Legal Counsel

About the Company

Founded in 1951 by the son of Allen Hazen (developer of the Hazen-Williams equation), Hazen and Sawyer is an employee-owned company with a singular focus on "all things water." Our work includes planning, design, and oversight of construction of environmental infrastructure for water, wastewater, and stormwater management. We foster a work environment low on bureaucracy and high in creativity, recruiting talented professionals and providing them with challenging, interesting, and creative assignments. We currently have over 2,400 employees in 90+ offices throughout the United States, Latin America, Canada, and the UK. A flexible hybrid work schedule supports today's busy professionals.

Responsibilities

• Exercise sound legal judgment in advising regional project teams and office leadership, including assessing risk and delivering clear recommendations.
• Draft, review, and negotiate commercial contracts, including professional services agreements, subconsultant agreements, NDAs, teaming agreements, RFx's, technology licenses, software agreements, and other business-related documents.
• Advise on technology and AI-related issues arising in commercial contracts, including software licensing, data use, and emerging technology considerations.
• Advise on employment and labor matters, including hiring, terminations, workplace policies, wage and hour issues, accommodations, and internal investigations.
• Support immigration matters, including employment-based visa sponsorship, in coordination with outside immigration counsel.
• Collaborate with business stakeholders to ensure contracts reflect the company's strategic goals while minimizing legal risk.
• Provide legal guidance on compliance issues and interpret contract provisions to ensure adherence to applicable laws and regulations.
• Perform legal research on relevant laws and regulations related to commercial contracts, employment, immigration, engineering, and other business areas.
• Support the company in maintaining compliance with local, state, and federal regulations, including emerging technology and AI-related requirements.
• Stay up-to-date with industry trends, particularly in commercial contracting, technology licensing, artificial intelligence, and the engineering sector.
• Assist with other general legal matters as needed.

Requirements

• 6-9 years of experience in a commercial contract law practice, including drafting, reviewing, and negotiating contracts.
• Experience advising on employment and labor matters.
• Experience with immigration matters, including employment-based visa sponsorship.
• Familiarity with artificial intelligence tools, platforms, or governance frameworks preferred.
• Experience with intellectual property matters (trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, or patent support) preferred.
• Experience in contracting within the engineering, architecture, or construction sectors is a plus.
• Solid understanding of contract law, commercial transactions, employment and labor law, and related legal matters.
• Working knowledge of employment and immigration compliance issues affecting a multi-state workforce.
• Excellent communication skills (both written and verbal) with the ability to clearly explain complex legal concepts to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Strong attention to detail, organizational skills, and the ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively within a team environment.
• Strong problem-solving abilities and a proactive approach to identifying and addressing legal risks.
• Familiarity with international contract law and regulations is a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to manage competing stakeholder priorities and communicate firm legal positions to non-legal audiences, including senior technical and business personnel.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school.
• Licensed and in good standing in at least one U.S. jurisdiction, with the ability to provide in-house legal services in North Carolina as of the start date.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health benefits (medical, dental, vision, and prescription plans).
• Pre-tax flexible spending plans for medical, dependent care, and transportation.
• Short and long-term disability, and employer-paid life insurance.
• Paid holidays, floating holidays, and paid time off (PTO).
• Employer-contributed 401(k) plan and additional financial planning support.
• Professional growth opportunities, including tuition reimbursement, in-house training, and incentives for professional registration and professional organization memberships.

Pay

Starting pay range for this position depends on skills, experience, education, and geographical location.