VP & GENERAL COUNSEL

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VP & GENERAL COUNSEL

Full Time Professional Fort Worth, TX, US

Trinity Metro is seeking an accomplished attorney to lead the agency’s corporate legal strategy and its tactical legal initiatives. Reporting directly to the President and CEO, the Vice President and General Counsel serves as the agency’s chief legal advisor and is accountable for all legal and regulatory matters, including but not limited to: procurement, general contracts, third-party agreements, environmental compliance, litigation, and the management and oversight of external counsel. As a member of the senior leadership team, the Vice President & Legal Counsel is a strategic partner in advancing agency priorities — transit-oriented development, autonomous and robotaxi transportation, urban rail, and other initiatives that will shape the future of mobility in the region. The role calls for sound judgment, creative problem-solving, absolute discretion, and the ability to translate complex legal analysis into practical guidance the executive team and the Board of Directors can act on.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

To be successful in this role, an individual must be able to perform in a satisfactory manner the functions listed below. The company will make reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these functions.

• Serves as the senior-level advisor on legal matters to the President and CEO and members of the senior staff.
• Develops creative legal strategies that enhance Trinity Metro’s return on investment and minimize risk and liability exposure.
• Collaborates with the senior leadership team to enable transit-oriented development, autonomous and robotaxi transportation, urban rail and other agency priorities, structuring the agreements that carry these initiatives from concept to construction.
• Negotiates and structures transit-oriented and joint development transactions, including ground leases, development and joint-use agreements, easements, air rights, and the acquisition and disposition of real property.
• Conducts research and provides well-reasoned, thorough legal opinions and guidance on complex contractual and regulatory matters.
• Negotiates, drafts and reviews transactions, contracts, agreements, memorandums of understanding, interlocal agreements and other documents, driving them from first draft to signature on the schedule the business needs.
• Develops the terms and conditions of contracts for all assigned procurement projects; drafts and reviews complex solicitations to ensure that all applicable terms, required federal clauses and amendments are included and that competitive procurements will withstand protest.
• Provides advice and counsel during transactional and contract development, drafting and negotiation regarding potential or actual disputes, legal issues and liability, and analyzes liability and litigation exposure.
• Manages and oversees external counsel, including selection, engagement terms, scope, budget and performance, reviews invoices, and directs their work on litigation and specialized matters.
• Directs Trinity Metro’s response to claims, demands and general litigation, coordinating with risk management and the affected departments and driving each matter toward the earliest sound resolution.
• Provides legal support to other departments during audits and investigations.
• Advises and directs Trinity Metro’s response to discovery and public records requests, including document review, analysis of possible bases for exclusion, review and approval of all exclusions or objections to production, coordination with the Office of the Attorney General, and preparation of the agency’s defense.
• Maintains strict confidentiality and discretion in all matters, including privileged, competitive, personnel and litigation-sensitive information.
• Provides advice and counsel to respective departments on agency-wide policies, procedures and programs impacted by new or amended state and federal legislation, court judgments, Attorney General opinions, executive orders and best practices.
• Maintains effective working relationships with elected officials, other transit agencies, stakeholders, business partners and federal, state and local agencies; serves as a liaison with organizations important to the achievement of company goals.
• Maintains an informed understanding of the interests of the local community, the business and transportation industries, and the current economic and political climate, and how that climate will continually shape the future of transit.
• Promotes the needs of the agency to federal, state and local governments.
• Represents the agency at transit organizational meetings, service clubs, professional societies and other interest groups.

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES

• Makes recommendations to management to improve operations, decrease inefficiencies and streamline work processes; work cooperatively with all customers, internal and external.
• Participates in company community activities to promote transit on off duty hours.
• Performs other duties, as assigned.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

• Doctor of Jurisprudence from an accredited law school.
• Maintain an active license to practice law in the state of Texas. Maintain good standing with the American Bar Association and Texas Bar Association.
• Five to seven years of experience in the practice of public law, contract law, corporate law or regulatory compliance.
• Experience as in-house counsel to a public transit agency, transportation authority, municipality or other governmental entity in Texas, preferred.

Trinity Metro is an Equal Employment/Affirmative Action Employer