Associate General Counsel
About The Position
Acuity Eye Group is seeking an Associate General Counsel to serve as embedded in-house legal counsel. This is a high-impact, high-visibility role reporting directly to the General Counsel and partnering closely with the COO and executive team. You will handle a broad scope of legal matters, with particular depth in healthcare regulatory compliance, physician contracts, employment law, and ASC governance. The AGC is the day-to-day legal resource for Acuity's operations, compliance, and business teams. You will be expected to work fast and work practically — drafting and reviewing contracts, advising on California employment matters, supporting incident response and risk mitigation, and staying ahead of regulatory developments that affect multi-site ophthalmology and ASC operations. This is not a purely advisory role; you will own work-streams and drive them to resolution.
Requirements
- J.D. from an accredited law school; active California State Bar membership in good standing
- 5–10 years of legal experience, with meaningful time in healthcare — in-house, law firm, or both
- Demonstrated fluency in healthcare regulatory law (Stark, AKS, HIPAA, California DMHC/CDPH)
- Solid California employment law background — this comes up constantly
- Proven ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and give clear, direct advice
Nice To Haves
- Experience with ASC or multi-site clinical operations is strongly preferred
- Prior in-house experience in a physician group practice, DSO, or ASC platform
- Experience with AAAHC accreditation, CMS Conditions of Participation, or ambulatory surgery governance
- Comfort with physician recruiting, compensation, and equity structures in multi-specialty group practices
- Familiarity with Nextech, CareCloud, or similar EHR platforms from a compliance/contracting perspective
Responsibilities
- Advise on HIPAA, Stark Law, Anti-Kickback Statute, and California-specific healthcare regulations
- Support AAAHC/CMS ASC compliance, including governing body structure, policy review, and incident response
- Manage OMIC and professional liability notifications; coordinate with external counsel on adverse events and claims
- Monitor regulatory changes affecting ophthalmology, ASC operations, and multi-site group practices
- Support development and maintenance of compliance policies across clinical and operational functions
- Draft, review, and negotiate physician employment agreements, independent contractor agreements, and PSAs
- Handle vendor contracts, real estate leases, equipment financing, and managed care agreements
- Support M&A diligence and integration activity as the platform continues to grow
- Maintain contract tracking system and manage execution workflows
- Advise HR and operations on California employment law — wage and hour, FEHA, FMLA/CFRA, retaliation, and separation
- Review and update offer letters, employment agreements, policies, and handbooks
- Support investigation of employee complaints and EEOC/DFEH responses
- Partner with COO and HR on performance management and termination risk assessment
- Manage external counsel relationships; coordinate litigation strategy and monitor spend
- Conduct or oversee root cause analyses in response to adverse clinical or operational events
- Maintain litigation hold protocols and support discovery obligations
- Provide legal input on insurance coverage, renewals, and claims
- Assist GC in building and maintaining the legal function's infrastructure — templates, playbooks, tracking tools
- Support board and governing body documentation requirements for ASCs
- Handle state licensing, corporate filings, and regulatory registrations
- Serve as a trusted, practical advisor to business leaders who need answers, not just analysis
Benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision — employee and dependents
- 401(k) with employer match
- Four weeks annually plus paid holidays
- Bar Dues & CLE Fully covered
- Professional Development Budget for conferences, memberships, and continuing legal education
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
