Associate Counsel, Legal & Compliance

Outdoor Cap Company•Bentonville, AR

About The Position

Outdoor Cap Company is a privately held headwear and apparel company headquartered in Bentonville, Arkansas, with a global supply chain and retail, promotional, licensing, and direct-to-consumer channels. Its subsidiaries include JUNK Brands and Legendary Headwear. The Associate Counsel works directly with the Head of Corporate Responsibility, the company's chief legal counsel, on contracts and legal issues across the business. This hands-on in-house role involves drafting, reviewing, and negotiating agreements; answering legal questions from internal teams; and supporting trade, product, and social compliance. The role has a deliberate development path: work begins with supervision on contracts and research, then expands to full ownership of matters as judgment and experience grow. The company intends to develop the Associate Counsel over time to take on broader leadership of its legal and compliance functions. It is intended for someone seeking a long-term in-house career with a growing company. Responsibilities span commercial contracting, legal advice and issue management, licensing and audit support, trade, customs and product compliance, policy and regulatory monitoring, responsible sourcing, and team support. The position provides guidance and training to internal teams and progressively greater responsibility, including executive-level work and ownership of legal matters involving key customer and licensor relationships. The position requires a J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school and active good-standing admission to at least one U.S. state bar or the District of Columbia. Arkansas admission is not required. Recent graduates awaiting bar results may be considered and will carry the title Legal & Compliance Associate until admission. The stated experience range is 0–3 years.

Requirements

Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an ABA-accredited law school.
Licensed and in good standing in at least one U.S. state or the District of Columbia; Arkansas admission is not required. Recent graduates awaiting bar results will be considered, with the title Legal & Compliance Associate until admission.
0–3 years of legal experience in-house, at a law firm in a corporate, commercial, intellectual property, or trade practice, in a judicial clerkship, or in a compliance role.
Strong contract drafting and negotiation skills, with clear and precise writing.
Sound critical thinking and judgment, including the ability to identify issues, weigh legal and business risks, and recommend practical courses of action.
Strong legal research and analysis skills across contracts, regulations, and case law.
Ability to explain legal issues in plain language to non-lawyers and provide direct answers.
Strong organization and ability to manage multiple matters under deadline pressure.
High integrity and discretion when handling confidential and privileged information.
Business-minded approach focused on completing deals while protecting the company, rather than avoiding all risk.
Coachability, self-direction, and comfort working independently once trained.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and SharePoint/OneDrive.

Nice To Haves

Coursework or experience in contracts, intellectual property, international trade, or regulatory law.
Experience in manufacturing, consumer products, retail, licensing, or apparel.
Experience with contract management or e-signature tools.

Responsibilities

Draft, review, and negotiate commercial agreements, including supplier and manufacturing agreements, customer vendor agreements and retailer terms, NDAs, licensing agreements, distributor and sales representative agreements, influencer and creator agreements, and services and software agreements.
Identify legal and business risks, prepare redlines and issue summaries, and recommend a position.
Manage the contract lifecycle, including intake, approval workflows, execution, storage, and tracking renewals, notice deadlines, and key obligations.
Build and maintain contract templates, a clause library, and a negotiation playbook.
Serve as the first point of contact for legal questions from sales, product, marketing, e-commerce, and operations teams; resolve routine issues and escalate significant matters with a recommendation.
Advise on intellectual property matters, including trademark clearance and filings, copyright, and licensed property approvals.
Advise on advertising, marketing, and e-commerce matters, including product and origin claims, influencer disclosures, website terms, and consumer privacy.
Handle demand letters, customer and supplier disputes, chargebacks, and claims; manage litigation holds; coordinate and manage outside counsel and legal spend.
Review and manage license agreements and licensor requirements; support royalty reporting, product approvals, and licensor audits.
Track licensor compliance obligations and deadlines and flag changes to account leads and management.
Research and advise on tariff programs, classification, country of origin, customs protests and refunds, and forced-labor import rules, including UFLPA.
Advise on product safety and chemical regulations, including CPSIA, Prop 65, and state PFAS laws; labeling requirements; and customer-specific compliance requirements.
Research legal and regulatory requirements for new markets as the company expands outside the U.S. and into apparel.
Draft and update internal policies and procedures, including codes of conduct, supplier standards, and records management.
Monitor legal and regulatory developments and prepare practical summaries for management.
Support the legal side of the supplier compliance program, including supplier code of conduct terms, audit findings, corrective action plans, and supply-chain due diligence.
Support emerging ESG and sustainability reporting and disclosure requirements.
Provide legal guidance and training to the Corporate Responsibility team and other internal teams.
Take on progressively greater responsibility, including direct work with executive leadership, ownership of key customer and licensor relationships on legal matters, and leadership of compliance programs.