Deputy General Counsel, Global Head of Legal Enablement & Strategic Transactions

Sedgwick•Downers Grove, IL

About The Position

The Deputy General Counsel, Global Head of Legal Enablement & Strategic Transactions leads Sedgwick’s Legal and Compliance Organization’s Enablement and Strategic Transactions function. The role has a dual mandate: modernize and operate legal and compliance processes, technology, metrics, and workflows, and embed strategic legal counsel in the business to identify, structure, and create value for Sedgwick and its clients. It serves as a trusted advisor to business leaders across claims and risk administration operations, translating complex commercial, technology, and transactional issues into practical guidance. The role partners closely with the Global Chief Legal Officer to advance the department as an enterprise intelligence center that anticipates risk, informs decisions, and creates value. The position designs and manages legal and compliance operating infrastructure, including budgets, outside counsel, matter management, legal technology, workflows, and performance metrics. It leads adoption of legal technology, including AI-enabled tools, oversees knowledge management, templates, playbooks, and training, and develops reporting to support data-driven decisions. As strategic commercial counsel, the role advises business units on transactions, partnerships, new business and product initiatives, and complex commercial agreements. It helps identify legal and structural opportunities to create value for clients, advises on mergers, acquisitions, and other strategic transactions, and anticipates risks in evolving business lines. The role also builds and leads a team of legal and compliance operations professionals and commercial and transactional attorneys. Travel is required as needed.

Requirements

J.D. from an accredited law school.
Active license to practice law and membership in good standing with at least one U.S. state bar.
At least 15 years of progressively responsible legal experience, including significant experience in legal and compliance operations, complex commercial transactions, mergers and acquisitions, and strategic business advisory.
Demonstrated experience leading legal teams and advising senior executives within a complex, highly regulated and/or multinational organization.
Excellent oral, written, and presentation skills.
Strong business acumen and ability to translate legal and compliance risk into practical guidance.
Experience with legal and compliance technology and operations best practices.
Experience structuring and negotiating complex commercial agreements and M&A transactions.
Working knowledge of AI, privacy, and data governance law, including AI governance and digital ethics.
Analytical, interpretive, organizational, and project management skills.
Excellent interpersonal and negotiating skills.
Proven management and leadership skills, including building and scaling teams.
Ability to work effectively across a highly matrixed, global organization.
Experience with transformation and change management.
Ability to meet or exceed Performance Competencies.

Nice To Haves

Experience with artificial intelligence, privacy, data governance, and legal technology.

Responsibilities

Ensure legal and compliance functions operate as generators of enterprise intelligence through effective feedback loops, agile processes, and execution focus.
Design, build, and manage the legal and compliance department’s operating infrastructure, including budgeting, outside counsel management, matter management, legal technology, workflow design, and performance metrics.
Identify and lead adoption of legal and compliance technology, including AI-enabled tools.
Develop and track department-wide metrics and reporting to demonstrate impact and support data-driven decisions.
Manage outside counsel relationships, budgets, and alternative fee arrangements.
Oversee knowledge management, contract templates and playbooks, and training.
Advise business units on commercial transactions, strategic partnerships, and new business and product initiatives.
Structure, draft, review, and negotiate complex client, vendor, technology, and strategic partnership agreements.
Partner with business leaders to identify legal and structural opportunities to create value for Sedgwick’s clients.
Advise on mergers, acquisitions, and other strategic transactions, coordinating with outside counsel and internal stakeholders.
Anticipate legal and regulatory risk in new and evolving business lines and propose business-minded solutions.
Leverage subject matter experts in areas such as AI, privacy, and cyber to advise on complex or fast-moving matters.
Build and lead a team spanning legal and compliance operations professionals and commercial/transactional attorneys.
Provide support, guidance, leadership, and motivation; administer personnel policies; interview and hire colleagues; establish development plans; and conduct performance discussions.
Perform other duties as assigned and travel as required.