Corporate General Counsel

About Wise Staffing Group:

Headquartered in Tupelo, MS, Wise Staffing Group is a full-service human resources company specializing in temporary and career staffing with an emphasis on providing excellent customer service. Wise Staffing Group has become one of the largest staffing services in the Southeast United States. Since 1987, Wise Staffing Group has proven to be one of the most respected providers of innovative staffing solutions. Wise Staffing Group has developed and offers industry leading services that provide dependable, qualified workers. Each office sets and maintains the same high standards of operation and ongoing commitment to quality services. Wise Staffing Group consistently works toward superior performance in fulfilling client needs.

General Counsel Role Summary:

The General Counsel is the company's in-house legal officer and will be responsible for counseling the business on employment/labor law, commercial contracts, corporate governance, compliance, and litigation/risk management. The General Counsel will serve as a close parter to HR, Operations, and Executive leadership teams, lead legal strategy, and develop policies and programs that reduce legal risk while enabling business objectives.

General Counsel Responsibilities:

• Serve as primary legal advisor on all employment and labor matters (e.g. hiring, terminations, wage and hour, classification, leave, ADA, unemployment, discrimination/harassment claims).
• Draft, review, and negotiate employment agreements, non-compete and non-solicit agreements, offer letters, contractor/master services agreements, client/vendor contracts, NDAs and/or SOWs.
• Oversee and manage all litigation and threatened litigation (coordinate outside counsel, manage budgets, lead strategy, supervise discover, witness prep, settlement strategy, etc)
• Advise on multi-state compliance issues for all national staffing operations (state-specific wage and hour, workers' compensation interface, local ordinances)
• Partner closely with HR and Operations leadership teams to design and implement legally defensible employment policies, progressive discipline procedures, investigations, and training programs.
• Conduct and supervise internal investigations into allegations such as harassment, discrimination, and other regulatory issues. Prepare investigative reports and recommend actions.
• Counsel on employee classifications, join employment risks, and staffing-specific regulatory exposure.
• Create and maintain playbooks, SOPs, and template documents (e.g. separation agreements, severance releases).
• Manage outside counsel relationships - select, supervise, control costs, and evaluate performance.
• Provide practical, business-focused legal advice to the executive team, prepare materials and corporate governance documents as needed.
• Support M&A, commercial transactions, and large client negotiations as needed.
• Maintain corporate compliance programs such as policy rollouts, recordkeeping, and audit readiness).
• Keep the company apprised of relevant legal developments and ensure continuing education across the business where needed.
• Supports receivables management, including drafting demand letters, advising on collections strategy, and coordinating legal action for delinquent accounts when necessary.

General Counsel Qualifications:

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an ABA-accredited law school
• Active membership in good standing and admission to practice law in Mississippi and Alabama
• Minimum 5 years of legal experience with substantial focus on employment/labor law
• Minimum 2 years of relevant in-house counsel or senior outside counsel experience
• Proven experience defending and managing employment litigation
• Demonstrated experience drafting and negotiating employment agreements, non-competes, severance agreements, separation releases, and client/vendor contracts
• Practical knowledge of multi-state employment law implications
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills; ability to explain complex legal concepts clearly to non-lawyers
• High ethical standards; ability to provide independent, candid legal advice while preserving productive relationships with executive leadership
• Prior experience in workforce services, temporary placement, and/or staffing industry strongly preferred
• Experience with multi-state litigation
• Experience with federal employment statutes (e.g. FLSA, FMLA, ADA, Title VII) and state equivalents.

Core Competencies & Personal Attributes:

• Pragmatic and Commercial - provides options with clear business tradeoffs and recommended actions
• Diplomatic Communication - ability to advocate strongly for legal risk mitigation while considering business objectives
• Calm Under Pressure - ability to lead through fast-moving disputes or crises
• Independent Judgement - exercises sound discretion and knows when to escalate

Working Conditions & Travel Expectations:

• Onsite in Tupelo, MS; travel to regional offices and court appearances as needed
• Must maintain active bar status in MS and AL (continuing legal education and required)