Associate Counsel

Summary

Perdue Farms Inc. is looking for an in house attorney with experience in one or more of the following areas: negotiating and drafting a range of commercial agreements and related initiatives; corporate generalist work; and compliance matters. We are a complex food, agriculture and logistics organization with a growing legal department that is seeking to add an experienced attorney who is interested in expanding their practice and honing their skills as a contract negotiator/drafter, corporate generalist and compliance professional. This role reports to the Vice President, Assistant General Counsel, Corporate, one of three assistant general counsels reporting to the General Counsel. You will also be working closely with the office of the chief compliance officer, which is part of the legal department.

The salary range for this position is $143,000 - $215,000 per year, based on experience and qualifications with annual bonus available (variable depending on performance).  

In addition to the base salary, Perdue offers a competitive benefits package, including medical/Rx, 401(k) with employer match after 1 year, critical illness, accident insurance, dental, vison, life insurance, optional group life insurance, short-term and long-term disability protection, flexible spending accounts and paid time off.  

Principal and Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Draft, review and negotiate a range of agreements, with a focus on purchasing, sales, licensing and manufacturing
• Work closely with the Corporate AGC and team to support various initiatives related to contract lifecycle management and client training (guides, playbooks, live education sessions), evaluation of contract tools (CLM, AI contract review) as well as contract template creation, revision and management
• Work closely with the Corporate AGC and team to manage corporate legal functions (records management, entity management, etc.)
• Assist the general counsel and Corporate AGC in completing board related documentation (resolutions, minutes and general record-keeping)
• Help resolve pre-litigation commercial disputes in a variety of contexts; manage research of claims and negotiation of settlement agreements working independently and with outside counsel
• Pitch in to advance various initiatives spearheaded by or including the legal department
• Work closely with chief compliance officer and team to maintain and monitor compliance with Company policies and procedures and support the development and implementation of compliance programs and initiatives.

Minimum Education and Experience

A Juris Doctorate and a minimum of five years of combined experience in a corporate legal and/or compliance role, the majority of which has been spent in-house

The ideal candidate will also have:

•  Admission to practice law in at least one state
• Strong written and oral communication skills, the ability to adapt these skills to complete a variety of contracting, compliance and corporate legal matters
• Experience negotiating agreements in the context of moderately complex transactions, regulatory and/or compliance matters
• A service and people-first attitude and a high comfort level with learning new businesses
• A willingness to learn and ask questions, and to take constructive feedback
• A good attitude and interest in working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with the significant opportunities to learn and grow your skills

Environmental Factors and Physical Requirements

Position is mostly sedentary but may require occasional moving to other offices or buildings.  May need to move light equipment or supplies from one place to another. May need to access files, supplies and equipment.