Legal Operations Associate

Hightower Advisors; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 80,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision insurance—

Paid parental leave

Mother’s lounge onsite

Flexible PTO

In-office Mon-Thurs; WFH Fridays

Brand-new gym in Chicago office

401k matching

HSA employer contributions

Student loan assistance

Pet insurance

Job summary

Hightower Advisors in Chicago seeks a Legal Operations Associate to join the Legal Department and support legal operations, contract management, and governance. You will work closely with attorneys and cross-functional partners to keep records current and accessible.

The role offers paralegal-style responsibilities, strong organizational requirements, and opportunities to build an in-house legal career within a growing wealth management firm.

Qualifications

• 1–3+ years in a law firm as a paralegal, legal assistant, or similar role.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication across attorneys and stakeholders.
• Experience with contract administration or legal document management preferred.
• Paralegal certificate or relevant post-secondary education preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide administrative and operational support to the Senior Manager, Legal Operations.
• Support contract lifecycle management and track key dates and obligations.
• Organize legal files, repositories, governance records, and executed agreements.
• Assist with corporate entity maintenance and annual filings.
• Provide general paralegal support for regulatory examinations, audits, and litigation.

Skills

Organizational skills

Attention to detail

Written and verbal communication

Cross-functional coordination

Confidentiality

Contract administration

Document management

Education

Paralegal certificate

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Outlook

Contract management systems

Document management systems

Job description

Our Story Founded in 2008, Hightower is a wealth management firm that provides investment, financial and retirement planning services to individuals, foundations and family offices, as well as 401(k) consulting and cash management services to corporations. Hightower’s capital solutions, operational support services, size and scale empower its vibrant community of independent-minded wealth advisors to grow their businesses and help their clients achieve their financial vision. Based in Chicago with advisors across the U.S., we operate as a registered investment advisor (RIA).

Your Future Team

The Legal Operations Associate will join Hightower’s Legal Department and report directly to the Senior Manager, Legal Operations. This role works closely with attorneys and cross-functional business partners across the organization, supporting legal operations, contract management, corporate governance, and day-to-day legal administration. It is an excellent opportunity for a detail-oriented legal professional looking to build an in-house legal career within a growing financial services organization.

What You’ll Do

• As a Legal Operations Associate, you will provide administrative and operational support to the Senior Manager, Legal Operations while helping ensure legal records, contracts, and corporate governance matters are organized, current, and accessible. You will play a key role in supporting the Senior Legal Operations Associate while managing legal workflows, tracking important deadlines, and maintaining accurate legal documentation across the organization.
• Support contract lifecycle management by maintaining contract records, tracking renewal and termination dates, coordinating signatures, and monitoring key obligations and deadlines.
• Organize and maintain legal files, document repositories, governance records, and executed agreements to ensure accurate filing, version control, and accessibility.
• Assist as needed with corporate entity maintenance, annual filings, governance documentation, Secretary of State filings, and entity compliance tracking.
• Provide general paralegal support, including preparing signature packets, coordinating document execution logistics, maintaining trackers and legal records, and supporting regulatory examinations, audits, litigation matters, and other legal projects.

What You’ll Bring

• 1-3+ years of experience in a law firm as a paralegal, legal assistant, or similar legal support professional
• Strong organizational skills with exceptional attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to coordinate effectively across attorneys and business stakeholders
• Experience supporting contract administration, legal document management, or corporate governance processes preferred
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Word and Outlook
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and maintain confidentiality when handling sensitive or privileged information
• Experience with legal matter management, contract management, or document management systems preferred
• Paralegal certificate or relevant post-secondary education preferred

What We Offer

• Coverage on the first day of employment for medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Paid parental leave (16 weeks for primary caregiver and 8 weeks for secondary caregiver)
• Mother’s lounge onsite
• Flexible PTO plan
• In-office Monday through Thursday and work from home on Fridays
• Free brand-new gym in the Chicago office
• 401k matching plan
• HSA employer contributions
• Student loan assistance
• Pet insurance
• Base salary of $80,000-$90,000 plus discretionary bonus (exact base salary amount will be dependent on experience)

AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER:

Hightower is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based upon race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status, national origin, citizenship, veteran status, ancestry, age (over 40), physical or mental disability, medical condition (cancer-related), gender identity or expression, genetic information including sickle cell or hemoglobin C trait, or any other consideration made unlawful by applicable federal, state, or local law.

You are a U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident or possess other unrestricted U.S. work authorization and will not require sponsorship for U.S. work authorization now or anytime in the future.