Assistant General Counsel Transactions and Governance Senior Manager

EY focuses on high-ethical standards and integrity among its employees and expects all candidates to demonstrate these qualities.  At EY, you’ll have the chance to build a career as unique as you are, with the global scale, support, inclusive culture and technology to become the best version of you. And we’re counting on your unique voice and perspective to help EY become even better, too. Join us and build an exceptional experience for yourself, and a better working world for all.  

Location: New York and Chicago

 

Our General Counsel’s Office (GCO) supports EY’s business by serving as trusted advisors to the EY community and providing the highest quality legal services to EY’s service lines and business enablement functions.

 

The opportunity

As an Assistant General Counsel - Transactions, you’ll provide legal support on organizational governance and corporate matters, alliances and other strategic ecosystem relationships and M&A transactions, as well as work on other contractual matters and projects relating to the firm’s membership in the EY Global organization  You’ll have the opportunity to work closely with the firm’s leaders and business teams in connection with structuring and maintaining effective organizational governance, expanding go-to-market business relationships and activities, acquiring new business practices, and engaging in other transactions with third parties, as well as affiliates and associated firms, domestic and international.  

 

Your key responsibilities

• Serve as a lead advisor on corporate matters, including firm governance, legal entities, structuring, and various network-related matters
• Draft and negotiate complex alliance and other ecosystem relationships, including intellectual property development arrangements
• Assist in drafting, reviewing and negotiating banking and financing documents
• Counsel business leaders on strategic transactions, including acquisitions, divestitures, alliances, joint ventures and teaming arrangements, with particular emphasis on structural concerns, legal and regulatory matters and general business and legal risks
• Review, draft and negotiate transaction agreements and ancillary documents and participate in legal due diligence and other transaction-related activities
• Serve as a front-line resource for service line leaders, client service partners and other functional business leaders on legal issues, with a particular focus on governance, transactions and ecosystem matters 
• Liaise with members of service line quality groups and Risk Management (RM), Independence and Professional Practice leaders, as appropriate, in delivery of advice and assessment of risk of particular transactions and business relationships
• Protect EY’s intellectual property to prevent loss or infringement by third parties through understanding and application of appropriate safeguards such trademarks, copyrights, patents and appropriate contractual provisions
• Research and advise business leaders on recent corporate legal developments and best practices
• Represent US legal positions in projects that may impact the firm’s business and operations, as well as the relationships with its clients, vendors and personnel
• Review existing policies and procedures, identify areas of weakness, implement change and disseminate knowledge to the firm’s professionals and others, as appropriate
• Communicate with other General Counsel’s Office (GCO) attorneys regarding recent corporate legal developments and areas of risk management concern

 

Skills and attributes for success

As you’ll be working with steadfast deadlines, you’ll need to have excellent organizational skills and the demonstrated ability to create, plan and successfully execute projects and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment. Working with professionals and leaders across the firm at all levels, strong interpersonal skills will be vital for you to develop and foster those relationships with internal stakeholders.  Strong communication, legal drafting and presentation skills are essential in this role.

 

To qualify for this role, you must have

• 8+ years of experience as a practicing corporate (transactions-focused) attorney, preferably in both a top-tier national law firm and a corporate legal department
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college/university, top of class preferred
• Juris Doctor from a top national law school
• Membership in good standing in the State Bar as an attorney, qualified to practice law in the state where your EY office is located
• Strong hands-on practical knowledge of all facets of corporate (including corporate secretarial), commercial/contractual and transactional law, including applicable federal, state and local laws and rules and regula