Products & Platforms Ecosystems Counsel - Manager

About the role

The Products & Platforms Ecosystems Counsel is a member of the Technology & Managed Services (TMS) team within the Ernst & Young LLP (EY) U.S. General Counsel’s Office (GCO). This position provides complex legal advice and negotiates legal terms and conditions in various commercial agreements and contracts with third parties.

Responsibilities

• Partner with the applicable Service Line Counsels for Products & Platforms on go-to-market initiatives, alignment between ecosystem arrangements and EY's product and platform commercialization objectives.
• Collaborate with EY Procurement, Alliances, sourcing functions, and other EY Member Firms to provide strategic legal guidance on third-party technology, data, AI, supplier arrangements, alliances and third-party partnerships that underpin EY's products and platforms.
• Work collaboratively with internal clients to develop strategies to address identified issues.
• Advise internal procurement, alliances, product and technology teams and the relevant Service Line leaders of the key legal risks of the proposed project or contract, including the legal and regulatory issues that need to be addressed early in the process.
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams (tax, independence, information security) and legal colleagues (data privacy, alliances, sourcing) in order to provide a comprehensive risk assessment and risk management.
• Draft, review and negotiate contracts with third parties (including master service agreements, professional services agreements, NDAs, outsourcing agreements, technology services agreements, systems implementation agreements, data agreements, and other technology related agreements).
• Evaluate third party agreement templates against EY standards.
• Support integration of ecosystem-specific issues and risk matters into TMS team priorities (e.g., addressing key third-party dependencies and risks in client-facing contracts).
• Interpret and explain contract terms and conditions for internal clients and stakeholders.
• Confirm that contracts are compliant with EY policies and maintain an understanding of the impact of any changes in EY’s policies, organizational structure and procedures.
• Contractually protect EY’s intellectual property to prevent loss/infringement by third parties.
• Provide input and feedback concerning GCO contracting procedures.
• Manage workflow, including multiple projects, in a proactive and highly responsive manner.

Qualifications

• Excellent organizational skills; demonstrated ability to create, plan and successfully execute projects; and the ability to meet multiple deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, and the ability to interface and communicate effectively and diplomatically with all levels of EY personnel.
• Experience with negotiation techniques, transactional analysis, contract law, IP, commercial agreements and workload/project management.
• Strong negotiation, drafting and interpersonal skills, with high degree of cultural and emotional intelligence.
• Ability to understand, and accurately articulate and document, complex concepts.
• Ability to assess size and scope of contemplated relationships and transactions.
• Understanding of when to consult with and seek the input of others.
• Ability to prioritize multiple tasks with competing deadlines.
• Foster teamwork and maintain effective working relationships with internal clients/stakeholders.
• Responsiveness with ability to manage high workload volumes efficiently and effectively.
• Commercial, solution-oriented thinking, with a focus on exceptional client service.
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited 4-year college.
• Juris Doctor from an accredited law school.
• Approximately 3 – 7 or more years of relevant work experience in a related role, with a particular emphasis on commercial matters.
• Membership in a State Bar as an attorney; qualified to practice law as an in-house attorney in state of residence.
• Good standing with the State Bar, including being current on individual state Continuing Legal Education requirements.