Legal Director & Assistant General Counsel

The Legal Director & Assistant General Counsel - FCC will be a member of the Wolters Kluwer Global Law and Compliance Department (GLCD) and will report to the VP, Associate General Counsel of Financial & Corporate Compliance, with a dotted line reporting relationship to the Executive VP and General Manager of the Compliance Solutions business unit (Compliance Solutions).  The Legal Director & Assistant General Counsel- FCC will, preferably, be based in New York, NY (or another location, including partially remote, on Eastern Standard Time or Central Time, in proximity to a Wolters Kluwer office).

Basic Functions and Principal Responsibilities:
The Legal Director & Assistant General Counsel – FCC will serve as the lead attorney for and provide legal advice and guidance on a wide variety of matters involving the Compliance Solutions business. The Legal Director & Assistant General Counsel – FCC will manage a team of business attorneys supporting Compliance Solutions.  In addition, the Legal Director & Assistant General Counsel – FCC will serve as the primary legal support to the Executive VP and General Manager of Compliance Solutions and will be a member of the Executive team for Compliance Solutions. 

Specific Accountabilities and Responsibilities, include the following:

• Serving as the primary legal support to the Executive VP and General Manager of Compliance Solutions and the Compliance Solutions Executive team and providing strategic legal advice and support for projects, initiatives and other matters involving Compliance Solutions

• Leading and managing the team of business attorneys supporting Compliance Solutions, and building a strong team environment within that group and more generally within the entire GLCD

• Providing comprehensive legal counseling regarding a broad spectrum of commercial, corporate, technology, product, intellectual property, cybersecurity, privacy and regulatory laws and matters impacting Compliance Solutions

• Supporting product development and enhancement projects for Compliance Solutions

• Proactively identifying and solving issues impacting the direction of the business

• Structuring, drafting, negotiating, interpreting, managing, and enforcing all types of technology and other commercial agreements, including:

  • customer agreements and terms and conditions (such as cloud, on-premises, hosting, subscription and professional services agreements, including software-as-a-service (SAAS) agreements, infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) and end-user-license agreements (EULAs))

  • re-seller, distribution, dealer, referral and agency agreements

  • vendor, sourcing and consulting agreements

  • partnership, joint venture and strategic alliance agreements (such as application programming interface (API) agreements with third parties)

  • other commercial agreements (such as confidentiality agreements, Data Privacy Agreements (DPAs) and IP license agreements)

• Keeping Compliance Solution’s management team and Associate General Counsel, FCC abreast of significant legal matters and developments affecting Compliance Solutions' business

• Advising FCC’s senior management on legal compliance and risk management to accomplish business objectives without undue risk to the businesses, as well as providing strategic legal advice to the senior leadership teams of Compliance Solutions

• Effectively managing outside counsel in a cost-effective manner

• Developing a strong rapport and working relationship with the Compliance Solutions’ management team

• Driving greater consistency of process and standardization, fostering knowledge sharing and supporting technology to automate tasks

• Building an in-depth understanding of the Compliance Solutions businesses, its people, organization, markets, products, customers, competitors, and regulatory environment

• Educating business teams about contracting forms, intellectual property rights and obligations, privacy issues, commercial and legal risks and internal contract review and approval procedures.

• Supporting the M&A, regulatory, employment and litigation teams with respect to litigation and disputes affecting Compliance Solutions

• Performing other assignments as designated by the Legal Director & Associate General Counsel – FCC, particularly in relation to assistance to other FCC businesses in the jurisdiction in which the candidate is admitted to practice law

Education and Experience:

Candidates must have a law degree (J.D.), be admitted to practice law in the U.S. jurisdiction where that candidate is admitted and have at least ten (10) or more years of progressively responsible corporate/commercial/technology law experience, preferably including experience working in both a law firm and a corporate law department. In addition, prior management experience is preferred.
Capabilities:

• Strong intellect, excellent legal acumen, and rigorous analytical skills

• Superior legal drafting and negotiating skills, particularly in the field of software, IT and technology contracts

• Demonstrated experience managing, mentoring, and developing a team of business attorneys and legal professionals to ensure high-quality, timely, and business-aligned legal support

• Ability to identify, assess, and mitigate legal and commercial risks in complex transactions and operational initiatives

• Excellent communications and change management skills

• Commitment to continuous improvement and to driving operational efficiency within the legal function

• A proven track record of working well with and influencing a management team

• The ability to grasp and facilitate management objectives, yet the willingness and ability to provide objective, independent assessments and advice that is consistent with Law Department standards

• Unquestioned integrity and business ethics

• A proactive, energetic, and enthusiastic approach to all tasks, and the confidence to work effectively with a talented and demanding client group

• The ability to handle a substantial workload, including multiple, concurrent projects, many involving time pressured situations

• A willingness to travel when necessary or appropriate

#LI-Hybrid

Applicants may be required to appear onsite at a Wolters Kluwer office as part of the recruitment process.

Compensation: