General Counsel

Tsunami Express Car Wash

Loves Park (IL)

On-site

USD 250,000 - 360,000

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental, vision insurance

Paid time off

Employee discounts

Job summary

Tsunami Express is a fast‑growing express car wash network seeking a General Counsel to build the in‑house legal function and act as a strategic partner to the CEO and leadership team.

You will oversee corporate governance, M&A, commercial contracts, employment law, litigation, and regulatory compliance across multiple states while creating scalable processes for rapid growth.

Qualifications

J.D. from an accredited law school and active bar membership in good standing.
Minimum 10 years of legal experience, including significant in-house work.
Broad generalist expertise across corporate matters, contracts, employment, real estate, and governance.
Experience leading M&A and/or commercial real estate transactions.
Experience building scalable legal processes and outside counsel management.

Responsibilities

Serve as trusted legal advisor to CEO and executive team.
Lead legal workstreams for acquisitions from LOI through closing.
Negotiate and manage vendor, technology, and commercial contracts.
Oversee employment, regulatory compliance, and risk across multi-state operations.

Skills

In-house counsel leadership

M&A experience

Multi-state employment law

Contract negotiation

Regulatory compliance

Real estate & leases

Education

J.D. from an accredited law school

Job description

The Opportunity

Tsunami Express is building the future of express car washing — powered by people, automation, and smart technology. With 75+ locations across the Midwest and aggressive expansion ahead, we are building the infrastructure needed to support continued growth toward 100, 150, and beyond.

Brief Description

The Opportunity

As General Counsel, you will serve as Tsunami’s first in‑house legal leader and a strategic partner to the CEO and executive team. This is an opportunity to build the legal function from the ground up while helping a rapidly growing, multi‑state organization move quickly and confidently without taking on unnecessary risk.

This role is designed for a business‑minded legal leader who can balance sound legal judgment with the realities of a fast‑moving operation. You’ll lead legal strategy across M&A, real estate, commercial contracts, employment law, litigation, regulatory compliance, consumer programs, corporate governance, and enterprise risk while building scalable processes for Tsunami’s next stage of growth.

The ideal candidate thinks like an operator, drafts like a lawyer, and approaches legal challenges with a solutions‑oriented mindset — providing clear options, practical recommendations, and an understanding of business risk rather than simply identifying roadblocks.

What You’ll Own

Corporate Governance & Strategic Advisory

Serve as a trusted legal advisor to the CEO, executive team, and other senior leaders
Manage corporate governance, entity structure, governance filings, and equity documentation
Support board, investor, financing, and private equity matters
Translate complex legal issues into clear business options, recommendations, and risk considerations

M&A, Growth & Real Estate

Lead the legal workstream for acquisitions from LOI through diligence, documentation, and closing
Manage outside counsel on complex transactions while maintaining accountability for strategy, cost, and execution
Lead post‑acquisition legal integration, including entity cleanup and contract and license transfers
Negotiate and advise on leases, site development, zoning, entitlements, land use, construction contracts, and other real estate matters

Commercial Contracts

Own the contract lifecycle across vendor, equipment, technology, marketing, and other commercial agreements
Develop scalable contract templates, playbooks, approval processes, and signature authority standards
Establish and oversee contract lifecycle management and the company’s contract repository
Partner with business leaders to negotiate agreements that protect Tsunami while supporting operational needs

Employment & Labor

Partner with HR and Operations on multi‑state employment and wage‑and‑hour compliance
Advise on policies, investigations, employee relations matters, terminations, and reductions in force
Provide guidance related to discrimination, harassment, ADA, FMLA, leave, and restrictive covenants
Manage employment litigation, agency charges, and outside employment counsel

Litigation, Claims & Risk

Manage Tsunami’s litigation portfolio and provide legal oversight for customer and operational claims
Oversee pre‑litigation demands, settlements, mediation, litigation holds, and outside counsel
Develop and manage enterprise legal risk and support incident response and crisis management
Advise on environmental, facilities, licensing, permitting, data privacy, PCI, and other regulatory requirements

Consumer Programs & Brand Protection

Advise on membership programs, including auto‑renewal, negative‑option requirements, and cancellation processes
Provide legal guidance for website and app terms, privacy policies, marketing, promotions, and loyalty programs
Ensure compliance with consumer protection, advertising, and pricing requirements
Manage Tsunami’s trademark portfolio and brand protection efforts

Build the Legal Function

Build and lead Tsunami’s in‑house legal function, including legal operations, budget, systems, processes, and outside counsel
Establish scalable legal infrastructure designed for a 100+ site organization
Create repeatable processes that allow Legal to integrate seamlessly with Operations, HR, Finance, Growth, and other business functions
Evaluate future legal team needs and build the function as the organization continues to scale

Requirements

What You Bring:

J.D. from an accredited law school and active membership in good standing with the bar of at least one U.S. jurisdiction
Eligibility to register as in‑house counsel in your state of residence
Minimum of 10 years of legal experience, including significant in‑house experience within a high‑growth, multi‑site, or multi‑unit organization
Broad generalist experience across corporate matters, commercial contracts, employment law, real estate, litigation management, and regulatory compliance
Demonstrated experience managing M&A and/or commercial real estate transactions
Experience building or substantially scaling legal processes, templates, systems, and outside‑counsel management
Experience advising CEOs, executive teams, and senior business leaders
Experience working with private equity or institutional investors
Strong business judgment with the ability to identify risk while providing practical, actionable solutions
Ability to operate independently and confidently in a fast‑paced, rapidly growing organization
Experience in retail, hospitality, consumer services, franchise, or another distributed consumer‑facing organization preferred
Multi‑state employment law experience across a distributed hourly workforce preferred
Experience with consumer membership or subscription models and auto‑renewal requirements preferred
First‑in‑role or legal department‑building experience strongly preferred

Summary

What We Offer:

Competitive base salary plus bonus opportunities
Health, dental, and vision insurance
Paid time off
Employee discounts
Paid training and professional development opportunities
Growth opportunities within a rapidly expanding company
The opportunity to build and shape Tsunami’s legal function from the ground up
A strong culture built on accountability, teamwork, innovation, and doing right by our people

Travel & Schedule

This is a primarily remote role with approximately 10% travel.
Preference location is in the Midwest
Travel will typically include corporate meetings, board and leadership sessions, and occasional travel related to acquisitions, real estate, or site matters.

About Tsunami Express

At Tsunami Express, we’re committed to creating an experience so seamless and satisfying that it becomes our customers’ favorite errand.

Our teams combine people, technology, and operational excellence to deliver a fast, friendly, and memorable experience at every location. As we continue to grow, we remain focused on building a culture centered on accountability, innovation, and teamwork.

Our Values: Fun