The Procurement Staff Attorney will work with Firm management, partners, business owners and procurement professionals to support the Firm’s procurement activities in accordance with the Firm’s objectives. The Procurement Contract Staff Attorney will work with the Firm’s business owners, Office of General Counsel and Procurement organization to draft, review and negotiate strong, effective contracts with our vendors. The Procurement Staff Attorney will also contribute to Firm policies, procedures and processes that align with the Firm’s procurement strategy. Areas of focus will include agreements with respect to technology acquisition and services, telecommunications, professional services, consulting and outsourced services.

Responsibilities:

• Lead the contract review process with support from Procurement organization leadership and the Firm’s Contract Manager.
• The Procurement Staff Attorney will liaise with the Office of General Counsel to ensure agreements are aligned with the firm’s risk management objectives.
• Coordinate engagement of additional legal resources and subject matter experts as needed.
• Work closely with the Firm’s Contract Manager to efficiently execute the contact review process.

• Assess contractual terms and conditions and develop solutions to complex problems that mitigate risk and promote successful contract execution.
• Engage Procurement organization leadership and Firm partners as appropriate to review proposed terms and conditions.
• Counsel business teams and the Procurement organization regarding key commercial and legal considerations.
• Support the Procurement organization in reviewing outgoing Request for Proposals, Requests for Information and Statements of Work.
• Support the establishment of policies, procedures and templates that align with Firm strategy.
• Identify and implement improvements to the contract lifecycle management strategy
• Develop and implement measurement tools and tracking to ensure vendor contract compliance.
• Assist in monitoring contract performance, recommending modifications/updates when necessary.
• Provide guidance when business or legal issues occur during the course of existing contract relationships.
• Identify and support training and development opportunities internally and to key stakeholders.
• Interact professionally and constructively with vendor legal departments and leadership
• Maintain knowledge of relevant legal and governmental information affecting acquisitions.
• Periodically update model documents (e.g., master services agreements, terms and conditions, global master agreements and local services agreements) to maintain conformity across the Firm.
• Other duties as assigned.

Education and/or Experience:

Required:

• Bachelor's degree required; JD from accredited law school required
• A minimum of 5 years of contract review experience within a corporate legal department or law firm with a focus on technology-related contracts
• Admission as a current member in good standing of a State Bar where the Firm has an office (preferably Illinois)
• Proven ability to lead and execute all facets of challenging contracts — from preliminary/conceptual advice, through structuring, due diligence, negotiating, drafting, closing, and any post-closing conflict resolution
• Ability to work across multiple vendor types and understand key unique business and legal issues related to a specific industry
• Strong project management skills

• Solid knowledge of the structure and nuances of IT-related contracts