Job Description
Reporting to the Associate General Counsel for North America, the Senior Legal Counsel will be heavily involved in providing legal counsel and assistance to the Firm’s U.S. offices as well as working with OGC colleagues in EMEA, LatAm and APAC on additional international projects.
The successful candidate for this role will be an enthusiastic qualified attorney with a background in high volume international commercial contract negotiations, mergers and acquisitions with a focus on joint ventures and licensing of technology, corporate governance and compliance. You should have exceptional drafting and people skills. You will have experience in managing projects as well as compiling and delivering training. Ideally you will already be in an in-house role or have a strong desire to move in-house.
This position has a hybrid work arrangement and can be based in any US Fragomen office.
About the team:
The Office of General Counsel is firm’s legal department and one of the corporate teams supporting the firm’s core business. The team assists with a wide range of transactional, company secretarial and advisory legal work, including client engagements commercial contracts; mergers and acquisitions; employment matters; real estate leases; professional regulation; compliance; sanctions; technology licensing and litigation. As part of the team, you will work with OGC and non-OGC colleagues around the world as well as with local advisors supporting Fragomen in various locations.
How will you make a difference as Senior Legal Counsel at Fragomen?
• Assisting with the development, approach, and strategies for the Firm’s global expansion initiatives, including lateral hires, mergers and acquisitions, legal and corporate governance in opening new offices or entering into joint ventures and pursuing other innovative expansion opportunities
• Lead international commercial contract matters, including drafting, reviewing, and negotiating client and vendor agreements, particularly those related to SaaS offerings and technology, as well as commercial leases
• Draft, review, and negotiate complex technology licensing agreements
• Advise internal teams on software and product development transactions, including intellectual property and regulatory compliance
• General corporate transactional matters: Complex MSAs, RFPs & NDAs; Responding to client compliance requests
• Third party due diligence: The Firm undertakes a very thorough due diligence of its vendors (especially local counsel) through a program overseen by the Office of General Counsel
• Third party vendors: Responding to inquiries from vendors and Fragomen client teams regarding third party contractual/compliance obligations
• Corporate secretarial: Attending to key governance functions
• Data privacy issues, in conjunction with the Data Privacy team
• Ad hoc projects, including working on future new office openings
Leverage your valuable skills and experience to make an impact at Fragomen:
• JD required and active US bar license required
• Dual Qualified in an additional EU location ideal (not required)
• 4-8 years of experience with high volume international commercial contracts (drafting, reviewing and negotiating) and transactional M&A work essential; experience with technology transactions, licensing and joint ventures
• Experience practicing at a large or mid-sized law firm, preferably one with a substantial global practice supporting global clients with cross border legal issues; ideally augmented by experience in-house
• Entrepreneurial quickness balanced with professional acumen. Able to deal effectively with strategic issues as well as tactical operational details. Desire to create more efficient processes and ways of working
• Familiarity with laws and regulations relevant to client onboarding
• Excellent time management skills and ability to work in a fast-paced environment
• Attention to detail and commitment to producing high quality work product
• Excellent interpersonal, relationship management and communication skills. Understanding of cultural differences and ways of working
• Requires gravitas, credibility and self‐confidence, but also considerable collaboration. Must be a team player
• Work with a strong sense of professional pride, possess a strong work ethic, be proactive, enthusiastic and flexible, and have exemplary personal and professional integrity and business ethics, as well as a commitment to inclusivity and a respect for others
• Superior writing and oral communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to adapt style and format while maintaining substance to the audience
All offers and/or employment contracts are contingent upon the successful completion of the Firm’s pre-employment screening process. This process may include verifying the candidate’s identity, confirming legal authorization to work in the offered position's location, and conducting a comprehensive background check, where permitted by local regulations.
