General Counsel

W.E. O'Neil Construction•Irvine, CA

1d•$250,000 - $310,000

About The Position

The General Counsel will serve as the company’s chief legal and risk adviser, aligning legal strategy with the company’s business strategy. The role partners with executive leadership and regional teams to reduce enterprise risk, manage claims and compliance, standardize legal practices, and provide practical guidance that enables leaders to focus on project acquisition, project execution, and people development. Reporting Relationship The General Counsel reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer and works closely with the Executive Leadership Team, Presidents, and Business Unit leaders across all regions. The role partners regularly with Finance, Human Resources, Operations, and Information Technology. The Risk function reports to the General Counsel, with primary decision authority exercised in partnership with the CEO.

Requirements

Deep legal knowledge of construction contracting risk allocation, claims, and dispute resolution.
Strong capability managing outside counsel, legal matters, and legal spending with clear expectations and accountability.
Ability to translate legal risk into clear, practical guidance that supports business decisions.
Ability to utilize data analytics to inform legal strategy and decision-making.
Awareness of legal risks associated with emerging technologies including data privacy, cybersecurity, and generative AI tools used in construction operations and contract review processes.
Strong business judgment and ability to balance risk with operational needs.
Build standards, playbooks, and guardrails that increase speed and consistency without adding unnecessary friction.
Comfortable operating as a department of one initially while scaling the function deliberately.
Ability to help the business move forward by identifying practical paths to “yes” while protecting the company from unacceptable risk exposure.
Clear, direct communicator who builds trust with executive leadership and regional teams.
Strong relationship builder through direct engagement, not email-only leadership.
Able to influence outcomes across a decentralized organization and address conflict productively.
Self-starter with strong ownership and follow-through.
High integrity, discretion, and accountability.
Calm under pressure, decisive, and practical.
Comfortable with ambiguity and urgency.
Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school.
Active membership in a U.S. State Bar is required; California licensure strongly preferred. 7+ years of legal experience with significant construction law exposure.
Demonstrated experience advising senior leaders in a complex, multi-region environment.

Responsibilities

Own enterprise-wide claims strategy and management of project disputes, insured claims, and other legal claims arising from construction operations, including early identification, disciplined escalation, and thoughtful resolution.
Establish and standardize contracting strategy and risk terms across regions, including prime contracts, MSAs, and subcontracts.
Lead enterprise insurance strategy in partnership with the CEO, including carrier and broker relationships and renewal preparation.
Select, manage, and rationalize outside counsel relationships, including oversight, expectations, and legal spending control.
Integrate and lead the Risk function under a unified enterprise risk strategy across regions and provide governance support and advice on strategic transactions as needed.