Staff Attorney or Senior Counsel (Hybrid - La Crosse, WI)

Are you ready to join an organization where we focus on People First, have fun at work, and make a difference? Dairyland is proud of our People First culture centered around appreciation, celebrating wins, and collaboration. We’ve worked hard to ensure alignment between our culture and our processes and systems, learning and development, and rewards and recognition programs. As a team, we work together to leverage diverse perspectives, ideas, and experiences to deliver nothing less than the best. We are collaborative, transparent, and committed to our People and their work experience, growth, and professional development.

About the role

The Staff Attorney will provide legal advice, counsel, and services to all organizations within Dairyland Power Cooperative, covering a wide range of activities. The primary responsibilities include ensuring procedural and legal compliance in areas such as Supply Chain, Environmental, Industrial Safety, and Ethics. The role involves overseeing and managing major contractual transactions and litigation matters, assisting with general cooperative legal matters, transactional work, and special projects as assigned, under the direction of the Vice President and Deputy General Counsel.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal support and advice on all aspects of procurement and contracting for materials, equipment, supplies, and services in support of Dairyland’s varied system needs. This includes drafting and reviewing a wide variety of contracts, leases, waivers, and other legal documents, negotiating modifications and amendments, addressing warranty claims, contract terminations, defaults, and disputes, and coordinating with internal stakeholders, Supply Chain, and the Deputy General Counsel and/or General Counsel.
• Provide legal support and advice to Dairyland management and staff on legal consequences or risks related to business, compliance, and regulatory activities.
• Serve as internal legal counsel on project teams as necessary.
• Collaborate with the Legal Services Team to continuously improve Legal Services processes and operations and provide necessary legal support to enable Dairyland to achieve strategic goals.
• Ensure compliance issues and concerns within the organization are appropriately evaluated, investigated, and resolved or mitigated consistent with Dairyland’s policies and procedures.
• Assist in the development, drafting, review, and maintenance of corporate procedures and policies.
• Review state and federal statutes and regulatory dockets; prepare and file comments, petitions, applications, interventions, and other documents with appropriate governmental agencies as directed.
• Manage legal activities in certain divisions of the organization as assigned.
• Draft legal letters and other legal communications documents.
• Assist the Legal Services Department in developing and growing the internal legal services’ portfolio.
• Assist, as directed, in conducting litigation on behalf of Dairyland or monitoring such litigation by outside legal counsel.
• Prepare budgets for extensive transactional matters and ongoing major litigation and ensure those matters are conducted within the approved scope and budget.
• Manage and provide effective reporting to Staff and Board of Directors on significant matters, as directed by the Deputy General Counsel and General Counsel.
• Perform any other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Juris Doctorate Degree from an accredited law school.
• Must be in good standing with a U.S. state bar and willing and qualified to seek admission to the bar in Wisconsin at the earliest opportunity.
• Minimum of 3 years of active legal practice in the area(s) of electric/public utilities, energy, regulatory compliance, corporate, cooperative, or real estate law.
• Experience in the state of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, or Washington D.C. preferred.

Skills

• Direct experience in one or more of the following areas and working knowledge of the other areas: Real property law/real estate transactions (including condemnation litigation), electric/public utilities/cooperatives law, energy law, commercial transactions/commercial law, environmental permitting/environmental law, and general business and corporate law.
• Strong contract drafting and negotiating skills, with close attention to detail.
• Strong critical thinking, interpretation, problem-solving, and analytical skills.
• Capable of reading, analyzing, and interpreting complex documents, and responding effectively.
• Capable of accurately assessing needs and guiding others in determining and developing strategies.
• Superior communication skills with the ability to interface effectively with individuals at all levels, both internally and externally.
• Strong listening, reasoning, influencing, and facilitating skills.
• Ability to uphold the highest standards of discretion and confidentiality and adhere to the Wisconsin Rules of Professional Conduct.
• Maintains familiarity with Wisconsin Public Service Commission and/or Minnesota Public Utilities Commission laws, rules, and regulations, as well as Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and Regional Transmission Organization laws, rules, and regulations, including the ability to advise on the interplay between State/Federal issues.
• Demonstrated ability to assess and balance commercial/legal risks against business objectives to ensure timely and appropriate results and outcomes.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proven experience navigating complex regulatory environments, with a demonstrated understanding of the unique compliance needs of electric cooperatives, including FERC, NERC, and state utility commissions.
• Expertise in advising cooperative boards of directors on governance and legal matters, ensuring adherence to fiduciary responsibilities and supporting democratic decision-making that prioritizes member interests.
• Demonstrated ability to assess and mitigate legal risks while safeguarding the cooperative’s assets, reputation, and long-term member-focused operations.
• Familiarity with the cooperative business model and the ability to align contracts, policies, and legal strategies with cooperative principles of transparency, fairness, and member service.

Pay

Hiring salary range: $132,100 - $227,900. Compensation is determined by a combination of factors, including but not limited to education, work experience, and certifications. The actual offer may vary, reflecting the candidate's unique blend of experience, educational background, and skill level.

Schedule

This role is hybrid in La Crosse, WI, with a minimum of 2 days per week in the office.

Benefits

• Health & disability benefits (medical, dental, vision, short & long-term disability)
• Life insurance
• Generous 401(k) and Pension Plans
• Paid Time Off
• Robust Wellness Program
• New Flexible Work Program
• Tuition Reimbursement
• And more!