Corporate Counsel

HHM Hospitality; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental and Vision Health Ins.

Paid Time Off

401k Company Match

Life Insurance

TELUS Health access

Travel Discounts

Commuter benefits

Employee Assistance and Wellness

Job summary

HHM Hotels is seeking a Corporate Counsel - Operations to act as the primary legal advisor for the operating platform, reporting to the EVP & General Counsel. The role focuses on commercial disputes, employment compliance, and scalable contracting processes across 230+ hotels in the US and Canada.

The candidate should have a JD, PA bar admission, and 3+ years in commercial litigation or in-house operational counseling, with strong communication and high-volume task management skills.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school and PA bar admission or eligibility.
• 3+ years of legal experience in commercial litigation, insurance defense, or in-house operational counseling.
• Experience with commercial contracting and licensing/permitting is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Manage outside counsel on commercial disputes and regulatory matters across the portfolio.
• Provide practical counsel on employment compliance initiatives and agency inquiries (EEOC/state equivalents).
• Oversee review and negotiation of hotel-level vendor, service, and sales contracts; develop standardized playbooks.
• Advise hotel GMs and leadership on day-to-day operational issues and licensing/permitting inquiries.
• Translate legal risks into clear, actionable business guidance for non-lawyer stakeholders.

Skills

Litigation management

Employment compliance

Operational contracting

Communication skills

High-volume execution

Microsoft 365

Contract lifecycle management (CLM)

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Active PA Bar admission or eligibility

Tools

Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

CLM platforms

Job description

Overview

Opportunity: Corporate Counsel - Operations

HHM Hotels is an industry-leading hotel management and investment firm operating more than 230 hotels across the United States and Canada. Our diverse portfolio spans institutional brand partners including Marriott, Hilton, and IHG, alongside an extensive collection of independent and boutique lifestyle properties.

As HHM continues to expand its footprint, our operating platform navigates a dynamic range of legal considerations across hotel operations, commercial disputes, employment compliance, and vendor contracting. HHM’s legal department is seeking an energetic, commercially minded attorney to serve as Corporate Counsel - Operations. Reporting directly to the EVP & General Counsel, this role serves as the primary day-to-day legal advisor to the operating platform’s leadership and hotel management teams. The ideal candidate brings a strong background in commercial or insurance litigation, coupled with the desire to oversee scalable contracting and licensing processes, draft operational templates, and resolve hotel-level issues pragmatically.

Your Focus:

• Litigation & Dispute Management: Manage and oversee outside counsel on commercial disputes, uninsured claims, guest claims, ejectments/evictions, and regulatory matters across our portfolio.
• Employment Compliance: Partner closely with HHM’s People & Culture (HR) team to provide practical counsel on employment compliance initiatives, administrative agency inquiries (EEOC/state equivalents), and employment disputes/litigation.
• Operational Contracting & Playbooks: Oversee the review and negotiation of hotel-level vendor, service, and sales contracts. Assist with the creation, implementation, and maintenance of standardized contracting playbooks.
• Property-Level Advisory: Act as the first line of legal support for hotel General Managers on day-to-day operational escalations, including unruly guest disputes and licensing/permitting inquiries.
• Business-First Communication: Synthesize complex legal risks into clear, practical, and actionable business advice for non-lawyer operating partners.

Your Background & Skills:

• Education & Credentials: Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school; active admission to the Pennsylvania Bar (or eligibility for PA in-house corporate counsel licensure).
• Experience: 3+ years of legal experience, ideally in commercial litigation, insurance defense (hospitality, retail, casualty, or employment practices), or in-house operational counseling. Exposure to commercial contracting and licensing/permitting is a plus.
• Practical Problem Solver: Demonstrated experience managing disputes independently, balancing legal risk against commercial urgency, and resolving matters efficiently.
• Operational Drive: High degree of interest in building repeatable systems, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and utilizing modern contract/AI productivity tools.
• Communication & Presence: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills; confident advising business stakeholders at all levels, from hotel GMs to executive leadership.
• High-Volume Execution & Organization: Proven ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, triaging and prioritizing a high volume of concurrent, time-sensitive operational requests with minimal oversight.
• Technical Skills: Proficient in Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and modern legal technology platforms. Familiarity with contract lifecycle management (CLM) platforms is a plus.

HHM Hotels Benefits and Perks:

• Medical, Dental and Vision Health Insurance
• Paid Time Off
• 401k Company Match
• Free Basic Life Insurance
• 24/7 access to TELUS Health, a confidential work-life resource.
• Travel Discounts
• Commuter Transit and Commuter Parking Benefits
• Employee Assistance and Wellness Program
• Educational/Professional Development
• Referral Bonus Program

Work Environment and Context:

Required to sit for extended periods, lift up to 10 pounds, bend, reach, use hands and fingers to operate keyboard.

Core Values

People Are Our Capability - Hearts That Serve - Only Excellence - Stay Nimble - Own It

About Us

HHM Hotels is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, age, religion, disability, veteran status, genetic information, citizenship status, or any other group protected by law.