Associate General Counsel

ASSOCIATE GENERAL COUNSEL

Acuity Eye Group | Southern California | Full-Time, Exempt

About Acuity Eye Group

Acuity Eye Group is one of the largest ophthalmology platforms in the Western United States, operating 50+ clinic locations and multiple ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) across Southern California. Our subspecialty footprint spans general ophthalmology, retina, glaucoma, oculoplastics, and cataract/anterior segment. We combine physician-led clinical excellence with a platform-scale operations model, and we are in an active growth phase — new locations, new physician partnerships, and continued investment in compliance infrastructure.

Acuity is seeking an Associate General Counsel to serve as embedded in-house legal counsel. This is a high-impact, high-visibility role reporting directly to the General Counsel and partnering closely with the COO and executive team. You will handle a broad scope of legal matters, with particular depth in healthcare regulatory compliance, physician contracts, employment law, and ASC governance.

Position Summary

The AGC is the day-to-day legal resource for Acuity's operations, compliance, and business teams. You will be expected to work fast and work practically — drafting and reviewing contracts, advising on California employment matters, supporting incident response and risk mitigation, and staying ahead of regulatory developments that affect multi-site ophthalmology and ASC operations. This is not a purely advisory role; you will own work-streams and drive them to resolution.

Key Responsibilities

Healthcare Regulatory & Compliance

• Advise on HIPAA, Stark Law, Anti-Kickback Statute, and California-specific healthcare regulations
• Support AAAHC/CMS ASC compliance, including governing body structure, policy review, and incident response
• Manage OMIC and professional liability notifications; coordinate with external counsel on adverse events and claims
• Monitor regulatory changes affecting ophthalmology, ASC operations, and multi-site group practices
• Support development and maintenance of compliance policies across clinical and operational functions

Contracts & Transactions

• Draft, review, and negotiate physician employment agreements, independent contractor agreements, and PSAs
• Handle vendor contracts, real estate leases, equipment financing, and managed care agreements
• Support M&A diligence and integration activity as the platform continues to grow
• Maintain contract tracking system and manage execution workflows

Employment & HR Legal Support

• Advise HR and operations on California employment law — wage and hour, FEHA, FMLA/CFRA, retaliation, and separation
• Review and update offer letters, employment agreements, policies, and handbooks
• Support investigation of employee complaints and EEOC/DFEH responses
• Partner with COO and HR on performance management and termination risk assessment

Risk Management & Litigation

• Manage external counsel relationships; coordinate litigation strategy and monitor spend
• Conduct or oversee root cause analyses in response to adverse clinical or operational events
• Maintain litigation hold protocols and support discovery obligations
• Provide legal input on insurance coverage, renewals, and claims

Corporate Governance & General Counsel Support

• Assist GC in building and maintaining the legal function's infrastructure — templates, playbooks, tracking tools
• Support board and governing body documentation requirements for ASCs
• Handle state licensing, corporate filings, and regulatory registrations
• Serve as a trusted, practical advisor to business leaders who need answers, not just analysis

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school; active California State Bar membership in good standing
• 5–10 years of legal experience, with meaningful time in healthcare — in-house, law firm, or both
• Demonstrated fluency in healthcare regulatory law (Stark, AKS, HIPAA, California DMHC/CDPH)
• Experience with ASC or multi‑site clinical operations is strongly preferred
• Solid California employment law background — this comes up constantly
• Proven ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and give clear, direct advice

• Prior in-house experience in a physician group practice, DSO, or ASC platform
• Experience with AAAHC accreditation, CMS Conditions of Participation, or ambulatory surgery governance
• Comfort with physician recruiting, compensation, and equity structures in multi‑specialty group practices
• Familiarity with Nextech, CareCloud, or similar EHR platforms from a compliance/contracting perspective

Compensation & Benefits

Base Salary $175,000 – $220,000 annually

Annual Incentive Up to 15% of base salary; tied to company performance and individual objectives

Total Cash Target $201,250 – $253,000 at target incentive

Health Benefits Medical, dental, and vision — employee and dependents

Retirement 401(k) with employer match

PTO Four weeks annually plus paid holidays

Bar Dues & CLE Fully covered

Professional Development Budget for conferences, memberships, and continuing legal education

Location

Southern California — hybrid‑flexible with travel to clinic/ASC sites as needed

Base salary placement within range is commensurate with experience, depth of healthcare regulatory expertise, and prior in‑house versus law firm background.

Benchmarking Context

The range above reflects current market data for in‑house healthcare counsel at California-based multi‑site platforms in the $100M–$500M revenue tier. Key reference points:

• NALP/Bloomberg Law 2024 in‑house survey: Southern California healthcare counsel (5–10 YOE) median base of $185,000–$205,000
• Radford/Aon benchmarks for multi‑site specialty health: AGC/Senior Counsel roles at $170,000–$225,000 base depending on scope
• Premium applies for candidates with AAAHC, ASC, or ophthalmology‑specific experience — scarcity commands a range ceiling approach
• Annual incentive at 10–15% is consistent with director/senior counsel peers in similarly sized healthcare platforms

Reporting Structure & Team

Reports to: General Counsel

Key working relationships: Chief Operating Officer, Regional Directors, VP HR, ASC Directors, Practice Managers, and external counsel partners.

This is currently a standalone AGC role. Acuity expects the legal function to grow with the platform; the AGC will help shape that growth, including future team structure, outside counsel strategy, and legal operations infrastructure.

Acuity Eye Group | Confidential | Job Profile v1.0