Corporate Counsel

Summary

The Corporate Counsel is a member of the NAES Legal Department responsible for providing a broad range of legal services to NAES Corporation and its business units and subsidiaries. The position works directly with business leaders and personnel across NAES on commercial transactions, employment, compliance, corporate and operational matters.

The Corporate Counsel is expected to independently manage a substantial portfolio of legal matters while working with more senior members of NAES Legal on matters presenting significant complexity or legal, financial or reputational risk. The position requires practical business judgment, strong commercial contracting skills, and the ability to identify and communicate material legal risks and recommend workable solutions.

The Corporate Counsel will develop a strong understanding of NAES's businesses, customers, contractual relationships and operations and will be expected to provide timely, practical and business-oriented legal advice.

Primary Duties

• Independently draft, review and negotiate a broad range of commercial agreements, including customer agreements, vendor agreements, subcontract agreements, and confidentiality agreements.
• Advise business personnel on contractual and commercial matters, including interpretation of existing agreements and resolution of contractual issues.
• Support business development activities and new business opportunities, including review of requests for proposals, bid documents and proposed contract terms.
• Identify and evaluate legal and contractual risks and recommend practical solutions that appropriately balance those risks with NAES's business objectives.
• Develop a strong working knowledge of NAES businesses and functions.
• Develop, maintain and improve contract templates, standard terms, negotiation positions, playbooks and other tools designed to improve the efficiency and consistency of NAES contracting activities.
• Research and advise on legal and regulatory issues affecting NAES and its businesses.
• Advise on employment and labor matters, coordinating with other members of NAES Legal, Human Resources and outside specialists as appropriate.
• Manage assigned claims and disputes, including factual investigation, evaluation of contractual rights and obligations, development of strategy, communications with counterparties, and coordination with outside counsel when appropriate.
• Support litigation and other significant disputes managed by more senior members of NAES Legal.
• Support NAES compliance programs, including development and implementation of policies and procedures, compliance training, internal investigations and other compliance initiatives.
• Assist with corporate governance and corporate secretarial matters involving NAES Corporation and its subsidiaries.
• Participate in mergers, acquisitions, dispositions and other strategic transactions, including due diligence, transaction documentation, closing activities and post-closing integration matters.
• Prepare and deliver legal and risk-related training and guidance for business personnel.
• Participate in continuous improvement of Legal Department practices, processes and technology.

Scope of Responsibilities

The Corporate Counsel is expected to manage routine and moderately complex matters independently, including significant commercial contract negotiations and day-to-day counseling of assigned internal clients. The attorney will exercise sound judgment in determining which matters can be handled independently and when consultation with or escalation to more senior members of NAES Legal is appropriate.

The position requires regular interaction with business leaders and personnel throughout NAES as well as customers, suppliers, subcontractors, outside counsel and other third parties.

The Corporate Counsel is expected to understand the business objectives underlying legal matters and to provide practical solutions rather than simply identify legal issues.

Working Relationships

The Corporate Counsel reports to [TBD] and has no direct reports.

The position works closely with other members of the NAES Legal Department and is expected to function as part of an integrated legal team. The Corporate Counsel will also develop direct working relationships with leaders and personnel throughout NAES and its business units.

The attorney must be comfortable working independently while recognizing that collaboration and appropriate escalation are important elements of effective legal risk management.

Education and Experience:

• Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school.
• Active membership in good standing in at least one U.S. jurisdiction, with the ability to obtain admission or other authorization to practice in Washington and/or Texas if required.
• Five to eight years of experience practicing law, preferably including significant experience with commercial transactions and business counseling.
• Prior law firm and/or in-house corporate legal experience.
• Demonstrated experience drafting, reviewing and negotiating commercial agreements.
• Experience advising business personnel directly on legal and contractual matters.
• Experience in one or more of the following areas is desirable: energy, construction, operations and maintenance services, employment and labor, compliance, corporate governance, litigation and dispute resolution, insurance, or mergers and acquisitions.

Compensation 

The initial range of compensation will be from $167,900 to $193,100

Specific Skills and Knowledge

• Strong legal judgment and the ability to provide clear, practical legal advice with limited supervision.
• Strong commercial contract drafting and negotiation skills.
• Ability to understand business objectives and develop practical solutions that appropriately address legal risk while facilitating business activity.
• Ability to manage multiple transactions, projects and other matters simultaneously and appropriately prioritize competing demands.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to develop productive working relationships with business leaders, operational personnel and colleagues throughout the organization.
• High level of personal integrity, discretion and professional judgment.
• Strong attention to detail while maintaining an understanding of broader business objectives.
• Intellectual curiosity and willingness to develop expertise in unfamiliar areas of law and business.
• Collaborative and team-oriented approach, including willingness to assist other members of the Legal Department outside the attorney's primary areas of responsibility.
• Commitment to providing timely, responsive and practical legal service.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office tools and willingness to adopt new technologies to improve the Legal Department’s delivery of services.

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions

Normal hours are 8:00a.m. to 5:00p.m. Monday through Friday with extended hours, as necessary.  Employment is hybrid, affiliated with NAES’s [Houston, Texas][Issaquah, Washington] location. Travel requirements will not exceed 10% of work time.

NAES Safe

Safety is a core value of NAES and as a condition of employment, all employees are expected to be mentally alert and work safely at all times.  Additionally, employees are required to adhere to all safety warnings and posted safety signs whenever on company property.  Furthermore, employees must follow all NAES safety rules and procedures.  Effectiveness in carrying out this responsibility is part of the evaluation of each employee’s performance.

About NAES

NAES Corporation is a leading provider of operations, maintenance, and engineering services for energy facilities. We have built a reputation as a reliable partner for clients in North America and internationally, offering services across the power generation, oil and gas, and renewable energy sectors. Our growing family of companies allows us to address the entire life cycle of power generation and other industrial plants.

NAES is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. We prioritize selecting employees based on merit and competence, seeking individuals of the highest quality, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, military status, or affiliation protected under USERRA, or any other form of discrimination prohibited by applicable local, state, and federal law.