Director, Legal Affairs

Los Angeles County Museum Of Natural History Foundation•Los Angeles, CA

21h

About The Position

The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County (NHMLAC) is seeking a Director of Legal Affairs for its Executive department. The Director of Legal Affairs is responsible for supporting the leadership and oversight of the Museum’s legal affairs. Serving as a key organizational member and a trusted advisor, the incumbent provides legal support for contract negotiations, exempt organization law compliance, intellectual property, and matters concerning exhibitions, art acquisitions, dispositions, and loans. While initially integrating into an established external legal team, the Director will progressively assume independent management of these legal subjects and issues. NHMLAC is a nonprofit organization committed to fostering a workplace and public environment that uplifts Kindness, Fairness, Openness and Dignity. These values extend not only to our employees, but to our guests, local community, and organizational partners.

Requirements

A Juris Doctor degree from an accredited American Bar Association school of law.
License to practice law in the State of California.
Membership in good standing with the California Bar Association.
2 to 4 years of experience in a role as a General Counsel, Deputy Counsel, or Staff Attorney with background and expertise in transactional matters, corporate governance, exempt and non-profit organizations.
Strong knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws, including wage and hour, leave, and accommodations compliance, as well as labor practices.

Nice To Haves

Litigation experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

Oversee the structuring, reviewing, drafting, and negotiation of general business contracts, strategic partnerships, and diverse business agreements.
Provide expert legal guidance on intellectual property matters and licensing for collection objects, encompassing the review of image licensing terms, copyright status determinations, rights clearance strategies, and the Foundation’s utilization of images across publications and digital platforms.
Manage legal complexities pertaining to exhibitions and collections, including the negotiation of exhibition and loan agreements, purchase and gift agreements for art acquisitions, and the conduct of provenance research to ensure compliance with cultural patrimony regulations and repatriation requests.
Review wills, trusts, and various gift instruments while providing authoritative guidance on gift acceptance policies and regulations governing restricted funds and endowments.
Advise on employment and labor law matters, ensuring institutional compliance with wage and hour regulations, discrimination and harassment prevention protocols, and the execution of workplace investigations.
Provide legal counsel on risk management and insurance portfolios, including general commercial liability, fine arts insurance, cyber risk, and workers' compensation.
Manage insurance renewals and COI for Museums and vendors, as well as all insurance claims and lawsuits.
Maintain comprehensive files and documentation to uphold the Legal Department's role as the central repository for institutional legal records.
Execute additional responsibilities as mandated by executive leadership or as necessitated by departmental requirements.