Legal Counsel - Litigation

Mitsubishi HC Capital America Inc•Itasca, IL

2d•$149,500 - $180,000•Onsite

About The Position

Join our dynamic North American Legal Department and help shape the future of commercial finance across the United States and Canada. As a legal advisor and business partner, your primary focus will be supporting litigation, dispute resolution, bankruptcy, workouts, restructuring, risk management, legal operations and process improvement activities throughout North America. This role partners closely with business stakeholders, operations teams, asset management teams, compliance professionals, IT personnel, HR, paralegals and outside counsel. Provide legal support across equipment finance, commercial lending, leasing, supplier disputes, corporate governance, entity management, data privacy, employment matters, compliance, investigations, records management, legal technology initiatives and operational legal support affecting U.S. and Canadian operations. Maintain strict adherence to North American internal control standards and all essential duties of the position.

Requirements

Strong understanding of commercial litigation, dispute resolution, creditor rights, bankruptcy, workouts and restructurings.
Knowledge of commercial lending, equipment finance, leasing and secured transactions.
Familiarity with UCC Article 2A, Article 9 and relevant Canadian secured transaction frameworks.
Experience working with outside counsel and cross-functional business teams.
Strong drafting, negotiation, legal research and analytical skills.
Experience developing templates, procedures and guidance materials.
Familiarity with e-discovery, legal holds, information governance and records management.
Experience with legal technology platforms, matter-management solutions and AI-enabled legal tools.
Juris Doctor (J.D.) or Canadian LL.B./J.D.
5–8 years of experience in commercial litigation, workouts, bankruptcy, creditor rights, restructuring, equipment finance, commercial finance or related areas.
Prior law firm, in-house, or hybrid experience preferred.
Experience supporting multi-jurisdictional U.S. and Canadian operations preferred.
Licensed and in good standing to practice law in a U.S. state and/or Canadian province, or eligible for necessary in-house authorization.

Nice To Haves

Prior law firm, in-house, or hybrid experience preferred.
Experience supporting multi-jurisdictional U.S. and Canadian operations preferred.

Responsibilities

Assist with the management of commercial litigation and pre-litigation disputes from inception through resolution; conduct investigations, legal research, discovery management, settlement evaluations, mediation and resolution support.
Support distressed assets, workouts, collections, restructurings, enforcement actions, forbearance arrangements and recovery initiatives.
Support creditor rights initiatives, bankruptcy proceedings, proofs of claim, insolvency disputes and recovery efforts.
Assist in selecting, retaining and managing outside counsel; review budgets, staffing models, invoices and performance.
Identify, assess and mitigate legal and business risks and develop proactive legal strategies.
Support internal investigations, regulatory responses and compliance initiatives across U.S. and Canadian operations.
Assist procurement and operations teams in resolving commercial disputes and contract enforcement matters.
Assist with the development of litigation intake protocols, escalation procedures, reporting processes, outside counsel guidelines and matter-closing procedures.
Assist with the implementation and administration of legal hold software; develop preservation workflows, custodian notices, audit procedures, document collection and e-discovery processes.
Work closely with paralegal(s) on litigation matter creation, discovery, subpoenas, legal holds, records collection, reporting and matter administration.
Create litigation playbooks, legal department procedures, workflows, precedent libraries and knowledge repositories.
Draft and maintain settlement agreements, mutual releases, demand letters, preservation letters, legal hold notices, reservation of rights letters, separation agreements, workout agreements, forbearance agreements, investigation forms, subpoena response templates, dispute intake questionnaires, NDA templates and business-facing legal request forms.
Create legal intake forms, guidance documents and training regarding litigation avoidance, records retention, legal holds, privilege, investigations and dispute escalation.
Support legal technology, AI tools, matter management systems, budget reporting and continuous improvement initiatives.
Remain informed regarding litigation, bankruptcy, restructuring, creditor rights, privacy, compliance and legal technology developments.