Director, Senior Legal Counsel

McDonald’s is proud to be one of the most recognized brands in the world, with restaurants in over 100 countries that serve 70 million customers daily. Our growth strategy focuses on staying ahead of customer needs and driving further potential. Joining McDonald’s means preparing for a career with global influence, centered on inclusivity, service, integrity, community, and family. We lead through values that drive positive impact, from supporting Ronald McDonald House to sustainability initiatives and youth opportunities.

We offer a broad range of outstanding benefits including a sabbatical program, tuition assistance, and flexible work arrangements.

About the role

McDonald’s is seeking a highly skilled, business-minded attorney to join our Tort Litigation Practice Group (TLPG) as Senior Counsel. This role goes beyond managing litigation—it’s about being a strategic legal advisor who translates legal and claims insights into business solutions. You’ll protect customers, strengthen the brand, and help the business make informed decisions by partnering with internal teams across Operations, Supply Chain, Safety, Insurance, Risk Management, Communications, and Security.

The ideal candidate combines strong litigation expertise with business acumen, customer focus, sound judgment, and a commitment to building strong relationships. This role aligns with McDonald’s BEST leadership expectations: strategic thinking, system alignment, collaboration, customer focus, coaching, and inclusion.

Responsibilities

• Lead high-exposure tort claims and litigation, including premises liability, food safety, beverage burns, negligent security, and other brand-sensitive issues.
• Develop litigation strategies and oversee outside counsel to achieve efficient, business-aligned outcomes.
• Assess legal, operational, reputational, and customer impacts when advising on case strategy and resolution.
• Provide practical, risk-based legal guidance that protects customer trust and brand integrity.
• Partner with business leaders to identify risks, opportunities, and practical solutions.
• Translate litigation trends into actionable recommendations to improve operations, training, policies, and safety initiatives.
• Support cross-functional initiatives focused on customer safety, operational effectiveness, and risk mitigation.
• Advise on customer safety matters, food safety issues, product recovery events, and other sensitive incidents.
• Support responses to emerging risks and crisis situations, assessing legal and reputational implications.
• Drive strategic and operational excellence by improving legal processes, reporting, governance, and efficiency.
• Develop training, guidance materials, and best practices for stakeholders using data and litigation insights.
• Mentor and coach legal professionals, paralegals, and legal assistants to foster a culture of accountability, inclusion, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school.
• Active license to practice law in good standing with at least one U.S. state bar.
• Minimum of 8 years of legal experience, including substantial experience managing tort litigation matters.
• Experience directing outside counsel and managing litigation budgets is a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to provide strategic legal advice in fast-paced business and litigation environments.
• Strong analytical, negotiation, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Proven ability to influence decisions and build trusted partnerships at all organizational levels.
• Experience supporting high-profile, brand-sensitive matters is strongly preferred.
• In-house experience at a retail, hospitality, franchise, or consumer-facing business is preferred.

Three days per week in-office at MHQ is expected; occasional travel required.

Skills

• Business-minded and strategic: Connects legal advice to business objectives with practical, actionable recommendations.
• Customer and brand-focused: Prioritizes customer safety, trust, and brand protection in decision-making.
• Collaborative and influential: Builds strong relationships and partners effectively across functions.
• Innovative and forward-looking: Identifies opportunities for improvement and proactively addresses emerging risks.
• Inclusive and people-oriented: Leads with empathy, respect, and a commitment to developing others.

Pay

The expected salary range for this role is $195,371.00 - $244,214.00 per year. Pay is determined based on experience and other job-related factors.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health insurance, including medical, prescription drug, mental health, dental, and vision coverage.
• Life insurance.
• Bonus eligibility based on individual and company performance.
• Long-term incentive eligibility, including stock or equity grants.