Senior Legal Counsel

Hirewell; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Hirewell is seeking a Senior Counsel, Legal Affairs to join its in-house legal team in Chicago. This generalist role oversees governance, employment, privacy, contracts, and nonprofit considerations while partnering with stakeholders to mitigate risk.

The ideal candidate will provide practical guidance, draft and negotiate contracts, and support compliance efforts across the organization.

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school.
• Active license to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction, or eligibility for appropriate in-house counsel admission.
• 5+ years of relevant legal experience gained in-house and/or at a law firm advising corporate clients.
• Broad corporate legal experience with exposure to governance, privacy and data protection, contracts, and nonprofit/work across multiple areas.

Responsibilities

• Provide practical legal advice to internal stakeholders across corporate and organizational matters.
• Advise on governance matters, policies, board-related issues, and fiduciary duties.
• Identify legal/regulatory risks and develop practical, business-focused solutions.
• Offer guidance on tax-exempt and nonprofit considerations affecting programs and operations.
• Collaborate with HR on employment-related matters and risk mitigation.
• Advising on privacy, cybersecurity, and data protection matters; ensure compliance requirements are met.
• Draft, review, negotiate, and advise on commercial contracts and agreements.
• Coordinate with outside counsel and manage relationships as needed.
• Develop training and educational materials on relevant legal topics.

Skills

In-house experience

Contract drafting

Legal research

Negotiation

Communication skills

Education

J.D. from an accredited law school

Active license to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction

Job description

A national organization is seeking a Senior Counsel, Legal Affairs to join its in-house legal team. This position will serve as a trusted legal advisor to staff, leadership, affiliates, and related entities on a broad range of corporate and organizational matters.

This is a generalist in-house counsel role requiring someone who is comfortable working across multiple areas of law rather than specializing exclusively in one practice area. Key areas of responsibility include corporate governance, employment matters, privacy and data protection, contracts, tax-exempt considerations, and general corporate legal support.

The Senior Counsel will partner closely with internal stakeholders to provide practical, business-oriented legal guidance, support compliance efforts, and proactively identify and mitigate organizational risk.

Key Responsibilities

Legal Advisory, Governance & Compliance

• Provide practical legal advice to internal stakeholders, affiliates, and related entities across a broad range of corporate and organizational matters.
• Advise on corporate governance matters, including governing documents, policies, board-related issues, fiduciary duties, and governance best practices.
• Assist internal stakeholders with identifying legal and regulatory risks and developing practical, business-focused solutions.
• Provide guidance on tax-exempt and nonprofit considerations affecting organizational programs, activities, governance, and operations.
• Partner with Human Resources on employment-related matters, including policy review, compliance questions, employee issues, and risk mitigation.
• Advise on privacy, cybersecurity, and data protection matters, including internal policies, compliance requirements, data use, and emerging legal risks.
• Respond to day-to-day legal questions from stakeholders across the organization.
• Support the development and implementation of internal policies, procedures, and legal protocols.

Contracts & Commercial Matters

• Draft, review, negotiate, and advise on a variety of commercial contracts and other legal agreements.
• Partner with business stakeholders throughout the contract lifecycle to identify risks and negotiate appropriate terms.
• Develop guidance, templates, and resources to address recurring contract issues and improve consistency across the organization.
• Provide general corporate and commercial legal support as business needs evolve.
• Conduct legal research and prepare memoranda, guidance, risk-management materials, and other legal resources.
• Monitor legal and regulatory developments that may impact the organization.
• Develop and deliver training and educational materials on relevant legal and compliance topics.
• Collaborate with other members of the legal team on cross-functional initiatives and special projects.
• Coordinate with and manage outside counsel as appropriate.
• Perform additional legal responsibilities as organizational needs evolve.

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school.
• Active license to practice law in good standing in at least one U.S. jurisdiction, or eligibility for appropriate in-house counsel admission.
• 5+ years of relevant legal experience gained in-house and/or at a law firm advising corporate clients.
• Broad corporate legal experience with exposure to several of the following areas:
• Corporate governance
• Privacy and data protection
• Cybersecurity-related legal issues
• Commercial contracts
• Tax-exempt or nonprofit law
• General corporate and compliance matters
• Strong legal research, analysis, drafting, and negotiation skills.
• Ability to translate complex legal issues into clear, practical guidance for business stakeholders.
• Strong judgment and the ability to independently manage a varied workload across multiple areas of law.
• Comfortable operating as a legal generalist and handling issues outside of a single specialized practice area.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with a collaborative, service-oriented approach.

Preferred Experience

Experience advising nonprofit, tax-exempt, membership, or association organizations is helpful but not required. Candidates with strong corporate generalist backgrounds who have worked across governance, employment, privacy/data protection, contracts, compliance, and related matters are encouraged to apply. Experience with real estate-related legal matters is also a plus.