Senior Counsel - Commercial Law

Job Overview

The Senior Counsel will report to the Vice President, Associate General Counsel, Commercial Law and will be primarily responsible for work on a broad range of transactional legal matters and will serve as a key legal advisor for Darden’s technology related agreements. The legal matters will include, but are not limited to, supporting the following internal departments: Information Technology, Communications and Digital Media, Human Resources Technology, and Consumer Insights. The position will interact with a broad range of internal functions. The ideal candidate will be experienced in negotiating and drafting complex IT contracts and have a working knowledge of technology-related legal issues. A technical background is highly desirable.

Roles And Responsibilities

• Counsel internal clients in the Information Technology, Communications and Digital Media, Human Resources Technology, and Consumer Insights departments on projects and contracts.
• Draft, review, and negotiate technology and data focused agreements, including but not limited to agreements related to software, hardware, digital property licenses, telecommunications, payment processing, cloud services, SaaS, CRM, social media and paid digital media.
• Collaborate with internal partners on data privacy and cyber security issues.
• Collaborate with senior management and other legal practice teams, as necessary, on complex matters.
• Engage and manage approved work by outside counsel; review and approve bills from outside counsel; make budget recommendations to the Vice President, Associate General Counsel.
• Develop and maintain contract templates, playbooks, and best practices for technology transactions.
• Advise on promotional initiatives for legal compliance and risk mitigation.
• Other duties, as assigned.
  
  

Required Technical Skills

• Minimum of 6 to 12 years of practicing law in-house or at a law firm, with a focus on IT contracts and technology transactions.
• Experience negotiating and advising on complex technology related agreements, as reflected within the Roles and Responsibilities above, and with large tech companies, such as Microsoft and Oracle.
• Experience in IP, data privacy and cyber security is a plus.
• Licensed to practice law and in good standing under the Bar of any state that enables admission to practice as in-house counsel in Florida.
  
  

Required Education

• Juris Doctorate from an ABA accredited law school
  
  

Other Key Qualifications

• Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with in-house clients, team, and outside counsel, and deliver a great experience.
• Strong risk analysis, decision-making, and problem-solving skills for complex legal matters.
• Ability to prioritize and work efficiently to complete multiple assignments quickly for internal clients.
• Strong organizational, analytical, writing, and communication skills.
• Excellent time management skills and responsiveness.
• Must be results-oriented and passionate about serving others.
  
  

Preferred Skills And Experience

• IT work experience and/or education, outside of legal training.
• Business acumen and ability to anticipate legal issues that could arise in various settings.
• Ability to move agreements forward quickly to meet critical business objectives in a fast-paced, sometimes unpredictable environment.
• Experience with contract lifecycle management software.