Chief Legal Officer

Jackson Lewis P.C.•Los Angeles, CA

8d•$700,000 - $800,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Jackson Lewis P.C. is a law firm focused on employment and labor law since 1958, with over 1,000 attorneys in major cities nationwide. They help employers develop proactive strategies, strong policies, and business-oriented solutions to cultivate high-functioning workforces. The firm is ranked nationally in Labor and Employment Litigation, as well as in Employment Law and Labor Law for Management by U.S. News - Best Lawyers® “Best Law Firms”. The Chief Legal Officer (CLO) is responsible for overall firm risk management and compliance, serving as a key member of the leadership team. The CLO will oversee a team of attorneys providing legal support and guidance to the firm's 60+ national offices. This role involves providing strategic guidance on internal and client-specific legal matters, business decisions, compliance and governance programs, protection of firm assets, and managing employment issues and litigation. Reporting to the Chief Operations Officer, the CLO will collaborate with firm leadership, the board, and cross-functional teams to proactively mitigate risk.

Requirements

JD from ABA Accredited Law School
20+ years of relevant and progressive experience
Prior experience working as in-house leadership required
Active member in good standing with the state bar
Must be a well-versed and experienced business/commercial lawyer
Law firm experience required
Proven ability to provide strategic business-oriented legal counsel in a large matrixed organization
Experience operating within billion-dollar enterprises and navigating the complex, sophisticated challenges inherent to large-scale environments
Prior experience in a multi-jurisdiction employer
Excellent attention to detail
Excellent written and oral communication, negotiation, and judgment skills
Strong organizational and project management skills

Nice To Haves

Preferred industries include professional services
Strong understanding of Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel a plus

Responsibilities

Develop and lead firm legal strategies, and compliance programs to support the mitigation of firm-wide legal and reputational risks, including malpractice exposure, ethical issues, and regulatory compliance.
Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, including the firm chair, firm managing principal, board of directors, principals, and a cross-functional team of chiefs on matters of significance.
Identify, assess, and manage legal and regulatory risk across the firm.
Advise on the development and implementation of firm policies, and provide guidance on appropriate audit and governance structures to mitigate risk.
Manage all legal matters, including contracts, outside counsel guidelines, litigation, intellectual property, and corporate transactions.
Effectively manage relationships with outside counsel, opposing counsel, and regulatory bodies.
Provide guidance to attorneys and practice leaders on professional responsibilities; oversee compliance with applicable rules of professional conduct and bar regulations across jurisdictions.
Oversee a team of attorneys and other professionals in the day-to-day execution of the Office of General Counsel (OGC) functions.
Define processes, implement appropriate governance/controls, and operationalize a cadence to review and update firm-wide policies, while building team structure and overseeing key functions such as risk management.
Support the resolution of conflicts, governance, and process matters.
Support internal investigations and confidential matters involving policy violations or professional conduct.
Collaborate with HR, IT, Risk, and Finance teams to ensure integrated governance and compliance oversight.