In-House Counsel

Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 85,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

The Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County (SEA) seeks an In-House Counsel in Allegheny County. You will provide strategic legal advice to the Executive Director and SEA Board, handle contracts, real estate matters, and civil/administrative litigation, and supervise outside counsel.

Required: a law degree from an ABA-accredited school and PA Bar admission or eligibility. Six years of progressive legal experience in the specified areas is preferred.

Qualifications

• Requires a law degree from an ABA-accredited school.
• Licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania or eligible to obtain PA license during probation.
• Experience in land use, civil and administrative litigation, and complex transactions preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal and strategic advice to the Executive Director and SEA Board.
• Advise on contracts, litigation, mediation, administrative processes, and legislation affecting SEA operations.
• Manage real estate transactions and ensure compliance with governing statutes.
• Review contracts, resolutions, MOUs, settlement agreements and other documents for sufficiency.
• Coordinate Board agenda preparation and meeting minutes.
• Implement process improvements within the Legal Department.
• Act as Open Records Officer and respond to Right-to-Know requests.
• Supervise and oversee litigation with outside counsel in state/federal courts and agencies.
• Draft pleadings, motions, orders, agreements, and other legal documents.
• Collaborate with insurance companies as appropriate.
• Work independently with limited supervision and professional judgment.

Skills

Commercial transactions

Litigation

Land use

Regulatory compliance

Legal writing

Education

ABA-accredited law degree

PA Bar admission

Job description

About the SEA

The Sports & Exhibition Authority of Pittsburgh and Allegheny County (SEA) develops first class sports, entertainment, recreational, and convention venues to benefit Pittsburgh’s economy and improve quality of life.

GENERAL

The In-House Counsel is responsible for finding sophisticated legal solutions to a variety of matters, including land use, construction law, civil litigation in the areas of tort, and administrative hearings and appeals.Your work will be a key component in delivering superior in-house legal services.The In-House Counsel reports directly to the SEA Executive Director.

Our ideal candidate for In-House Counsel has:

• Experience negotiating and drafting documents for complex commercial transactions, including, but not limited to, commercial and financial transactions.
• The demeanor to work with other lawyers, government officials, and managing internal client expectations while aligning competing priorities within a demanding portfolio.
• The ability to translate technical legal concepts into oral and written communication that connect with the intended audience.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Main areas of responsibility include but are not limited to the following:

• Provides prompt legal and strategic advice to the Executive Director and SEA Board.
• Advise the Authority, Boards, Department Heads and Authority Staff regarding contracts, litigation, mediation, administrative process and appeals, statutory interpretation, constitutional questions, court orders and opinions, and legislation affecting the Authority’s operations.
• Manage real estate transactions and seeks process improvements while maintaining compliance with the Authority's enabling legislation and all other applicable state and federal laws.
• Review for legal sufficiency the following types of documents: contracts, resolutions, memoranda of understanding, settlement agreements, and other instruments.
• Coordinates the preparation of the Authority Board agenda and meeting minutes.
• Seeks process improvement strategies for managing workflow in the Legal Department.
• Serve as the Authority’s Open Records Officer and respond to all “Right-to-Know” requests.
• Supervises and oversees litigation on behalf of the SEA with support from outside counsel:
• Litigate suits and appellate proceedings in state and federal courts, as well as before administrative agencies
• Draft pleadings, motions, orders, agreements, summaries, correspondence, policies and other legal documents and memoranda.
• Work with insurance companies as appropriate.
• Work independently with limited supervision, exercise good professional judgment, and work well with outside counsel, as well as SEA team members.
• Complete other duties as assigned.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, AND SKILLS REQUIRED

• Law degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.
• Six (6) years progressively responsible experience in the practice of law, specialized legal experience in land use, legal transactions, civil litigation, and administrative litigation.
• A valid license, in good standing, to practice law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and before the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, or in another state, subject to attainment of a valid license to practice law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania during initial probationary period.
• Member of the Pennsylvania and Allegheny County Bar Associations and the Association of Corporate Counsel.

SALARY RANGE

$85,000 – $115,000

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENT

Must live or be willing to relocate to Allegheny County