Commercial and Technology Contracts Counsel - Assistant Director

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. Join us and build an exceptional experience for yourself, and a better working world for all.   The exceptional EY experience. It's yours to build.   EY focuses on high-ethical standards and integrity among its employees and expects all candidates to demonstrate these qualities.  

Location: Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, New York, Washington
 

Commercial and Technology Contracts Counsel – Assistant Director

 

At EY, you will 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 are 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. 

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 a Commercial and Technology Contracts Counsel, you’ll be a member of the Contracts Practice Group (CPG) within GCO and will provide advice, counsel and legal support on key legal issues related to the EY U.S. Firm’s procurement and client contracting activities. You will be responsible for negotiating the legal terms and conditions of various technology and non-technology agreements with third parties and providing related advice to address, manage and mitigate identified risks.  The work is complex and requires sound experience in negotiating contracts, including aspects of technology, licenses, privacy issues, and intellectual property (including joint development and complex licensing arrangements). 

 

You’ll work with internal stakeholders across the firm providing business and legal analysis and related guidance, interfacing extensively with teams within EY.  You will also have the ability to collaborate with lawyers around the world who are members of the Global GCO network.

 

Your key responsibilities

• Serving as a trusted advisor by providing practical legal advice and counseling on key legal risks associated with contracts
• Reviewing contract requests to determine and advise on appropriate contract structure and forms based on the facts presented by the internal clients and stakeholders and the relationship between other EY member firms, if any, and the EY clients and vendors
• Drafting, reviewing and negotiating contracts with third parties (including master service agreements, technology services agreements, hosting agreements, external data agreements) and evaluating third party agreement templates against EY standards
• Working collaboratively as a member of a team of contract lawyers and with other professionals and internal clients and stakeholders
• Effectively assessing, balancing, and communicating to business stakeholder and GCO leadership the risks and benefits associated with the multiple and sometimes competing objectives related to EY’s procurement of products, services, and technology
• Interpreting and explaining contract terms and conditions to internal clients and stakeholders, while providing practical advice and guidance to such and collaborating to develop solutions to issues which effectively manage legal and practical business considerations
• Building rapport with internal clients and stakeholders to deliver exceptional service
• Understanding legal and client business goals and how such impacts the types of products and services procured and offered to clients
• Coordinating with cross-functional teams (tax, independence, information security) and other GCO colleagues (data privacy, employment, alliance) in order to provide a comprehensive risk assessment and risk management
• Understanding the firm’s policies, procedures and guidelines that are relevant to transactions and how contract drafting, negotiation and execution are impacted by such items
• Effectively managing workflow, including multiple projects, in a proactive and highly responsive manner

 

Skills and attributes for success

As the work is very complex, often urgent, you’ll need to have sound experience in negotiations, contract law, technology and software agreements, contract drafting, current market knowledge, licensing, intellectua