lease management, and corporate governance, and labor and employment law. If you are an initiative-taker with a practical mindset and a passion for collaborative problem-solving, we want to hear from you.

What You'll Do

• Draft, review, and negotiate a variety of commercial contracts (supply/distribution agreements, MSAs, NDAs, vendor agreements, etc.)
• Provide pragmatic legal guidance on regulatory, compliance, and business strategy matters.
• Understanding and presenting the implications of commercial contracts,
• Applying the underlying implications and pain points regarding antitrust laws, employment, general business, and AI/Digital advancements.
• Responding to compliance and regulatory matters pertaining to OSHA, EPA, among others
• Providing leadership and guidance on all legal matters to cross-functional teams, including specific matters arising within litigation, employment, and liability claims
• Acting as a Point of Contact for any escalation matters
• Continuing to build on internal and external relationships
• Support lease portfolio management and related contractual matters.
• Interpret contracts and provide risk-based legal advice in a business context.
• Develop and implement legal policies and contracting processes.
• Prepare corporate filings and registrations across jurisdictions.
• Conduct legal research and monitor emerging regulatory developments.
• Collaborate cross-functionally and assist business leaders on additional legal projects as needed.

What You'll Bring

• Juris Doctorate from an accredited law school
• Active bar membership in at least one U.S. state
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in corporate or transactional law, ideally within a law firm or in-house team
• Substantive knowledge and experience as a generalist within a large array of legal fields (employment, regulatory (OSHA, EPA, etc.), antitrust, compliance, insurance, litigation)
• Experience in manufacturing or distribution preferred.
• Proven contract drafting and negotiation skills.
• Strong judgment and the ability to balance legal risk with business objectives.
• Comfortable working independently and directly with business leaders
• Highly organized, responsive, and meticulous
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite

This role will require the successful candidate to possess a broad range of legal background knowledge with considerable experience in contracts. As well as comprehensive experience. The successful candidate will bring understanding of laws and implications from issues related to employment matters, antitrust dealings, commercial litigation, and regulatory (OSHA, EPA) impacts. A successful candidate will be a proven leader within the legal space, with the ability to not only lead but also guide and effectively communicate with all internal team members as well as external stakeholders and teams.

Key advantages of working at Yaskawa include: career opportunities in diverse areas, a highly competitive benefit package, including a generous 401(K) plan, profit sharing, corporate wide bonus plan and educational assistance program offering up to $10,000 a year for graduate courses as well as a full suite of benefits. Additionalinformation regarding the benefit package can be found at the following link.

Yaskawa America, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer.

If you are looking to join a highly talented team in a rapidly growing business segment of a stable organization with opportunities for growth, the Corporate General Counsel Attorney may be the perfect fit for you!

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.