General Counsel

Korn Ferry; Fort Mill (SC); On-site; USD 350,000 - 450,000; Full time

Job summary

Korn Ferry has partnered with our client to identify an experienced General Counsel to lead the legal function through growth and IPO readiness. The role reports to the CEO and partners with the Board to build governance, risk, and compliance infrastructure for a future public company.

The successful candidate will guide enterprise strategy, corporate secretary duties, and complex capital markets transactions while managing a global legal team and external counsel across North America and

Qualifications

• 15+ years of progressively responsible legal leadership experience.
• Experience as General Counsel of a publicly traded company.
• Experience with public company governance and SEC reporting.
• Experience in capital markets transactions and corporate restructurings.
• Experience with private equity-backed organizations (plus)

Responsibilities

• Lead global legal function and serve as Corporate Secretary.
• Shape enterprise strategy, governance, and risk management for a potential IPO.
• Oversee governance, privacy, investigations, and regulatory matters.
• Manage outside counsel and build a scalable legal organization.
• Support mergers, acquisitions, and international transactions.

Skills

Commercial acumen

Board liaison

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Strategic thinking

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Active state bar membership

Job description

Korn Ferry has partnered with our client, a private equity-backed manufacturing company, on a search for an experienced General Counsel to help lead the organization through its next phase of growth and prepare for a potential initial public offering. This executive will serve as a strategic advisor to the Chief Executive Officer, Board of Directors, and executive leadership team while building the legal, governance, and compliance infrastructure required of a future public company.

The Role

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the General Counsel will lead the company’s global legal function and serve as Corporate Secretary. This individual will help shape enterprise strategy, enable growth, oversee governance, support acquisitions, and prepare the organization for the reporting, regulatory, and risk management expectations associated with becoming a publicly traded company.

Key responsibilities include:

• Develop and execute an enterprise legal strategy that supports growth, acquisitions, and shareholder value creation.
• Advise the Chief Executive Officer, Board, and executive leadership team on governance, fiduciary responsibilities, strategic transactions, and enterprise risk.
• Lead legal matters across commercial, corporate, employment, labor, litigation, intellectual property, environmental, regulatory, and international areas.
• Build and lead a scalable global legal organization and outside counsel strategy.
• Support complex domestic and international mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, and integration activities.
• Oversee enterprise compliance, ethics, investigations, trade compliance, privacy, cybersecurity, and environmental regulatory matters.

IPO Readiness and Public Company Leadership

The General Counsel will lead the company’s legal strategy and governance framework as it prepares to transition from private equity ownership to the public markets. Responsibilities will include:

• Lead the legal workstream for IPO readiness in partnership with the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Board, private equity sponsors, investment banks, auditors, and external securities counsel.
• Develop and execute an IPO readiness roadmap, including the identification and remediation of legal, governance, and compliance gaps.
• Oversee legal due diligence and the preparation and review of Securities and Exchange Commission registration documents, including the S-1 Registration Statement.
• Design the company’s public company governance framework, including Board committee structures, charters, governance guidelines, and delegation of authority.
• Establish disclosure controls, document retention requirements, insider trading policies, executive stock ownership policies, and related governance processes.
• Prepare the organization for ongoing public company filings, including Forms 10-K, 10-Q, and 8-K, proxy statements, and Section 16 reporting.
• Advise leadership on securities law, material disclosures, earnings communications, investor presentations, shareholder communications, and capital markets transactions.

The Candidate

The successful candidate will be a commercially minded legal executive who can enable growth while protecting enterprise value. This individual must be comfortable advising a Board, partnering with executive leadership and private equity sponsors, navigating complex transactions, and translating legal issues into practical business decisions.

Required Experience

• Prior experience serving as General Counsel of a publicly traded company.
• At least 15 years of progressively responsible legal leadership experience.
• Experience with public company governance, Securities and Exchange Commission reporting, securities law compliance, and Board matters.
• Experience supporting capital markets transactions, debt financings, and strategic corporate restructuring.
• Experience in industrial manufacturing, engineered products, electrical infrastructure, utilities, or another complex industrial sector.
• Experience operating in a global manufacturing environment across North American and international markets.
• Experience serving as Corporate Secretary to a Board of Directors.
• Juris Doctor from an accredited law school and active membership in good standing with at least one U.S. state bar.

Additional Preferred Experience

• Experience working within private equity-backed organizations is a plus.
• Experience partnering with private equity sponsors, lenders, investment banks, and institutional investors.
• Experience leading or playing a key executive role in an initial public offering.
• Experience supporting global legal operations and managing sophisticated outside counsel relationships.
• Experience building and developing high-performing legal teams.

Leadership Qualities

• Strong commercial judgment and business acumen.
• Credibility with Boards, investors, executives, and external advisors.
• Ability to simplify complex legal matters into practical business guidance.
• Strong negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
• High ethical standards, integrity, and sound judgment.
• Ability to lead through ambiguity, rapid growth, and organizational transformation.
• Clear and effective executive communication.
• A practical approach that supports business growth while maintaining appropriate governance and risk management.

Location: Fort Mill, South Carolina (in office 5 days)

Travel: Approximately 25%

Compensation: $350,000 to $450,000/annually + bonus and long-term incentive

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