Director, Senior Legal Counsel

McDonald's Corporation•Chicago, IL

5d•$195,371 - $244,214

About The Position

McDonald’s is seeking a highly skilled, business-minded attorney to join our Tort Litigation Practice Group (TLPG) as Senior Counsel. This role is far more than managing litigation. We are seeking a strategic legal advisor who can translate legal and claims insights into business solutions that protect our customers, strengthen our brand, and help the business make informed decisions. As Senior Counsel, you will partner closely with internal clients across Operations, Supply Chain, Safety, Insurance, Risk Management, Communications, Security, and other functions to proactively identify risks, develop mitigation strategies, and support enterprise priorities. You will lead brand-sensitive, high-exposure tort litigation while serving as a trusted advisor who helps drive continuous improvement across the McDonald’s System. The ideal candidate combines strong litigation expertise with business acumen, customer focus, sound judgment, and a commitment to developing strong relationships across the enterprise. This individual understands that effective legal support means not only managing risk but enabling business success while protecting customer trust and the McDonald’s brand. This role aligns closely with McDonald’s BEST leadership expectations around strategic thinking, system alignment, collaboration, customer focus, coaching and growth, and inclusion.

Requirements

Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school.
Active license to practice law and good standing with at least one U.S. state bar.
Minimum of 8 years of legal experience, including substantial experience managing tort litigation matters.
Demonstrated ability to provide strategic legal advice in a fast-paced business and litigation environment.
Strong analytical, negotiation, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
Proven ability to influence decisions and build trusted partnerships at all levels of an organization.

Nice To Haves

Experience directing outside counsel and managing litigation budgets is a plus.
Experience supporting high-profile, brand sensitive matters is strongly preferred.
In-house experience at a retail, hospitality, franchise, or consumer-facing businesses preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead high-exposure tort claims and litigation matters, including premises liability, food safety, beverage burns, negligent security, and other brand-sensitive issues.
Develop litigation strategies and oversee outside counsel to achieve efficient, business-aligned outcomes.
Assess legal, operational, reputational, and customer impacts when advising on case strategy and resolution.
Provide practical, risk-based legal guidance that protects customer trust and brand integrity.
Partner with business leaders to identify risks, opportunities, and practical solutions.
Translate litigation trends into actionable recommendations that improve operations, training, policies, and safety initiatives.
Support cross-functional initiatives focused on customer safety, operational effectiveness, and risk mitigation.
Build trusted relationships across Legal and business teams to support enterprise objectives.
Advise on customer safety matters, food safety issues, product recovery events, and other sensitive incidents.
Support responses to emerging risks and crisis situations.
Assess legal and reputational implications of significant events and recommend appropriate strategies.
Identify trends and help drive long-term risk mitigation efforts.
Improve legal processes, reporting, governance, and operational efficiency.
Develop training, guidance materials, and best practices for stakeholders.
Use data and litigation insights to support business decisions.
Anticipate emerging legal risks and help the organization prepare proactively.
Mentor and coach legal professionals, paralegals, and legal assistants.
Foster a culture of accountability, inclusion, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Support employee development through feedback, knowledge sharing, and growth opportunities.