VP, Legal & Risk Management

About the role

The Vice President of Legal & Risk Management is responsible for ensuring that Association business strategies, policies, and programs are developed and applied in full recognition of all legal implications and risks. They act as the manager over Legal and Risk staff, while providing legal services as a practicing attorney, and managing relationships and matters with outside counsel. They ensure that the legal affairs of the Association are attended to in an effective and efficient manner, and that all legal records are properly compiled and securely maintained for the required time period. This position reports to the CFO and maintains a dotted-line reporting relationship to the CEO.

Responsibilities

• Defines and develops corporate strategies, policies, procedures, and programs.
• Provides counsel and guidance on legal implications of all matters to CEO and members of executive management.
• Converts Association strategies and policies into specific objectives for subordinate areas of responsibility and monitors the accomplishments of such objectives.
• Determines the Association’s legal position on all legal matters.
• Reviews, evaluates, and comments on other obligations of the Association and advises the appropriate function head of the degree of legal risk associated with such contracts and obligations prior to the Association becoming a party or otherwise becoming legally bound.
• Assesses the merits of claims and court cases filed against the Association and approves, with the advice of the appropriate function head, settlement of such court cases where warranted.
• Ensures compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and Association directives.
• Legal matters include Contracts, Risk, Insurance Renewals, Real Estate, Litigation, Claims, Employment, Labor, Compliance, and Governance.
• Manages and oversees Legal and Risk staff.
• Oversees the drafting, reviewing, and negotiating of all agreements entered into by the Association, and manages all contract administration.
• Continually assesses the suitability of the Association contract review and signature policies and works with appropriate function heads to amend such policies as necessary.
• Determines the budget for the Legal & Risk Management department.
• Manages to that budget and advises the CEO, CFO, and executive management of potential variances.
• Evaluates the legal risks to which the Association may be exposed in order to allow these risks to be accurately reflected in the financial statements.
• Serves as legal advisor to the Board of Managers, maintains corporate records, and drafts resolutions.
• Responsible for review of minutes of all official proceedings.
• Undertakes special projects as requested by the CEO and CFO, including but not limited to investigations, bond and debt related matters, mergers, acquisitions, and all real property transactions.

Qualifications

• JD from an accredited law school with at least ten (10) years of professional experience; top credentials from an ABA accredited law school are preferred.
• Active Illinois Bar License and ability to practice in the State of Illinois.
• Prior in-house legal experience and/or corporate counsel experience preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to implement legal strategies and meet business and departmental goals.
• Ability to interpret laws and regulations, and offer business units creative solutions based upon new and changing laws and regulations.
• Experience with risk management.
• Ability to maintain highest levels of confidentiality.
• Outstanding communication skills, with the ability to interact effectively with executives at all levels within the Association.
• The ability to work independently, set priorities, meet deadlines, and resolve complex problems with a thorough understanding of business and legal environments.
• Must be able to demonstrate time and task management (multi-tasking) proficiency to meet multiple and often tight deadlines while maintaining attention to detail.
• A strong background in corporate law, commercial contract negotiation, real estate, mergers and acquisitions, and regulatory compliance.
• Familiarity with corporate governance, disclosure requirements, and/or employment dispute matters is a plus.
• Must have excellent computer skills.