Corporate Counsel

Overview

Florida East Coast Railway is seeking an experienced Corporate Counsel to support the company's legal affairs and enterprise risk management initiatives under the direction of the General Counsel. This role provides legal guidance across a broad range of matters affecting railroad operations, including commercial transactions, real estate matters, litigation management, and enterprise risk mitigation.

The Corporate Counsel will work closely with executive leadership and operational teams to support business objectives, manage legal risk, and ensure the company maintains the highest standards of legal and operational integrity. This position requires sound business judgment, the ability to manage complex legal matters across multiple disciplines, and a collaborative approach to supporting a highly regulated transportation enterprise.

Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

Legal Advisory & Commercial Transactions

Provide legal counsel across the organization on matters affecting railroad operations and corporate business activities.

Responsibilities include:

• Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating a broad range of commercial agreements, including rail service agreements, vendor and supplier contracts, construction agreements, procurement agreements, master service agreements, confidentiality agreements, and related transactional documents.
• Advising business units-including operations, engineering, procurement, finance, accounting, human resources, information technology, safety, compliance, and commercial teams-on legal issues affecting business transactions and operational activities.
• Work directly with senior leadership and operational management to evaluate legal risk, structure business solutions, and support strategic initiatives affecting railroad operations and infrastructure development.
• Supporting the negotiation and administration of agreements with customers, vendors, contractors, and industry partners.
• Providing legal guidance related to real estate and property matters, including easements, licenses, leases, permits, rights-of-way, and property acquisitions or dispositions.
• Assisting in due diligence efforts associated with real estate transactions, infrastructure projects, and other strategic business initiatives.
• Provide proactive legal guidance to internal stakeholders to identify and resolve disputes with customers, contractors, vendors, and industry partners before escalation to formal claims or litigation.
• Monitoring legal developments and changes in applicable laws that may affect the company's business operations.
• Assisting with the development and implementation of internal policies and procedures designed to support legal compliance and risk mitigation.

Litigation & Claims Management

• Oversee and coordinate litigation matters involving the company, including personal injury claims (including FELA), property damage claims, employment disputes, contract disputes, and real estate matters.
• Manage relationships with outside counsel, including litigation strategy, budgeting, discovery coordination, and settlement negotiations.
• Advise internal stakeholders on dispute resolution strategies to mitigate risk and prevent escalation to litigation where possible.
• Maintain litigation tracking systems and provide periodic reporting to executive leadership regarding litigation exposure and trends.

Risk Management Oversight

• Support the company's enterprise risk management program by identifying, evaluating, and mitigating legal and operational risks.
• Assist with oversight of the company's insurance portfolio, including coordination with brokers, insurers, and internal stakeholders regarding claims management and coverage matters.
• Work with operational leadership to develop risk mitigation strategies and loss prevention initiatives.

Qualifications

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school.
• Admission to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction and either admitted to the Florida Bar or eligible to register as Authorized House Counsel in Florida.
• 4-8 years of relevant legal experience, preferably in transportation, logistics, infrastructure, construction, real estate, or other highly regulated industries.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage legal matters from issue identification through resolution while balancing legal risk with practical business considerations.
• Demonstrated experience advising business leaders on legal matters and managing the legal aspects of commercial transactions.
• Experience supporting litigation matters, insurance issues, or claims management is highly desirable.
• Excellent negotiation, communication, and analytical skills.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams across the organization.

Preferred Experience

• Experience with railroad or transportation law, including familiarity with FELA, FRSA, ICCTA, and related federal regulatory frameworks.
• Experience advising on real estate matters including easements, leases, rights-of-way, and infrastructure development.
• Familiarity with insurance programs, claims management, and enterprise risk management frameworks.
• Prior experience in-house or supporting transportation, logistics, infrastructure, or other federally regulated industries.