General Counsel

Renew Cannabis Co.; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance

Paid time off

401(k) retirement plan

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

Justice Grown seeks a General Counsel to act as a strategic adviser to the executive team, providing enterprise-wide legal guidance for a highly regulated multi-state cannabis operation. This hands-on leadership role balances legal risk with business priorities and partners with the Head of People & HR across the organization.

The role oversees governance, litigation, regulatory compliance, contracts, employment matters, real estate, IP, and strategic transactions, while coordinating with

Qualifications

• JD from a U.S. law school; active bar membership in at least one state.
• 5+ years of progressive legal experience, preferably including in-house counsel.
• Experience advising executives, managing litigation, and handling regulatory matters.

Responsibilities

• Advise executive leadership on corporate, regulatory, and employment matters.
• Manage active litigation, investigations, and outside counsel.
• Draft and review legal filings, briefs, pleadings, settlements, and agreements.
• Oversee regulatory compliance and governance for a multi-state cannabis operation.
• Provide strategic, practical legal guidance balancing risk with business priorities.

Skills

Legal judgment

Executive advisor

Communication skills

Legal drafting

Negotiation

Analytical skills

Time management

Executive presence

Discretion

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Bar admission

Job description

General Counsel

Why Work for Justice Grown?

At Justice Grown, the General Counsel serves as a strategic advisor to executive leadership and a key partner across the organization. This role will provide enterprise-wide legal guidance while helping the company navigate the complexities of operating in a highly regulated, multi-state industry.

This is a hands-on leadership role for an experienced attorney who is comfortable moving between executive-level strategy and day-to-day legal matters. The General Counsel will work directly with executive leaders, the Head of People & HR, and cross-functional business partners to assess risk, manage litigation and disputes, oversee legal filings, negotiate agreements, support regulatory matters, and provide practical legal guidance that advances business objectives.

The General Counsel will have broad responsibility across corporate governance, litigation, regulatory compliance, commercial contracts, employment matters, real estate, intellectual property, strategic transactions, and other legal matters affecting the organization.

We are looking for a business-minded legal leader who can provide clear, thoughtful, and actionable counsel while building trusted relationships across the company. The right person will bring strong judgment, sound legal strategy, and the ability to balance legal risk with operational and business priorities.

Duties and Responsibilities

Executive Legal Counsel & Risk Management

• Serve as a trusted legal advisor to executive leadership on corporate, operational, regulatory, commercial, and employment matters.

• Provide practical legal guidance that supports business objectives while appropriately managing organizational risk.

• Identify emerging legal risks and develop strategies to mitigate exposure.

• Advise leadership on significant business decisions, strategic initiatives, and matters with legal or regulatory implications.

• Manage active litigation, legal disputes, claims, investigations, and administrative proceedings.

• Draft, review, and respond to legal briefs, pleadings, demand letters, position statements, correspondence, and other legal filings.

• Develop and oversee litigation strategy in partnership with internal stakeholders and outside counsel.

• Manage outside counsel, including strategy, performance, legal spend, and outcomes.

• Support mediations, settlement negotiations, dispute resolution, and pre-litigation matters.

• Monitor legal developments that may impact the organization and advise leadership on potential implications.

Employment Law & Employee Civil Matters

• Partner directly with the Head of People & HR on employment-related legal matters and employee claims.

• Manage and respond to EEOC charges, state and local agency complaints, demand letters, and employee-related civil claims.

• Draft and review EEOC position statements, administrative responses, legal briefs, pleadings, settlement agreements, and other employment-related legal documents.

• Support and manage employment litigation, administrative proceedings, mediations, settlements, and related disputes.

Regulatory Compliance & Governance

• Provide strategic legal advice regarding cannabis operations, licensing, regulatory compliance, and related business risks.

• Oversee legal aspects of corporate governance and ensure compliance with applicable ownership, reporting, licensing, and operational requirements.

• Monitor federal, state, and local legal and regulatory developments impacting cannabis operations.

• Provide legal guidance across dispensaries, cultivation sites, production facilities, and corporate operations.

• Advise on product liability, data privacy, environmental safety, regulatory investigations, and other compliance matters.

• Manage responses to regulatory agencies, inquiries, investigations, and enforcement matters.

