Counsel, Corporate & Transactions

Position Title: Counsel, Corporate & Transactions
Location: New York, NY

Where Conviviality is at work.  

Pernod Ricard is a global premium spirits and wine company. We’re the team behind leading brands such as ABSOLUT® Vodka, Jameson® Irish Whiskey, Malibu®, Kahlúa® Liqueur, The Glenlivet® Gin, and Skrewball™ whiskey, as well as many more superior wines and exquisite champagnes! 

Working at Pernod Ricard is all about igniting conviviality in all that we do. Derived from the French word, convivialité…it means human connection, authenticity, friendly, and jovial. Conviviality is energy and spirit with a splash of je ne sais quoi and is a core philosophy around how we live and work at Pernod Ricard.   

Guided by our 4 core values: (1) grounded in the real; (2) fiercely authentic; (3) passion for challenge; and (4) connected beyond borders; we are team players, dream makers, trailblazers, movers and (cocktail) shakers. We have a passion for living life to the fullest, making new friends every day, and realizing our potential as people and as a business! 

The salary range for this role, based in New York, is $152,880.00 to $191,100.00. The range will vary if outside of this location.  Base salaries are determined during our interview process, by assessing a candidate’s experience, skills against internal peers and against the scope and responsibilities of the position.

Position Summary

Responsible for negotiating and drafting key agreements and other transactional documents for the company in support of various business units.   Requires learning agility to develop commercially sound business and financial sense across multiple business workstreams.  Accountable for providing sound legal guidance and ensuring compliance with internal and external standards, rules, regulations and laws applicable to the sale, distribution and marketing of beverage alcohol products in the United States (collectively “Beverage Alcohol Laws”) for the organization. 

Major Responsibilities / Accountabilities

• In close consultation with business personnel, negotiates and drafts contracts and other transactional documents in multiple areas of the business, including Sales, Marketing, Supply Chain, Operations, HR and Procurement teams for North American legal department.  Contract subject matters vary but include distribution, export, procurement, real estate, employment, trademark licenses, sponsorship and agency agreements.  In addition, create training to elevate PR NA legal team’s drafting skills.
• Responsible for coordinating potential M&A transaction diligence reviews with Paris M&A Legal team, and PR NA legal team, including overseeing integration input for PR USA Founders Playbook, support to Canadian affiliates, following up on integration timeline and responsibilities for PR NA legal team.  Develop training for other lawyers regarding transaction structure, diligence process, and contract drafting.
• Develop expertise and work with Tax, Drawback, Finance, and global workstreams on import/export matters, including rolling out inter-affiliate agreements, third party distribution agreements, and help develop PR USA’s global responsibilities as brand owner of exported products.
• Manage litigation related to areas of responsibility.

Nature & Scope

• Typically works with senior management within the company.
• Communicates both internally and externally on behalf of the company.
• A practical understanding of the various internal clients’ day-to-day business and objectives and an ability to think outside the box, conceive of creative solutions in navigating existing regulatory framework and give commercially pragmatic advice is essential.  
• Ability to work cross-functionally with different departments within the company.
• Provide contract drafting training to other members of Legal Department as requested.  
• Presents and trains on topics at both introductory and advanced levels in creative, digestible and entertaining formats.
• High affinity for processing contracts on daily basis and being able to spot and implement improvements to ways of working with various internal departments.  
• Highly process-oriented and able to spot inefficiencies and implement corrections.
• Position has a high degree of confidentiality.

Key Competencies

• Education: Requires Juris Doctorate Degree.  Admission to a state bar is required.  Admission to the New York Bar preferred.
• Experience / Background: Combined 5 years experience as either a practicing in-house attorney or law fir