Senior Counsel

JCPenney; Plano (TX); On-site; USD 117,000 - 195,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/dental/vision

Term life insurance

Paid vacation/holidays

401(k) with Company match

Associate discount

Job summary

Catalyst Brands is seeking a Senior Counsel to join our Plano, TX legal team. You will serve as a premier corporate generalist and strategic partner to senior leaders, driving complex, multi-million-dollar matters across a dynamic retail portfolio.

You will draft and negotiate high-value contracts, advise across finance, supply chain, IT, and real estate, and lead compliance programs including privacy and data security.

Qualifications

• JD from an ABA-accredited law school.
• Licensed to practice law in the U.S.; Texas Bar admission preferred, or willingness to register as in-house counsel.
• 4–8+ years of legal experience in sophisticated commercial transactions, litigation, or in-house corporate generalist practice.
• Experience with large retail, consumer products, fashion, beauty, or omnichannel commerce organizations.

Responsibilities

• Lead drafting, structuring, and negotiation of highly complex contracts, including technology/SaaS, major real estate, global supply chain/logistics, and strategic partnerships.
• Serve as an autonomous legal partner to senior and VP-level leaders across finance, supply chain, IT, real estate, and digital merchandising.
• Oversee corporate compliance, ethics, and regulatory programs (privacy and data security) to align with omnichannel retail standards.
• Develop and maintain corporate legal playbooks, templates, toolkits, and training to streamline operations.
• Select, direct, and manage outside counsel and third-party vendors within budget.
• Mentor junior team members, lead cross-functional risk mitigation projects, and present risks/opportunities to senior leadership and the Chief Legal Officer.

Skills

Leadership

Commercial negotiation

Autonomy

Written and oral communication

Crisis management

Retail/omnichannel experience

In-house collaboration

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Job description

Overview

Ready to take your career to the next level at a $9B omni-channel retail giant. At Catalyst Brands, we operate a vast national retail footprint and highly sophisticated ecommerce platforms. Our legal team is deeply embedded in the business, driving growth and safeguarding the organization across all operational frontlines.

We are seeking a high-impact Senior Counsel to join our Legal team in Plano, TX. Reporting directly to the VP, Associate General Counsel, you will serve as a premier corporate generalist and a true strategic partner to senior business leaders. The structure of the legal team will provide the opportunity for you to work collaboratively with stakeholders across the organization and functional areas and to make fundamental contributions with visible results.

If you are a highly versatile lawyer who thrives on high autonomy, intellectual variety, and the challenge of managing complex, multi-million-dollar matters across a dynamic retail portfolio, we want you on our team.

Responsibilities

• Complex Transactions: Lead the drafting, structuring, and negotiation of highly complex, high-value enterprise contracts, including technology/SaaS agreements, major real estate transactions, global supply chain/logistics contracts, and strategic partnerships.
• Strategic Business Advisory: Act as a primary, autonomous legal partner to senior and VP-level leaders across finance, supply chain, IT, real estate, and digital merchandising, translating complex legal issues into clear, business-focused solutions.
• Compliance & Risk Leadership: Oversee and drive critical aspects of the company’s corporate compliance, ethics, and regulatory programs (including privacy and data security) to align with evolving omnichannel retail standards.
• Scale & Efficiency: Develop, optimize, and maintain corporate legal playbooks, contract templates, toolkits, and training sessions to streamline operations and enhance self-service capabilities for our business units.
• Outside Counsel Management: Independently select, direct, and manage outside counsel and third-party vendors to ensure high-quality, cost-effective representation within budget.
• Department Influence: Mentor junior team members, lead cross-functional risk mitigation projects, and present key legal risks and opportunities directly to senior leadership and the Chief Legal Officer.

Core Competencies & Abilities

• Outstanding interpersonal and leadership skills, with a proven track record of establishing trust and advising senior corporate executives.
• Advanced commercial negotiation skills, with the ability to resolve complex contractual blockages and align parties on key risk parameters.
• High degree of autonomy, with the ability to proactively own major deliverables, prioritize competing deadlines, and lead cross-functional projects.
• Excellent written and oral communication; exceptional organizational and project management skills.
• Decisive and calm under pressure, with the ability to resolve legal, regulatory, and business crises with professional flexibility.
• Ability to thrive and maintain poise in a high-visibility, fast-paced retail corporate environment.
• Regular in-office attendance in our Dallas, TX headquarters is required.

Qualifications

• Education: JD (Juris Doctor or Doctor of Jurisprudence) from an ABA-accredited law school.
• Licensure: Licensed and in good standing to practice law in any U.S. jurisdiction (Texas Bar admission preferred, or willingness to register as in-house counsel).
• Experience: Four to eight-plus (4-8+) years of legal experience, including a strong background in sophisticated commercial transactions, litigation, or in-house corporate generalist practice.
• Industry Focus: Experience with large retail, consumer products, fashion, beauty, or omnichannel commerce organizations is highly relevant.

What you get

If eligible, we offer a competitive benefits package including medical/dental/vision, term life insurance, paid vacation/holidays*, and 401(k) with Company match.

• Medical/dental/vision
• Term life insurance
• Paid vacation/holidays*
• 401(k) with Company match
• All associates are eligible for an associate discount on all Catalyst Brands merchandise.

For paid holidays, associates who are eligible for paid vacation (MTO) are also eligible for eight paid holidays during the calendar year.

All store hourly associates scheduled to work on a designated holiday will receive additional compensation.

For paid vacation days, as well as eligibility requirements for other benefits, please visit www.catalystbrandsbenefits.com.

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Pay Range

USD $117,000.00 - USD $195,000.00 /Yr.