Contracts Counsel

Contracts Counsel Position

Contracts counsel responsible for enterprise risk management by counseling and advising internal clients on business transactions, antitrust, contract law, intellectual property, and privacy issues. Responsible for identifying issues in the areas of campaign finance, gift and lobbying law and conferring with department subject matter experts, as appropriate to address them. Assist AVP, Contracts Counsel in the administration of APCIA's contract management system. Functional supervision of an administrative staff person on assigned projects relating to APCIA's contract management system and on ad hoc Legal Department projects. Draft bespoke contracts and analyze and revise vendor-submitted contracts to memorialize the underlying business transaction, duties, and obligations of the parties in a wide range of areas, including but not limited to lobbying, consulting, hotel venue, partnership, license, and information technology procurement. Actively support APCIA's business objectives by reducing the risk of loss consistent with APCIA's risk tolerance where possible and by identifying risks and developing related recommendations for senior management's decision to include taking steps to mitigate inherent legal, compliance, and business risks all with the goal of protecting APCIA's balance sheet. Independently negotiate terms to mitigate identified risks, subject to acceptance by the business owner and elevate risks, as needed, to AVP, Contracts Counsel. Responsible for enforcement compliance with APCIA's contract obligations. Responsible for delivering content support, counsel, and compliance (including antitrust) support services for assigned policy committees, public policy issues, and state government relations managers.

Principal Responsibilities:

• Provide contract advice, counseling, negotiation, and contract management support to APCIA business owners and their direct reports, regarding a wide variety of legal and business risks, with particular attention to intellectual property, and data protection issues and avoiding shifts in the risk of loss to APCIA.
• Draft, review, and negotiate contracts to achieve APCIA's business objectives and reduce the probability of future disputes.
• Functionally supervise paralegals and other staff assigned to support projects led by the incumbent, including those relating to APCIA's contract management system.
• Write and publish the department's requisite number of legal bulletins and other reports on insurance law cases of interest to APCIA membership, tying the content to APCIA Strategic Goals, as appropriate.
• Provide general legal support and problem-solving for assigned policy committees and state government relations managers, and for public affairs on assigned issues, including but not limited to, identifying compliance issues in the areas of antitrust laws, and as needed regarding campaign finance law, and gift and lobbying laws.
• Review presentations, committee materials, bulletins, reports, and communications for internal and external audiences to identify and mitigate antitrust issues, reputational risk, intellectual property, or other legal compliance risk.
• Draft and distribute meeting minutes for assigned committees.
• Support APCIA Membership team, as well as APCIA's Policy Research and International and State Government Relations teams with research and reporting on legal issues, as assigned.
• Maintain and demonstrate substantive knowledge of relevant law and independent judgment when reporting and communicating legal, compliance, and business issues.
• Assist AVP, Corporate Counsel in administering APCIA's contract management system and provide maintenance and support ongoing customization efforts to ensure efficient workflow, robust search functionality, and to serve as APCIA's single, official repository for all executed and in-process contracts.
• As assigned by the General Counsel, counsel APCIA's Human Resources department on employment issues and work with outside counsel as needed.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Prepare/review APCIA comment letters and testimony for legislatures, regulators, and rule-making organizations in collaboration with Policy and State Government Relations partners and with guidance from APCIA's General Counsel, Deputy General Counsel, or VP and Associate General Counsel.
• Support APCIA's compliance program, including antitrust, campaign finance, gift and lobbying laws, and APCIA's Code of Conduct. Respond to member inquiries.
• As assigned, conduct legal research on complex insurance legal issues; identify potential solutions and collaborate on strategy within APCIA's Legal Division, cross-divisional teams, outside counsel and others, as appropriate.
• Engage as in-house counsel in administrative and civil litigation addressing regulatory overreach in support of APCIA's General Counsel, Deputy General Counsel, or VP and Associate General Counsel.
• As assigned, work independently with limited guidance from APCIA General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel to analyze complex legal issues in the property and casualty insurance space, including support in connection with the development of public policy positions and legislative, regulatory, and litigation efforts to execute on APCIA's priority Strategic Goals.
• Actively participate in department meetings and support APCIA's mission and core values.
• Work collaboratively with the legal team; develop strong relationships with co-employees and APCIA members; and demonstrate commitment to APCIA's mission.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

1. Education

• Law degree from an ABA-accredited law school.
• Good standing in the state bar association where the applicant/incumbent lives and works.

2. Experience

At least 5 years' experience in relevant areas of law with increasing responsibilities. Working knowledge of the property and casualty insurance business, nonprofit/trade association law, in-house practice, and compliance matters. Demonstrated strength in legal research, writing, analytical, and problem-solving. Demonstrated strength in verbal and written and communication and related presentation.

3. Skill:

• Strong analytical, problem solving, and organizational skills.
• Proficiency in interpreting and explaining enterprise risk management presented by a variety of differing business transactions, case law, statutes, and regulations to others, including non-lawyers.
• Proficiency in Office 365 applications, including SharePoint (or equivalent document sharing application) and One Drive.
• Familiarity with databases and contract management systems.
• Experience counseling clients regarding the risks associated with a variety of business transactions, including contractual relationships.