In-House Accounts Receivable Counsel

A major energy supplier that provides a broad range of energy products and services to customers in NY and NJ is seeking an In-House Counsel to serve as the company's primary legal resource, with a core mandate to lead all aspects of accounts receivable (AR) recovery and bad debt reduction across the company's HVAC, plumbing, fire suppression, fuel oil, energy services, and solar divisions.

This role combines hands-on collections and credit-risk leadership with broader general counsel responsibilities, including oversight of outside counsel, contract review, transactional support, and litigation management. The ideal candidate is equally comfortable driving a delinquent-account recovery program and advising executive leadership on enterprise-wide legal risk.

Responsibilities:

Accounts Receivable Recovery & Bad Debt Reduction (Primary Focus)

• Own and lead the company's end-to-end AR recovery strategy, from early-stage delinquency outreach through formal collections, demand letters, small claims/civil litigation, and criminal referral (e.g., bad check complaints) where appropriate

• Design and implement a structured escalation framework for past-due accounts across all divisions, including notice timelines, demand letter templates, and criteria for legal escalation

• Evaluate and reduce the company's overall bad debt exposure by identifying root causes (credit terms, contract language, customer vetting) and recommending policy changes

• Manage relationships with collections agencies, process servers, and outside litigation counsel engaged for recovery matters

• Track and report AR recovery metrics, aging trends, and bad debt write-offs to the CEO and finance leadership on a regular cadence

• Pursue recovery through appropriate channels, including small claims court, civil litigation, mechanic's liens, and coordination with law enforcement/DA offices on check fraud or similar matters

• Partner with Finance and division leaders (HVAC, Plumbing & Fire Suppression, Solar, Energy Services) to strengthen credit and billing practices that prevent future delinquency

General Legal Support

• Serve as primary point of contact for day-to-day legal questions from leadership and division heads

• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of commercial contracts, including vendor service agreements, customer service agreements, subcontractor agreements, and hold-harmless/indemnification agreements

• Identify and flag legal, regulatory, and compliance risks proactively across all business lines

• Advise on employment matters, licensing, and regulatory compliance relevant to HVAC, plumbing, fire suppression, fuel oil, and solar operations in New York State and NYC

Outside Counsel & Litigation Management

• Select, engage, and manage outside counsel across practice areas (litigation, employment, real estate, transactional, regulatory) to ensure cost-effective, high-quality representation

• Oversee active litigation matters, coordinating strategy and reporting status and exposure to leadership

• Manage legal spend and outside counsel budgets, including review and approval of invoices

Transactions & Corporate Matters

• Support potential business transactions, including due diligence, deal structuring input, and drafting/review of transaction documents (e.g., asset purchases, joint ventures, financing arrangements)

• Advise on corporate structuring matters across their divisions and affiliated entities

• Assist with insurance program review as it relates to contractual risk transfer (indemnification, additional insured requirements, certificates of insurance)

Qualifications:

• J.D. from an accredited law school; active member in good standing of the New York State Bar

• 3+ years of legal experience, with demonstrated experience in collections/AR recovery, commercial litigation, or creditor's rights

• Experience managing outside counsel and litigation budgets

• Strong contract drafting and negotiation skills

• Working knowledge of New York commercial law, including bad check/check fraud statutes, mechanic's lien law, and small claims/civil procedure, UCC filings

• Prior in-house experience, particularly in construction, trades, energy, or field-services company, is a plus

• Excellent judgment, discretion, and ability to communicate complex legal issues clearly to non-legal executives

• Comfortable operating in a hands-on, fast-paced, multi-division business environment

• Strong negotiation and business judgment

Success Metrics:

• Measurable reduction in AR aging and bad debt write-offs within the first 12 months

• A documented, repeatable AR escalation and recovery process adopted across all divisions

• Reduced legal spend and improved outcomes through more effective outside counsel management

• Proactive identification and mitigation of legal/compliance risk before it becomes costly

• Increased collection rate / recovery %

• Lower bad debt write-offs

• Faster legal resolution timelines

Compensation

Base Salary Range of $140,000 – $180,000, commensurate with experience. Performance bonus tied to accounts receivable recovery and bad debt reduction metrics may also be offered, given the role's primary mandate. Final offer will depend on candidate's years of experience and scope of prior in-house/collections responsibility.

Benefits

• Generous medical insurance offerings

• Dental and Vision plans

• 401(k) with company match

• Health savings accounts

• Generous Paid Time Off policies

• Paid holidays