Regional Legal Counsel

Regional Legal CounselAdler Pelzer Group is seeking a highly organized and detail-oriented Regional Legal Counsel to lead all legal matters across our North America region. This role will serve as the primary legal authority for the business, providing strategic, practical, and business-oriented legal guidance across all functions.This position is designed to internalize legal expertise currently handled by external firms, reduce outside counsel dependency, and embed legal strategy directly into business decision-making.Responsibilities of the Regional Legal Counsel:Commercial & Supply Chain Lead all customer and supplier contracting.Draft, review, and negotiate supply, pricing, warranty, tooling, and terms agreements.Advise on pricing disputes, warranty claims, and chargebacks.Develop contract templates and negotiation playbooks.Executive Business Partnering Advise CEO, CFO, COO and HR leadership on legal and business matters.Support operations, engineering, sales, finance, and HR with risk-based guidance.Translate legal risk into clear business decisions.Risk Management & Compliance Identify and mitigate legal risk across operations.Ensure compliance with U.S. and Mexico laws, including environmental, labor, and safety regulations.Implement company-wide legal policies and frameworks.Litigation & Dispute Management Lead litigation strategy and manage outside counsel.Drive early dispute resolution to reduce legal costs.Oversee product liability, commercial, and employment-related claims.Cross-Border Legal Oversight Support U.S. and Mexico operations on trade, compliance, and governance.Ensure alignment and consistency across regions.Corporate Governance & Strategic Initiatives Support board-level matters, governance, and corporate records.Advise on M&A, restructuring, and strategic transactions.Immigration Processing Manage employment-based immigration for the company, including visa and work authorizations case administration, document preparation and collection, filing coordination, case tracking, employee and manager communications, renewal monitoring, compliance follow-up, and immigration recordkeeping.Employment & HR Legal Support Counsel on employee relations, investigations, and labor matters.Guide terminations, discipline, and policy compliance.Intellectual Property & Product Risk Protect company IP and proprietary processes.Advise on product liability and engineering risk decisions.Education & ExperienceJuris Doctor (JD) and active bar license (Michigan preferred).15+ years of legal experience (mix of law firm + in-house strongly preferred).Significant experience in: Automotive, manufacturing, or industrial environments.Commercial contracts and supply chain lawDemonstrated ability to operate independently as sole/lead counsel.Preferred QualificationsHighly experienced attorney seeking a strategic, high-impact position where they can leverage extensive experience in a more focused, business-integrated environment.Prior General Counsel, Senior Counsel, or Partner-level experienceStrong business acumen, understands operations, not just legal theoryExperience managing or replacing outside counsel relationshipsComfortable making decisions without over-lawyering issuesKey CompetenciesPractical, business-first mindsetStrong negotiation and dispute resolution skillsExecutive presence and ability to influence leadershipAbility to simplify complex legal issuesHigh integrity and sound judgmentWhy This Role is UniqueOpportunity to build and own APG's North America legal functionDirect impact on cost savings by reducing external legal spendHigh visibility with executive leadershipAbility to shape legal strategy across a multi-plant, international operationThis role is expected to significantly reduce reliance on external legal counsel and drive measurable cost savings while improving speed and quality of legal decision-making.This role is ideal for a highly experienced attorney seeking a strategic, business-integrated role where they can leverage decades of expertise to make a meaningful impact without the demands of a traditional law firm environment.Benefits of the Regional Legal Counsel:Competitive pay and generous benefits package along with the opportunity to be a part of a strong team and growing one's career.Salary range is $200,000 - $275,000. Specific salary is commensurate with experience and factors such as relevant experience, education, certifications and licenses, skills, and training.Excellent medical, dental, and vision insurance options from day one.Generous and flexible paid time off.401(K) match, fully vested.Company provided life insurance, short term and long-term disability insurances, employee assistance program.Variety of automobile purchase discounts (Stellantis (FCA), BMW, Ford, GM, Subaru-many others)Tuition reimbursement and professional development.Equal Opportunity Employer This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.