Assistant General Counsel

Georgia's Own Credit Union•Hybrid, GA

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Assistant General Counsel serves as legal counsel to the Credit Union on legal, operational, regulatory, contractual, and strategic matters. Core areas include litigation and dispute resolution, contract review and negotiation, member complaint and dispute management, legal process administration, product development, technology initiatives, and enterprise projects. The role partners with the General Counsel, business leaders, and operational stakeholders to identify and manage legal risk, support strategic objectives, and provide practical, business-focused legal guidance. The position manages litigation matters and coordinates with outside counsel, supports resolution of complex member disputes, reviews and negotiates commercial agreements, advises on legal issues arising from products and services, supports fintech and vendor relationships, and provides guidance on strategic projects and initiatives across the organization. The Assistant General Counsel is expected to bring strong legal analysis, dispute resolution, risk management, contract negotiation, and business advisory skills. The position has a flexible hybrid work arrangement, combining in-office collaboration with remote work. The employee will work in an office environment, typically at a desk or table, and perform clerical duties using technology. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

Requirements

Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school.
Active admission to practice law in Georgia and membership in good standing with the State Bar of Georgia.
Minimum of 5 to 8 years of legal experience.
Demonstrated experience independently managing litigation matters and outside counsel.
Strong knowledge of litigation processes and dispute-resolution strategies.
Knowledge of consumer financial services laws and regulations applicable to credit unions, including lending, collections, consumer protection, privacy, and UDAAP.
Experience reviewing, drafting, negotiating, and interpreting commercial contracts and business agreements.
Experience managing subpoenas, legal process requests, regulatory inquiries, and enforcement-related matters.
Strong legal drafting and writing skills, including contracts, legal analyses, settlement agreements, pleadings, and business communications.
Exceptional organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills, with strong attention to detail.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills and ability to influence and collaborate across all levels of the organization.
Ability to balance legal risk, operational objectives, member experience, and business priorities.
Demonstrated success managing multiple complex matters simultaneously.
Strong negotiation and conflict-resolution skills.
High level of integrity, professionalism, sound judgment, and discretion.
Ability to manage change, drive process improvement, and lead organizational initiatives.
Ability to translate complex legal and regulatory requirements into practical business solutions.
Ability to perform essential job duties satisfactorily, communicate face to face or through technology, sit and stand for various increments of time, and lift or push up to 10 lbs.
For positions with lending responsibilities, comply with SAFE ACT requirements and Credit Union policies and procedures, keep NMLS registration current, and notify the Credit Union within 30 days of changes that need to be reflected on the NMLS registry.

Nice To Haves

Legal experience within financial services, banking, credit unions, consumer finance, or other regulated industries is preferred.
Prior in-house legal experience is preferred but not required.
Experience handling member disputes, consumer claims, regulatory inquiries, or financial services litigation is preferred.
Experience supporting business initiatives, projects, process improvements, or technology implementations is preferred.
Prior experience supervising legal support staff, paralegals, administrators, or project teams is preferred.

Responsibilities

Provide legal advice and counsel to business units on operational, contractual, regulatory, and strategic matters.
Review, draft, negotiate, and interpret commercial agreements and other business contracts.
Provide legal support for projects, technology implementations, product enhancements, and process changes.
Work with cross-functional teams to identify and mitigate legal risk.
Manage a portfolio of litigation and dispute matters, including consumer claims, member disputes, collections-related litigation, employment-related matters, and commercial disputes; partner with the General Counsel on significant or high-exposure matters.
Assess legal and business risks associated with litigation and disputed matters and recommend practical resolution strategies aligned with organizational objectives.
Serve as the primary point of contact with outside counsel, overseeing matter management, budgets, performance, and outcomes, in consultation with the General Counsel on significant matters.
Review and provide guidance on pleadings, motions, discovery responses, settlement proposals, and other litigation-related documents.
Coordinate internal discovery efforts, document preservation, witness preparation, and document production.
Support resolution of complex, high-risk, and legally sensitive member complaints and escalations requiring attorney involvement.
Conduct legal risk assessments and advise business partners on dispute-resolution strategies involving member complaints, claims, and threatened litigation.
Manage and participate in settlement negotiations, mediation, and alternative dispute resolution where appropriate.
Prepare litigation status reports, risk assessments, and recommendations for the General Counsel and business stakeholders.
Coordinate responses to subpoenas, summonses, legal process requests, regulatory complaints, and enforcement matters.
Support and advise on internal investigations involving allegations of misconduct, fraud, policy violations, member complaints, or other legal concerns, in coordination with relevant internal teams and the General Counsel.
Identify recurring litigation, complaint, regulatory, and enforcement trends and assist in developing risk-mitigation strategies.
Ensure appropriate documentation, reporting, and remediation activities are completed in response to identified legal risks.
Advise business partners regarding claims, disputes, complaints, regulatory requirements, and contract-related matters.
Assist in developing policies, procedures, controls, training, and other risk-mitigation initiatives.
Support improvements to litigation management processes, reporting capabilities, and operational efficiencies.