Vice President Legal

Walker Advertising; Torrance (CA); Hybrid; USD 250,000 - 360,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid parental leave

401(k) retirement plan

Wellness program

Job summary

Walker Advertising, a national network connecting consumers with legal representation, seeks a Vice President, Legal to lead the in-house team in Torrance, CA. The role partners with the CEO, CFO and Board to navigate a highly regulated advertising environment and scale the legal function as the business grows.

You will drive governance, compliance and risk management across advertising, privacy, and employment, while advising on strategic transactions and outside counsel management.

Qualifications

• J.D. degree and active bar membership in good standing in at least one US state.

Responsibilities

• Lead legal function and be a partner to the executive team, translating risk into practical guidance.
• Act as Corporate Secretary, supporting governance, financings, M&A and strategic transactions.
• Own compliance across advertising, lead generation and contact center operations, including TCPA and consent practices.
• Advise on attorney advertising and lead generation rules governing firm clients.
• Establish review framework for advertising, campaigns and new marketing channels.
• Oversee privacy, data protection and AI governance.
• Engage with regulators including the FTC, FCC and stateBars.
• Build and own corporate/regulatory compliance program, policies, training and whistleblowing process.
• ProtectWalker’s IP and oversee litigation, inquiries, insurance and risk management.
• Partner with HR on employment matters for a national workforce.
• Own legal budget and relationships with outside counsel.
• Lead and develop the in-house legal team as the business grows.

Skills

TCPA compliance

Telemarketing compliance

Regulatory compliance

Governance

Education

J.D. degree

Bar admission

Job description

For over 40 years, Walker Advertising has helped connect people seeking legal assistance with the right attorneys, partnering with law firms across the country to expand their reach and impact. Founded on Mary Ann Walker Aguirre’s efforts to overcome language barriers and improve access to justice, Walker has grown into a national network of more than 600 law firms, connecting millions of consumers with legal representation.

Through trusted brands, innovative marketing, and a commitment to serving diverse communities in both English and Spanish, Walker Advertising helps law firms grow while advancing a larger purpose: creating positive change and expanding access to justice for all.

About The Role

The Vice President, Legal will own Walker's legal function end to end and serve as a trusted business partner to the executive leadership team. Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, with direct access to the CEO and Board, this is a newly elevated role created to give Walker a dedicated legal leader at the executive table as the business enters its next phase of growth.

This is intentionally a business-facing role, not a purely technical one. We are looking for a lawyer who is as comfortable discussing commercial trade-offs as legal doctrine: someone who frames risk as a spectrum rather than a yes or no, gives leadership a clear recommendation, and builds trust across the organization. Success in this role means the business moves faster and with more confidence in a highly regulated advertising environment.

The Vice President, Legal will lead a small in-house legal team, with scope to grow the function over time. The role is based in Torrance, CA, and is hybrid, with one day per week in the office.

What You'll Do

• Serve as Walker's lead legal advisor and a member of the senior leadership team, translating legal and regulatory risk into practical, commercially grounded recommendations.
• Act as Corporate Secretary, supporting the Board and investors on governance, financings, M&A and other strategic transactions.
• Own compliance across advertising, lead generation and contact center operations, including TCPA, telemarketing rules, state mini-TCPA laws, consent practices and SMS/email marketing.
• Advise on attorney advertising and lead generation rules governing Walker's relationships with its law firm clients.
• Establish the review framework for advertising, campaigns and new marketing channels.
• Oversee privacy, data protection (including CCPA/CPRA) and AI governance.
• Lead engagement with regulators, including the FTC, FCC, state attorneys general and state bars.
• Build and own the company’s corporate and regulatory compliance program, including the code of conduct, core policies, training and a confidential reporting process, and collaborate with HR on employment and labor law compliance, including wage and hour and workplace conduct matters.
• Protect and enforce Walker's intellectual property, including its consumer brands and trademarks.
• Oversee litigation, regulatory inquiries, insurance and enterprise risk management.
• Partner with HR on employment matters for a national workforce.
• Own the legal budget and direct outside counsel relationships, with a sharp eye on quality and spend.
• Lead and develop the in-house legal team and shape the function as the business grows.

In the first year, success will look like establishing Legal as a trusted partner to every business function, including sales and marketing, and completing a full review and evaluation of compliance frameworks across all material states in which the company operates, including TCPA and consent practices. Building on that, the Vice President, Legal will standardize contract templates and playbooks, review outside counsel spend, and become the go-to advisor to the CFO, CEO and Board on regulatory and commercial decisions.

Qualifications

• J.D. and active bar membership in good standing in at least one US state. Candidates admitted outside California must be eligible to register as Registered In-House Counsel with the State Bar of California.
• 12+ years of post-qualification experience, including time as Assistant General Counsel, Senior Managing Attorney, or equivalent.
• Hands-on TCPA and telemarketing compliance experience is strongly preferred.
• Background in a regulated, consumer-facing business, ideally advertising, lead generation, marketing, financial services, insurance or similar.
• Track record of advising senior executives and the Board as a commercial business partner, with the presence to communicate credibly at every level of the organization.
• Experience managing outside counsel and legal budgets.
• Comfortable weighing risk in shades of grey and making a clear call; pragmatic, hands-on and happy to be the most senior lawyer in the business while doing the work.
• Exposure to attorney advertising rules, lead generation or legal services marketing is a plus.
• Experience in a private equity-backed company, including transactions such as M&A or financings, is a plus.
• Professional proficiency in Spanish is a plus.
• 12 Weeks of Guaranteed Paid Parental Leave
• 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan
• Wellness Initiatives/Employee Assistance Program