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Join William Blair, the Premier Global Boutique.
William Blair has delivered trusted advice for nearly nine decades, and we continue to deepen our expertise and relationships across regions, asset classes, and markets throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
We are committed to our people and culture, values, clients, and local communities.
What sets us apart is that we are an independent partnership, with employees who have unique experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds. We provide advisory services, strategies, and solutions to meet clients’ evolving needs amid dynamic market conditions and varying industries.
We strive to attract the most qualified, passionate candidates who specialize in investment banking, investment management, private wealth management, and a variety of other business functions.
We work tirelessly to create an inclusive culture and take pride in fostering employees’ professional and personal growth. We empower our people to bring their best thinking each day so we can deliver the tailored, thoughtful work and problem-solving abilities that our clients expect.
Equally, we are proud of our long-term partnerships with the communities in which we live and work, a legacy we inherited from our founder.
We invite you to learn about how we are seeking excellence in everything we do and empowering our clients’ success with passion, creativity, and rigor. For more information, visit williamblair.com.
Summary
William Blair is seeking a Counsel / Senior Counsel to join its dynamic and fast paced legal team. Reporting directly to the Associate General Counsel, the Counsel / Senior Counsel is responsible for supporting the firm’s general corporate needs and providing comprehensive and strategic legal support across the firm, including contract review, negotiation and commercial contract management. The Counsel / Senior Counsel will act as a key advisor, providing expert counsel and working directly with various stakeholders to help mitigate risks and support the firm’s strategic goals. The successful candidate is a highly organized self-starter that excels in a team-oriented environment, enjoys collaborating with colleagues and working closely with business stakeholders.
Essential Responsibilities
- Review, negotiate and manage contracts and agreements for all parts of the William Blair organization and business, ensuring alignment with the firm’s strategic objectives and standards
- Identify potential legal risks and develop mitigation strategies
- Develop internal processes and procedures with the goal of driving efficiency
- #Review, negotiate and manage execution of audit letters
- Maintain oversight of external counsel as needed
- Assist on commercial litigation, including subpoena collection and response
- Maintain and update litigation docket
- Provide legal support for corporate transactional work or governance matters as needed
- Perform general litigation responsibilities
- Other related duties and special projects as required
Experience
- 5-8 years of experience as a practicing attorney, with some experience in a law firm required.
- Experience directly drafting and negotiating various types of contracts and agreements.
Education
- Juris Doctor from an accredited law school.
- Active bar membership in good standing in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
Qualifications
- Strong knowledge of general corporate and contract law
- Excellent legal drafting skills
- Strong negotiation skills
- Strong verbal and written communication skills
- Strong problem-solving skills
- Excellent attention to detail and organization skills
- High degree of professional ethics and integrity
- Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and prioritize among competing projects and priorities
- Passionate about solving problems and supporting business success
Work Environment
- The role is based in Chicago.
- Work is regularly performed in a hybrid environment – with the expectation of being in the Chicago office at least 3 days a week, or more as needed, and from home, and routinely uses standard office equipment.
William Blair is an equal opportunity employer. It complies with all laws and regulations that prohibit discrimination in employment practice because of race, color, religion, creed, ancestry, marital status, gender, age, national origin, sexual orientation, unfavorable discharge from the military service or on the basis of a physical or mental disability that is unrelated to the employee's ability to perform the duties of the job applied for. EOE m/f/d/v
Be aware of hiring scams: William Blair has clear processes and guidelines with regards to recruiting. We do not request personal financial information in connection with an employment application nor does William Blair extend any employment offers without first conducting an interview through one of its registered offices. William Blair does not use instant messaging services such as WhatsApp, Telegram, or iMessage as part of the recruiting or interviewing process.
Note to External Recruiters / Search Firms: William Blair does not accept unsolicited resumes and will not pay for any placement resulting from the receipt of an unsolicited resume. Any unsolicited resumes received will not be considered as a valid submission.
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