Corporate Counsel

Job Description

Job Description

Vego Garden is making gardening as accessible and sustainable as possible, while encouraging gardening to be an avenue for personal and community development!

Since its successful launch in 2020, Vego Garden has quickly become the leading brand in raised garden beds and one of the fastest-growing consumer brands in the country. In just five years, our rapid growth has led to the establishment of a 200,000-square-foot headquarters and distribution center, along with a beautiful 5-acre farm.

Today, Vego Garden proudly employs over 100 dedicated team members across the U.S. and internationally. Our high-quality raised garden beds are recognized for their durability, eco-friendly materials, and safety for both children and pets. We are proud to be partnering with Costco, ACE Hardware, Home Depot, Menards, Lowe’s, Wayfair, and Amazon.

We owe our success to our loyal customers and passionate team. Through our Vego Garden Kids and Giving Back Program, we have donated more than 3,500 garden beds to schools, underserved communities, and other philanthropic initiatives - helping to grow gardens and give back across the nation by making gardening easier anytime, anywhere! We're proud to be a certified Great Place to Work company!

Vego Garden Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, veteran status, or marital status.

Job Purpose:

The Corporate Counsel serves as Vego Garden's primary in-house legal advisor, providing practical, business-focused legal guidance across all areas of the organization. This role partners closely with Leadership, Human Resources, Finance, Marketing, Operations, Supply Chain, Product, and Customer Service to proactively manage legal risk while supporting the company's continued growth.

The Corporate Counsel is responsible for managing the company's day-to-day legal matters, drafting and negotiating commercial agreements, advising on employment and compliance matters, supporting corporate governance, and coordinating with outside counsel on specialized legal matters.

Essential Responsibilities:

Commercial Contracts:

• Draft, review, negotiate, and manage a wide variety of commercial agreements, including:
• Vendor and supplier agreements
• Sourcing contracts
• Customer and partnership agreements
• Distribution agreements
• Software and SaaS agreements
• NDAs and confidentiality agreements
• Develop and maintain standardized contract templates and legal processes.

International Trade & Customs Compliance:

• Serve as the primary internal legal liaison for import, customs, and international trade matters.
• Coordinate with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), customs brokers, logistics partners, and outside trade counsel to support the timely resolution of import-related issues.
• Partner with Supply Chain, Procurement, and Logistics teams to identify and mitigate legal and compliance risks associated with international sourcing and importing.
• Assist in reviewing import documentation, customs-related processes, and internal procedures to promote compliance with applicable U.S. customs laws and regulations.
• Manage the company's relationship with outside customs and international trade counsel, ensuring effective communication, information sharing, and follow-through on legal matters.

Employment & Human Resources:

• Provide legal guidance on employment law matters, employee relations, workplace investigations, disciplinary actions, and policy development.
• Review and update employment-related documents.
• Advise leadership and HR on compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws.

Corporate Governance & Compliance:

• Ensure compliance with applicable corporate, consumer protection, privacy, and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain corporate records and support governance activities.
• Monitor legal developments affecting the business and recommend proactive changes.

Marketing & Intellectual Property:

• Review marketing campaigns, advertising, promotions, influencer agreements, sweepstakes, and product claims for legal compliance.
• Coordinate trademark filings, renewals, and intellectual property protection with outside counsel.
• Assist with brand protection and enforcement efforts.

Risk Management:

• Identify and mitigate legal and business risks across company operations.
• Review insurance claims and legal matters affecting the business.
• Support crisis management and legal issue resolution.

Litigation & Outside Counsel Management:

• Manage relationships with outside law firms.
• Coordinate litigation, intellectual property, tax, international trade, and other specialized legal matters.
• Control outside legal spend while ensuring high-quality legal representation.

Cross-Functional Partnership:

• Serve as a trusted legal advisor to Company leadership.
• Provide practical, solution-oriented guidance that balances legal risk with business objectives.
• Deliver legal training and education to managers and employees as needed.

Success in This Role

A successful Corporate Counsel will be a strategic business partner who enables growth while protecting the Company from legal risk. They will build strong relationships across the organization, simplify complex legal issues into practical business solutions, reduce reliance on outside counsel for routine matters, and help establish scalable legal processes that support Vego Garden's continued growth.

Requirements

Qualifications

Education:

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school.
• Active license to practice law in Texas.

Experience:

• 7+ years of progressive legal experience in a combination of law firm and/or in-house corporate legal environments.
• Experience supporting consumer products, retail, e-commerce, or DTC businesses strongly preferred.
• Experience with FTC advertising regulations, consumer protection laws, and e-commerce compliance.
• Experience supporting intellectual property strategy, including trademarks and brand protection.
• Experience negotiating commercial contracts and advising business leaders.
• Working knowledge of employment law, commercial transactions, intellectual property, privacy, and corporate governance.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong business judgment and practical, solution-oriented legal mindset.
• Excellent contract drafting and negotiation skills.
• Ability to communicate complex legal concepts clearly to non-legal stakeholders.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build trusted relationships across all levels of the organization.
• High level of integrity, professionalism, and discretion.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Ability to work independently while partnering effectively across departments.
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial, and growth-oriented environment.

Physical Demands:

This position primarily involves working at a desk and operating a computer for prolonged periods with moderate walking and standing.

Job Location and Work Schedule:

• This is a full-time position based out of Tomball, TX.
• Work Arrangement: Hybrid schedule with one remote workday and four days onsite per week.
• 13808 Boudreaux Road, Bldg. #2, Tomball, TX 77377.
• Monday through Friday.
• 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Lunch break 12:00 pm to 12:30 pm.

Benefits

• The salary range is $120,000 - $160,000
• Flexible Paid Time Off.
• 12 PTO days per year, accrued bi-weekly, with incremental increases annually.
• 7 paid Holidays.
• 401k contribution match of 4%.
• Comprehensive Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life insurance plans. The Company pays 100% of premiums for its employees for Dental, Vision, Life, and select Medical plans.
• Toll Roads Allowance of $100 per month for hybrid employees.
• Phone Allowance of $50 per month.
• Professional Development reimbursement.
• Company-sponsored breakfasts and lunches.
• We offer great culture, supportive leadership, engaging activities, employee appreciation, and other perks that make every day at work more rewarding!