Corporate Counsel – Commercial

ACC San Diego - Association of Corporate Counsel; Oak Brook (IL); On-site; USD 138,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Incentive opportunities

Generous 401(k) retirement plan

Comprehensive health coverage

21 days vacation + holidays

Company Car, phone and fuel card

Ace Cares Week (volunteering)

Job summary

Ace Hardware Corporation is seeking a Corporate Counsel in a role focused on drafting, reviewing, and negotiating commercial contracts while providing practical legal guidance across marketing, franchising, mergers and acquisitions, and licensing. You will collaborate with internal teams, manage outside counsel, and help mitigate risk in a fast-paced retail environment.

The position emphasizes clear communication, sound judgment, and the ability to balance business needs with risk.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor and active bar admission.
• Minimum 5 years law firm or corporate law department experience.
• Ability to provide clear, business-focused legal advice.
• Strong judgment and problem solving.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities with attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate a range of commercial contracts
• Develop and maintain contract templates
• Provide legal advice regarding marketing, franchising, and other corporate matters, such as mergers and acquisitions and business licensing.
• Support activities relating to franchise disclosure documents
• Partner with internal stakeholders to identify and mitigate legal risk
• Assist business clients with contract and other commercial disputes
• Manage outside counsel and legal spend as needed
• Communicate effectively with business partners and members of the legal department
• Perform special assignments or projects as assigned.

Skills

Active bar admission

5+ years experience

Business-focused advice

Strong judgment

Multitasking

Education

Juris Doctor

Job description

The Corporate Counsel plays a critical role in supporting business operations by providing practical, risk balanced legal guidance across multiple functions. This position partners closely with business leaders and external counsel to ensure compliance, mitigate risk, and enable strategic decision making. You will draft and negotiate contracts, advise on and support marketing, franchising, and other corporate matters, such as mergers and acquisitions and business licensing. This role requires sound judgment, strong communication skills, and the ability to build relationships with business partners. You will report to senior legal leadership and contribute to enterprise-wide initiatives that protect and advance the organization.

What You’ll Do

• Draft, review, and negotiate a range of commercial contracts
• Develop and maintain contract templates
• Provide legal advice regarding marketing, franchising, and other corporate matters, such as mergers and acquisitions and business licensing.
• Support activities relating to franchise disclosure documents
• Partner with internal stakeholders to identify and mitigate legal risk
• Assist business clients with contract and other commercial disputes
• Manage outside counsel and legal spend as needed
• Communicate effectively with business partners and members of the legal department
• Perform special assignments or projects as assigned.

Who You Are

You are a pragmatic legal advisor who balances risk with business needs. You communicate clearly, build trusted partnerships, and navigate ambiguity with confidence.

Required Skills

• Juris Doctor degree and active bar admission
• Minimum of 5 years law firm or corporate law department experience
• Ability to provide clear, business focused legal advice
• Strong judgment and problem solving skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities with attention to detail

Preferred Skills

• Experience working in a retail, distribution, or corporate environment
• Experience supporting multi state operations

Compensation Details

$137700 - $160000 per year

Why should you join our team?

We live our values - W.E.L.I.G.H.T (Winning, Excellence, Love, Integrity, Gratitude, Humility, and Teamwork). Gratitude. Humility. Love. You don’t often see values like these in most corporate statements, but Ace is different. These things are important to us. They represent our commitment to the company, our employees, to Ace retailers and to the Ace brand.

Benefits

In addition to providing our employees a great culture, Ace also offers competitive benefits* that address life’s necessities and perks, many of which expand and improve year after year, including:

• Incentive opportunities, based on role/grade level (company growth over the past 5 years resulted in incentives being paid out at an average of 122% of your target opportunity!)
• Generous 401(k) retirement savings plan with a fully vested matching contribution the first year in addition to quarterly contributions and annual discretionary contribution (once eligibility requirements have been met). Over the past 5 years, company contributions (matching, quarterly & discretionary) for fully eligible employees have averaged 10% of total eligible compensation
• Comprehensive health coverage (medical, dental, vision and disability – up to 26 weeks short-term disability and long-term disability) & life insurance benefits for you and your dependents
• 21 days of vacation immediately available (prorated in the first year) and up to 6 paid holidays depending on the month of hire
• Company Car, phone and fuel card are provided for field-based positions
• Your career at Ace is more than just a job. It’s a chance to be part of something meaningful. We help locally‑owned businesses thrive and make an impact in their communities – and we support our employees in doing the same by offering an annual Ace Cares Week, 20 hours off work per year to volunteer at an organization of your choice, opportunities to help Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and the Ace Helpful Fund through the Ace Foundation
• Ace invests in every employee we hire, with a key focus on development and coaching. We offer on‑site classes, facilitator‑led courses, and a generous tuition assistance program, plus a performance management approach that goes beyond the typical annual review
• We know the work environment matters. That’s why Ace holds frequent campus events like Employee Appreciation Week, vendor demos, cookouts, and merchandise sales
• We bring them to you! Services such as mobile spas, auto maintenance, car wash and detailing, dry cleaning, dentists, eye doctors, flu shots, recycling and more!
• Employee discounts on Ace merchandise (including top brands like Weber, Traeger, Yeti, Craftsman, DeWalt and more), travel, fitness, computers and thousands more
• Birth/Adoption bonding paid time off
• Adoption cost reimbursement
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) – access to free visits to therapists and lawyers, guidance on financial matters, elder and childcare, and assistance with tickets to entertainment events
• Identity theft protection
• Benefits are provided in compliance with applicable policies.

We want to hear from you!

When most people think of career opportunities with Ace Hardware, they often think of the helpful cashiers and sales associates at their local store. However, have you also considered the people behind the scenes who select, promote, ship and process the invoices for more than 75,000 products? Maybe you haven't, but we'd like you to. Because together we help our customers take care of their homes. Come find out why a career with the Ace Hardware Corporation is one of America's best kept secrets.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Ace Hardware Corporation is committed to a policy of promoting equal employment opportunities. The company recognizes the importance of diversity and leveraging the skills and talents of all people to the mutual advantage of each individual and the organization. The company is committed to the prevention of employment discrimination related to race, religion, color, sex (including sexual harassment), gender identity, national origin, age, marital status, disability and military or veteran status, sexual orientation or any other action covered by federal or applicable state/local laws.

Disclaimer

The pay range for this position starts as listed in the job posting, but could be higher based on education and experience. Please note, compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each opening. We take into consideration the minimum requirements outlined in the job description, such as an individual’s education, training and experience, the position’s work location, required travel (if any), and external market conditions when determining the final salary for potential new hires.

Be aware that salary estimates published via alternate online job boards may not be a true representation of the actual pay range offered for this position. Please refer to the Ace position description for the accurate starting pay range information and feel free to discuss this with a Talent Acquisition professional if you are chosen to move forward with an interview.

This written “Position Description” is not intended to cover all aspects of the position listed. It is meant to cover the basic/general essential job functions of a particular position. Ace Hardware Corporation reserves the right to change job duties, including essential job functions, according to business necessity.

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.