Staff Attorney

Job Description

Job Description

Summary: 

Gila River Development (“GRD”) is seeking an entry-level attorney join our dynamic team. The Staff Attorney will provide comprehensive legal support across the organization, ensuring compliance with laws and regulations, mitigating legal risks, and protecting the organization's interests. This role involves a broad range of legal functions, including contract review and negotiation, corporate governance, regulatory compliance, risk management, and providing strategic legal advice to senior management, and support to the -GRD legal team.

Responsibilities:

Legal Advice and Strategy:

• Assist the AGM-Legal in providing proactive, strategic legal advice and counsel to the GRD Board of Directors, General Manager, and senior management on a wide range of legal and business issues.
• Develop and implement legal strategies that align with GRD's goals and objectives.

Contract Management:

• Draft, review, and negotiate a variety of contracts, including vendor agreements, event agreements, purchase agreements, construction contracts, leases, and other related GRD contracts.
• Ensure all contracts comply with applicable laws and GRD policies and mitigate potential risks.

Corporate Governance:

• Advise GRD Board of Directors and General Manager on matters related to corporate governance, board meetings, and organizational policies.
• Ensure compliance with corporate governance standards and best practices.

Regulatory Compliance:

• Monitor and ensure compliance with applicable federal, and Community laws and regulations.
• Stay updated on relevant legal developments and advise on potential impact to GRD.

Risk Management:

• Identify potential legal risks and develop strategies to mitigate them.
• Manage and resolve legal disputes, working with external counsel as necessary.

Policy Development and Implementation:

• Develop, implement, and maintain internal policies and procedures to ensure legal compliance and operational efficiency.
• Identify needs for conduct training sessions for staff on legal issues and policies.

Employment Law:

• Advise on employment law matters, including hiring practices, employee relations, termination procedures, and compliance with labor laws.
• In partnership with Human Resources manage employment-related disputes and investigations.

Intellectual Property:

• Assist with management of GRD’s intellectual property portfolio, including trademarks, copyrights, and patents.
• Protect and enforce GRD’s intellectual property rights.

General Legal Support:

• Provide general legal support to various departments or divisions within GRD.
• Handle miscellaneous legal tasks assigned by the General Manager or other senior management.

Other Duties:  

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Working Conditions:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Work will primarily be performed in an office environment.

• Work will be performed both inside on a regular basis. 
• Noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
• Occasional local day travel, Local travel to managed businesses. 

Physical Demands: 

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, and walk extended period. The employee occasionally is required to bend, climb, stoop, lift, carry, push, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must regularly lift and/or move 15 pounds, and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.

Required Qualifications:

• Juris doctorate (JD) degree from an accredited law school.
• Licensed to practice law and in good standing with the State Bar of Arizona.
• Minimum of one (1) to four (4) years of relevant legal experience, preferably with a mix of law firm and in-house counsel experience.
• Flexibility to work evenings and weekends as required for client meetings and events.
• Valid AZ driver’s license, provide a 39-month satisfactory MVR report.
• Obtain a Tribal operator driving permit at the time of hire.
• A satisfactory result obtained through a test for illegal drugs.
• Acknowledge and agree to maintain a drug-free workplace.  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Strong knowledge of contract, employment, and regulatory law.

• Considerable knowledge of tribal and federal law, and laws affecting trust land and commercial leasing

• Excellent negotiation, drafting, and analytical skills.
• Ability to provide strategic and practical legal advice in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams.
• High ethical standards and professional integrity.
• Knowledge and experience working with Gila River Indian Community or other Native American Communities. 
• Proficient in MS office and other relevant workplace tools.