Legal Counsel, North America

Summary

Must live in Chicago - Hybrid work environment with Chicago office presence of minimum 3 days/week 

The Legal Counsel will assist the legal team in supporting regional (North America – US & Canada, Europe, APAC) businesses with legal matters. The Legal Counsel will work under Assistant General Counsel, North America, with additional guidance by senior legal counsel, and will engage with many different company clients in varying situations.

The department goal is to protect the interests of the company’s shareholders and company assets, to facilitate the company’s business interests, and to overcome legal and regulatory challenges in a hypercompetitive and dynamic industry. The goal for each team member is not just to be a legal resource but also a trusted advisor to the business.

What You’ll Do:

• Act as a legal resource and a trusted advisor to the business
• Review and draft legal agreements and documents for assigned clients under the supervision and direction of senior counsel
• Assist with conducting products litigation, including organization, review and preparation of discovery materials and interacting with outside counsel
• Review and advise clients on all forms of information and documents to be published to the public by the company for consistency with company intellectual property and products, including marketing materials, advertisements, press releases, informational materials, warranties, product literature, websites, and the like
• Advise business in environmental, social, governance and sustainability matters and participate in Sustainability / ESG global practice group
• Assist team in maintaining legislation and regulation tracking and developing various reporting
• Represent the legal function in various internal company projects
• Perform various legal administrative tasks as part of the Legal & Compliance Department including review of outside counsel billing, preparation of filings and reports for clients and the company, attending various company presentations and events
• Assist in identifying and protecting intellectual property generated by company research organizations as well as manufacturing units
• Develop familiarity with processes and procedures designed to protect trade secrets; offer guidance to R&D personnel and others in the company
• Proactively shares information or resources with others to further their success and that of the overall organization

What You’ll Bring:

• Juris Doctor degree required
• Minimum of four years of experience as outside counsel or inhouse counsel is required, preferably in a corporate manufacturing environment
• Experienced with contract and document review/drafting required
• Licensed to practice law in one of the 50 states with ability to waive into Illinois bar required (North America)
• Prior experience reviewing and advising on marketing materials, advertisements, press releases, informational materials, warranties, product literature, websites, and the like, including proper trademarks and attribution statements considered a plus

Preferred skills: 

• Knowledgeable about relevant law and civil litigation procedures
• Basic knowledge of trademark laws and trade secret laws
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills resulting in audience engagement, understanding, and retention
• Professional demeanor with a high level of integrity
• Demonstrated ability to influence and gain commitment across different interpersonal styles
• Ability to develop and maintain effective relationships over large geographic and time differences
• Act on initiative with the ability to work as part of a team as well as independently
• Ability to identify and understand issues, problems, and opportunities and effectively choose a course of action or develop appropriate solutions
• Act as a continuous learner and share and apply new knowledge and skill
• Self-motivated with a pro-active approach and a desire to go above and beyond
• Takes personal responsibility and ownership and shows a conscientious commitment to assigned work
• Focuses on being part of solutions and achieving results by delivering on commitments
• Considers self a member of the team by supporting decisions 100% and following through on commitments
• Ability to accept personal feedback openly and non-defensively
• Understands the business and uses that understanding to recommend opportunities for efficiencies and improvement 
• Demonstrates basic business sense in making decisions
• Engages eagerly with development opportunities with a desire to acquire knowledge or skills identified as important

What You’ll Receive:

As of the date of this posting, a good faith estimate of the current pay scale for this position is $145,000 - $180,000.  Placement in the range depends on several factors such as experience, skills, geography and internal equity and may change over time. This position qualifies for benefits and you will be eligible to participate in a bonus plan.

At James Hardie, we recognize that our success depends on our people. We've worked hard to build a generous and competitive benefits program that demonstrates our commitment to our employees.

• Comprehensive low-cost co-pay Health Insurance; medical, dental, prescription, and vision insurance benefits for every 30+ hour full-time employee. Insurance starts on day one!
• 401(k) Retirement plan that will match 100% of employees saved dollars up to the first 6% of your salary
• Paid holidays, paid vacation including Jury Duty and bereavement leave
• Wellness Program, Employee Assistance Program. Parental Leave
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Community Involvement & Sustainable Solutions
• Click here to learn more about our benefits

Apply now and come “home” to Hardie!

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