General Counsel

The General Counsel oversees all legal matters for the organization, including regulatory compliance, intellectual property, contracts, litigation, and corporate governance. This executive serves as the chief legal advisor to leadership, manages internal and external counsel, ensures compliance with industry regulations, and mitigates legal and business risks across the organization.

Reporting Relationship

Essential Functions

• Review, draft, and negotiate a wide range of commercial agreements (development, licensing, consulting, marketing, services, confidentiality, and others).
• Support mergers, acquisitions, and business development by evaluating contractual commitments, liabilities, and risks.
• Provide strategic legal advice by assessing risks, benefits, and business implications; present alternatives and recommend solutions aligned with company objectives.
• Partner closely with internal business units (Sales & Marketing, Finance, HR, R&D) and with external counsel and contracting personnel.
• Manage all litigation matters, including strategy development, risk evaluation, and oversight of outside counsel.
• Advise on corporate governance, securities matters, and regulatory compliance across the organization.
• Represent the company in legal proceedings, regulatory interactions, and other formal matters.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• J.D. from an accredited university, active license to practice law in any state in the U.S., and 12+ years of progressively responsible legal experience.
• Pharmaceutical industry experience preferred; strong background in commercial, contract, and patent law highly relevant.
• Demonstrated business acumen with an understanding of profitability, market dynamics, and competitive strategy.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to synthesize complex information, conduct research, and design effective processes.
• Excellent communication skills, including clear writing, persuasive speaking, and effective facilitation of meetings.
• Professional presence with the ability to work under pressure, handle sensitive situations, and maintain strong relationships at all levels.
• Strong time management, follow-through, issue-spotting skills, and interpersonal awareness.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Business Acumen: Understands operational, financial, and industry dynamics to provide practical, commercially focused legal guidance.
• Strategic Thinking: Anticipates future legal issues and integrates legal insight into long-term planning.
• Analytical & Problem-Solving Skills: High attention to detail with the ability to evaluate risks and develop solutions.
• Negotiation: Demonstrated ability to build trust, influence outcomes, and achieve favorable agreements.

Physical Demands/Factors

Office roles with minimal physical demands: Work is primarily sedentary in nature; routine bending, walking, lifting and reaching are required.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Based on the highly regulated workplace at Avet, employees will be required to meet minimum English proficiency requirements.

All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the U.S. for any employer. We are unable to sponsor any applicants for a work visa or take over sponsorship of a work visa for any applicants, at this time.

All applicants will be expected to report to work at our New Jersey facility, however, in some limited cases, we may be willing to offer reimbursement of certain relocation expenses to an applicant based solely on the exercise of the Company’s discretion.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Avet is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Additional Duties

This job description is not all-inclusive. It acts as a guideline and is subject to change over time. Additional duties may be assigned based on business needs.

Compensation and Benefits

Compensation

This is a Salaried role with a pay range of $300,000 - $325,000.

In addition, this position is eligible for an annual bonus which aligns to both individual and company performance.

• 401(k) matching - vested immediately
• Medical, Dental and Vision
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employee discount through Life Mart
• Flexible Spending Account and Dependent Care Account