In-House Client Contracts Counsel | Negotiation Lead

Verital Advisory Search; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 115,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and wellness coverage

401(k) profit sharing

Job summary

Verital Advisory Search is recruiting for a Client Contracts Counsel role within a top Am Law 100 litigation firm in Chicago. The attorney will serve as a go-to resource on client engagement terms and partner with leadership on policy and process improvements.

The role focuses on contract analysis, risk management, and building scalable workflows for engagement terms review, negotiation, and compliance, with opportunities for training and leadership across the GC team.

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school and active bar admission.
• Experience in a law firm, professional services, or financial services environment.
• Strong understanding of client relationship dynamics and regulatory landscape.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted advisor on engagement letters, outside counsel guidelines, RFPs, and client and vendor agreements, flagging terms that conflict with firm practice and recommending practical solutions.
• Evaluate key risk provisions including conflicts, billing and rate terms, confidentiality, file retention, AI usage, liability caps, and indemnification.
• Build and maintain an organized, searchable repository of client engagement terms so attorneys and staff can find what they need quickly.
• Track open contract reviews and exceptions, and keep partners and firm leadership informed on status and outcomes.
• Lead the design of best practices and workflows for engagement terms review, negotiation, and compliance.
• Develop training content and deliver sessions to attorneys and staff, and mentor fellow members of the General Counsel’s team on contract analysis.
• Advise the new business intake and conflicts teams on issue spotting and client contract procedures.

Skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Leadership without authority

Self-starter

Risk management

Analytics tools

Education

J.D. from an accredited law school

Tools

Data privacy

Information security

AML

Governance

Job description

Verital Advisory Search is recruiting for a Client Contracts Counsel role within a top Am Law 100 litigation firm in Chicago. The attorney will serve as a go-to resource on client engagement terms and partner with leadership on policy and process improvements.

The role focuses on contract analysis, risk management, and building scalable workflows for engagement terms review, negotiation, and compliance, with opportunities for training and leadership across the GC team.