Corporate Counsel

About the role

Blue Ops, Inc., a Red Cat company, is seeking an experienced, business-oriented Corporate Counsel to join our legal team. This position is a hybrid role requiring the successful candidate to be based either in West Palm Beach, Florida or Valdosta, Georgia.

This position will provide legal guidance and support across a broad range of corporate and operational matters for Blue Ops, Inc., with primary emphasis on employment law, commercial contracting, manufacturing agreements, and legal matters involving military and government contracting. The successful candidate will support a rapidly growing defense technology company engaged in the design, development, manufacturing, integration, and deployment of advanced unmanned maritime systems for military, government, and commercial customers.

The ideal candidate will possess strong commercial contracting skills, meaningful experience advising on employment law matters, and the ability to provide practical legal advice in a dynamic, technology-driven manufacturing environment. Particularly desirable qualifications include familiarity with vessel construction agreements, maritime liability, Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) requirements, and intellectual property rights associated with defense technologies and government contracting. Preference will be given to attorneys with prior military legal experience, including former Judge Advocate General (JAG) officers, or attorneys who have worked in-house or in private practice representing defense contractors, government contractors, or military technology companies.

Responsibilities

Employment Law and Human Resources

• Provide legal advice and counsel to Human Resources and executive leadership regarding federal and state employment laws and workplace compliance.
• Advise on employee hiring, performance management, disciplinary actions, workplace investigations, terminations, reductions in force, and employee relations.
• Draft, review, and negotiate employment agreements, executive employment agreements, independent contractor agreements, separation agreements, restrictive covenants, and confidentiality agreements.
• Provide guidance concerning wage and hour laws, employee classification, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, employee leave, and workplace accommodations.
• Assist in developing, reviewing, and maintaining employee handbooks, employment policies, and internal compliance procedures.
• Support employment-related disputes, administrative proceedings, and litigation in coordination with outside counsel.
• Advise on employment matters arising in manufacturing, engineering, defense contracting, and multistate operational environments.

Commercial and Manufacturing Contracting

• Draft, review, negotiate, and manage a broad range of commercial agreements, including:
  • Master Services Agreements (MSAs) and Statements of Work (SOWs)
  • Manufacturing, fabrication, assembly, and production agreements
  • Supplier, vendor, procurement, and subcontractor agreements
  • Engineering, product development, and technology integration agreements
  • Licensing, distribution, reseller, and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) agreements
  • Nondisclosure agreements, teaming agreements, strategic partnership agreements, and memoranda of understanding
• Negotiate and advise on contractual provisions addressing indemnification, limitation of liability, warranties, insurance, intellectual property ownership, confidentiality, and termination rights.
• Support manufacturing and supply chain operations by addressing contractual issues involving quality assurance, production delays, product acceptance, delivery obligations, and supplier performance.
• Assist in structuring agreements involving prototype development, new product integration, and technology commercialization.
• Work directly with engineering, manufacturing, procurement, and executive teams to develop commercially practical contracting solutions.
• Assist in resolving contract disputes, supplier disagreements, and performance-related issues.

Military and Government Contracting

• Support legal matters involving contracts and business relationships with the U.S. Department of Defense, federal agencies, prime contractors, and defense industry partners.
• Draft, review, and negotiate government-related contracts, subcontracts, teaming agreements, and other defense procurement arrangements.
• Identify and evaluate contractual risks associated with government procurement, contract performance, and regulatory compliance.
• Provide legal guidance concerning applicable FAR and DFARS requirements, including government contracting clauses and subcontractor flow-down obligations.
• Support contractual matters involving Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreements, prototype development programs, research and development arrangements, and production contracts.
• Assist in evaluating government contract intellectual property provisions, including technical data rights, government-purpose rights, restricted rights, and ownership of contractor-developed technology.
• Coordinate with internal personnel and specialized outside counsel concerning ITAR, EAR, procurement integrity, and other defense industry compliance obligations.
• Assist with contract performance disputes, termination issues, government inquiries, and procurement-related risk management.

Maritime Law and Maritime Contracting

• Provide legal support concerning the company's maritime operations, including the design, manufacture, testing, and deployment of unmanned surface vessels (USVs) and related technologies.
• Draft, review, and negotiate agreements involving vessel construction, prototype development, maritime manufacturing, vessel acquisition, and maritime services.
• Assist in evaluating contractual responsibility for vessel design, construction, seaworthiness, inspection, testing, delivery, and acceptance.
• Identify and address maritime-related contractual risks, including vessel damage, transportation liability, product liability, insurance requirements, and operational responsibility.
• Support legal matters involving maritime defense platforms, autonomous vessels, and integration of advanced technologies into maritime systems.
• Coordinate with specialized maritime counsel regarding admiralty law, Coast Guard requirements,