Senior Counsel (hybrid)

Location: Hybrid – 3 days/week in office, Columbus, OH

About the role

The Senior Counsel provides legal advice on complex commercial matters, including real estate, supply chain, and other transactional issues. This role combines legal expertise with business acumen to support NiSource’s strategic objectives, serving as a cross-functional partner to the commercial function. The position reports to the Assistant General Counsel and focuses on identifying and resolving legal issues that impact business operations, offering strategic and practical solutions in collaboration with internal clients.

Candidates with experience in real estate, commercial transactions, and supply chain/procurement are preferred. The role drives organizational success by leveraging diverse perspectives and supporting cultural transformation. Emergency response support may be required outside normal hours during critical situations.

Responsibilities

• Resolve legal issues and provide proactive, strategic, business-savvy legal advice and counsel.
• Manage complex legal matters and outside counsel on select issues.
• Anticipate internal/external business and regulatory issues and provide applicable legal advice.
• Review and revise contracts and other legal documents.
• Draft, review, negotiate, and advise on real estate transaction documents, including easements, leases, license agreements, and purchase and sale agreements.
• Provide legal support for land rights, encroachments, access rights, and other property-related matters affecting utility operations.
• Advise on local municipal laws, ordinances, rules, and regulations affecting real estate, utility operations, and commercial projects, including zoning, land use, permitting, and similar restrictions.
• Lead or support real estate due diligence and closing deliverables, including review of title, survey, zoning, environmental, permitting, and encumbrances in coordination with internal stakeholders.
• Negotiate with outside parties on contractual issues and legal disputes.
• Assist in training clients on legal issues.
• Partner with the supply chain practice on procurement strategies, vendor contract structuring, supplier risk management, and regulatory compliance affecting supply chain operations.
• Lead or support transaction structuring and M&A activities, including real estate acquisitions and divestitures, due diligence, deal documentation, closing coordination, and post-closing integration.
• Draft, review, negotiate, and advise on confidentiality agreements and non-disclosure agreements in support of commercial, real estate, supply chain, transactional, and due diligence matters.
• Coordinate cross-functionally with commercial team members to ensure consistent legal positions and streamlined advice to the business.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor Degree from an accredited law school.
• Licensed to practice law in at least one U.S. state and a member in good standing with the state bar.
• Minimum of 5+ years of legal experience, with meaningful exposure to at least two of the following: real estate transactions and land rights, supply chain/procurement, or M&A/transactional law.
• Exemplary personal and professional integrity and business ethics.
• Commitment to diversity and respect for others.
• Experience with independent matter handling responsibility and outside counsel management.
• Ability to advise senior leadership and balance legal issues with business goals through strategic counsel and pragmatic business acumen.
• Strong, logical legal mind with the ability to apply abstract legal concepts to make timely, well-reasoned decisions with minimal supervision.
• Ability to work with cross-functional teams, take a leadership role in driving solutions, and work under pressure to meet short deadlines.
• Experience working efficiently under time pressures and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Significant experience drafting and negotiating commercial, technology, supply chain, real estate, land rights, and M&A transaction-related agreements.
• High level of engagement and leadership, with the ability to counsel and work closely with clients.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Strong problem-solving and negotiating skills.
• Knowledge of the interaction between state and federal laws and agencies.
• Strong presentation skills.
• Sound judgment and strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to engender trust, respect, and confidence.
• Some travel (5-10%) is required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in the utility industry or other regulated industry.
• Experience at a law firm or publicly traded corporation.
• Experience advising on real estate transactions and property-related matters, including easements, leases, license agreements, acquisitions, dispositions, encroachments, municipal permitting, land rights, title and survey review, and real estate due diligence.
• Experience with supply chain-related matters, including procurement regulations, import/export controls, supplier risk management, and operational contracts.
• Experience with mergers, acquisitions, and complex transaction structuring, including asset purchases, joint ventures, and partnership arrangements.
• Lead, draft, and negotiate all forms of commercial and real estate contracts, including Equipment, Procurement and Construction Agreements, Power Purchase Agreements, Build Transfer Agreements, Professional Services Agreements, General Service Agreements, Construction Contracts, easements, leases, license agreements, purchase and sale agreements, and M&A transaction documents.

Pay

Salary Range: $160,100.00 - $240,100.00. The salary offered to a candidate is based on several factors, including but not limited to skills, job-related knowledge, relevant experience, and internal pay equity.

Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States and must not require employer sponsorship now or in the future.