Our client, a Fortune 400 leader in their industry, has retained The PeterSan Group to identify an exceptional leader to serve as their Senior Vice President, General Counsel. This role will serve as a strategic business partner to the CEO and the rest of the senior management group. This position is fully integrated into the business and leverages legal, regulatory, and business experience to help the company grow/perform while anticipating risk and avoiding threats to the enterprise.
Additional responsibilities include the following:
-Corporate Secretary for all businesses. Advise and counsel Board of Directors on critical corporate governance issues, including Executive Compensation Disclosure, Renewal of Shareholder Rights Plan, Plurality vs. Majority Voting, and Classified vs. Declassified Board.
-Leader on Ethics and Compliance issues.
-Balancing role as senior level business person with that of the chief legal officer who protects the company’s assets and reputation.
-Provide legal advice and counsel to the Company and its management on a wide range of legal matters that impact the business of all the segments and SBUs. Identify, quantify and manage risk exposure that impacts the day to day and future strategies of the company and its subsidiaries. This includes (but is not limited to):
a. Litigation and Government Investigations – works closely with Chief Litigation Counsel to: create defensive and offensive litigation strategies; proactively train employees and take action to prevent litigation from interfering with business objectives; provide strategic management of government investigations to ensure minimization of both risk and disruption to business; select and retain efficient and effective use of outside counsel; and establish budgets and reserves; direct strategy for pending and threatened cases on global docket of civil disputes (e.g., class actions, IP, international disputes, complex commercial disputes, labor/employment disputes, toxic and mass tort, product liability, construction, personal injury, indemnity, insurance coverage, tax, appeals, and bankruptcy/credit). Resolve majority of significant contingent liabilities pending against the company.
b. Transactions – provide support for M&A transactions; oversee legal support for major domestic/international commercial transactions; oversee and standardize provision of legal/commercial advice, drafting and negotiating agreements, and legal due diligence for global transactions including acquisitions, divestitures, business affiliations, and purchases or sales of other corporate assets.
c. IP – monitor and challenge patent strategies for key products; provide strategic oversight and management of complex patent litigation to defend brands; oversee worldwide portfolio management and Intellectual Property strategy for segments and SBUs with key focus on innovation, harmonizing segment and SBU strategies, and aligning resources on multi-business technology development. Advise units on transactions related to the creation, protection, ownership, utilization, and transfer of technology, trade secrets, patents, trademarks, licenses, and other IP rights, and negotiate IP transactions. Aggressively protect company's world class brands and products through offensive court action and other legal process.