• Support corporate governance documentation, policies, legal records, and internal compliance initiatives.

Contracts & Commercial Matters

• Draft, review, revise, and negotiate a wide range of commercial agreements.

• Review vendor agreements, service agreements, real estate leases, confidentiality agreements, licensing agreements, partnership agreements, and other business contracts.

• Identify contractual risk and provide practical recommendations aligned with the company's business objectives and risk tolerance.

• Support strategic transactions, including joint ventures, acquisitions, divestitures, partnerships, and other business opportunities.

• Develop and improve contract review, approval, and legal matter management processes.

Intellectual Property

• Oversee protection of company intellectual property, including trademarks, trade secrets, proprietary information, and licensing arrangements.

• Manage intellectual property disputes and coordinate with outside counsel when necessary.

• Advise business partners on brand protection, confidentiality, intellectual property use, and related legal considerations.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Work directly with executive leadership, the Head of People & HR, Operations, Compliance, Finance, Marketing, Real Estate, and other business functions.

• Serve as a legal partner who provides clear, practical, and business-focused guidance.

• Develop and review policies, procedures, training materials, SOPs, and internal legal guidance.

• Provide legal training and education to leaders and employees when appropriate.

• Build strong relationships across the organization and serve as an accessible resource for legal questions and emerging issues.

• Develop and oversee legal resources, processes, and systems that support the continued growth of the organization.

• Mentor and provide guidance to junior legal staff, legal interns, or other legal resources as applicable.

Education and Experience

Education & Certification

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited U.S. law school.

• Active and in-good-standing bar membership in at least one U.S. state.

Experience

• 5+ years of progressive legal experience, preferably including significant in-house counsel experience.

• Experience serving as a senior legal advisor to executives and business leaders.

• Strong experience managing litigation, legal claims, disputes, and outside counsel.

• Experience handling EEOC charges, state agency complaints, employee civil claims, and employment litigation.

• Demonstrated experience drafting or reviewing EEOC position statements, legal briefs, pleadings, administrative responses, demand letters, settlement agreements, and other legal filings.

• Strong background in corporate law, regulatory compliance, risk management, commercial agreements, and contract negotiation.

• Experience advising on or managing government and regulatory investigations.

• Experience supporting employment law and workplace-related legal matters.

• Proven ability to manage outside counsel effectively and control legal spend.

• Experience in cannabis or another highly regulated industry strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated understanding of federal, state, and local laws affecting cannabis operations preferred.

Skills & Attributes

• Strong legal judgment and the ability to balance risk with practical business considerations.

• Ability to operate as both a strategic executive advisor and a hands-on attorney.

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.

• Strong legal research, drafting, negotiation, and analytical skills.

• Ability to translate complex legal issues into clear, actionable guidance.

• High attention to detail with the ability to manage multiple complex matters simultaneously.

• Strong executive presence and ability to build trust with senior leadership.

• Ability to work independently while collaborating closely with cross-functional partners.

• Strong organizational and time-management abilities.

• High degree of professional ethics, discretion, confidentiality, and integrity.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Builds trusted relationships across departments and levels of leadership.

• Provides objective, thoughtful, and solution-oriented legal counsel.

• Balances legal considerations with broader organizational priorities.

• Communicates legal risk clearly without unnecessarily slowing business decisions.

• Contributes to a collaborative and accountable leadership culture.

• Provides mentorship and guidance to internal legal resources.

• Supports the development of scalable legal processes and infrastructure.

• Helps ensure the organization is prepared to address evolving legal, regulatory, and operational challenges.

Benefits

Justice Grown is committed to providing eligible employees with a competitive total rewards package designed to support their professional and personal well-being.

Benefits may include:

• Competitive compensation

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance

• Paid time off

• Paid company holidays

• 401(k) retirement plan

• Employee discount programs

• Professional development and growth opportunities

• Direct partnership with executive leadership

• Broad exposure to complex legal matters across a multi-state organization

• The opportunity to have a meaningful impact on legal strategy, risk management, compliance, and organizational growth

If you are an experienced legal leader who enjoys solving complex problems, partnering directly with executives, managing matters from strategy through resolution, and helping shape the legal framework of a growing organization, we would welcome the opportunity to speak with you.