Corporate Counsel, Business Transactions and External Innovation

Role Description

The Corporate Counsel, Business Transactions and External Innovation, will provide legal support for business transactions, external innovation and integration.

Business Transactions / External Innovation: Corporate Counsel will be responsible for assisting with Mergers and Acquisitions, divestitures, licenses, and supply & distribution transactions, as well as strategic collaborations and licenses.  Corporate Counsel will also be responsible for working with the Business Development (BD) and External Innovations (EI) teams to help implement BD and EI strategies and ensure compliance with internal policies and managing outside counsel, as applicable, for transactions.  It is expected that this position will support a high volume of transactions independently with oversight from and/or in collaboration with the Senior Director, Corporate Counsel, Business Transactions and Integration.

Integration: Corporate Counsel is responsible for ensuring seamless integration of Legal support for newly-acquired businesses, and supporting legal entity reorganizations post-acquisition.

This position will report to the Senior Director, Corporate Counsel, Business Transactions and Integration and will be located at the Zoetis global headquarters in Parsippany, NJ.

Responsibilities

• Assist with strategic transactions, including acquisitions, divestitures, licenses, and supply & distribution transactions, and strategic collaborations, including:
  • Obtaining stakeholder input and regularly participating in the negotiation process; 
  • Overseeing and executing due diligence reviews;
  • Drafting and negotiating complex transactional documents;
  • Preparing closing documentation and assisting with transaction closings; and
  • Assisting with post-closing integration.
• Act as strategic business partner to the Business Development (BD) team, including providing antitrust counseling and general legal advice and support as needed (not deal-specific).
• Support Integration matters with respect to newly-acquired businesses.
• Develop expertise through on-the-job training, continuing legal education and subject matter reading.
• Co-responsibility for budget of outside counsel legal expenses.
• This position will work closely with the following roles:
  • Vice President and Chief Counsel, Business Transactions and Corporate Governance
  • Executive Vice President and General Counsel
  • Executive Vice President, Head of Global Strategy, Commercial and Business Development
  • Vice President, Global Head of Business Development
  • Senior Director, Business Development and Strategy
  • VP, Global Business Integration
  • Matrix responsibility to work with regional and Intellectual Property Legal counsel on all transactions.

Education and Experience:

• J.D. from an accredited law school, with demonstrated academic achievement
• Current bar membership in good standing in at least one U.S. State or the District of Columbia, including with respect to continuing legal education.

• 4+ years of legal experience required (time in private practice with a law firm is strongly preferred).
• Must have M&A transaction experience, including demonstrated ability to review, analyze, negotiate and draft agreements, perform due diligence, and lead cross-functional initiatives.
• IP and/or Commercial transaction experience is a plus
• Pharmaceutical / healthcare transaction experience is a plus

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:

• Strong project management, communication and interpersonal skills
• Sound and practical business judgment and decision-making skills
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment while handling multiple projects simultaneously
• Hybrid working environment, with approximately 50% of time (2-3 work days per week) required on-site in Parsippany, NJ headquarters office.
• Work with global teams located in multiple time zones.

Full time

Regular

Colleague

Any unsolicited resumes sent to Zoetis from a third party, such as an Agency recruiter, including unsolicited resumes sent to a Zoetis mailing address, fax machine or email address, directly to Zoetis employees, or to Zoetis resume database will be considered Zoetis property. Zoetis will NOT pay a fee for any placement resulting from the receipt of an unsolicited resume.

Zoetis will consider any candidate for whom an Agency has submitted an unsolicited resume to have been referred by the Agency free of any charges or fees. This includes a