Corporate Counsel, Contracts

Role Summary

The Corporate Counsel, Contracts is responsible for supporting the review, negotiation, and execution of company contracts across multiple departments. This position supports the Legal Department and partners with clinical, quality, medical affairs, finance, research & development, HR, IT and other internal clients from other departments to draft and negotiate contracts that protect the company from risk, support company business objectives, and ensure compliance with company guidelines.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with attorneys and other legal staff in other practice areas to proactively identify and address key legal issues for the business teams.
• Draft, review, analyze and negotiate clinical related contracts, including clinical trial agreements (including ancillary agreements, such as clinical study service agreements, quality agreements, and pharmacy and radiology agreements), investigator sponsored studies (ISTs), collaboration and development agreements, sponsored research agreements, and agreements with contract research organizations (CROs). In addition, may draft and negotiate consulting agreements, master services agreements and related statements of work, promotional speaker bureau agreements, vendor and service contracts and related work orders, IT software license agreements, HR benefit and contractor agreements, leases, and confidentiality or non-disclosure agreements.
• Liaise between the internal business units and external parties, ensuring that all legal and contractual matters are addressed efficiently and promptly; escalate matters, as necessary, to reduce company risk and help ensure company business objectives are met.
• Promptly respond to complex inquiries regarding contract obligations and revisions
• Identify risks and issues, propose alternatives that meet company business objectives while also reducing company risk
• Reviews and tracks in-process and on-going agreements
• Supports company employees regarding the Contract Management process
• Interacts with Intellectual Property Counsel to ensure appropriate handling of intellectual property issues in agreements
• Interacts with Regulatory Counsel and Compliance to ensure appropriate handling of regulatory/compliance issues in contract matters
• Interacts with Quality Assurance to ensure appropriate handling of quality matters.
• Prepare template agreements, modify existing templates and prepare unique agreements as required
• Ensure clear and prompt communication with company employees, and outside parties regarding status of, or issues in, contracts
• Handle miscellaneous legal tasks or special assignments on an as-needed basis
• All other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Required: Juris Doctorate from an accredited law school, and admitted to a US state bar in good standing
• Required: Minimum of 5+ years of major law firm and/or in-house experience with a pharmaceutical, medical device, or healthcare company, with a minimum of 2+ years reviewing and negotiating Clinical Trial Agreements (U.S. and ex-U.S)
• Required: Precise drafting and strong legal analysis skills, and knowledge of the regulations and statutes and industry guidelines impacting pharmaceutical research, development and commercial contracts, including data privacy
• Required: Proficient with Word and have a working knowledge of Excel and Microsoft Access
• Required: Excellent written and oral communication skills; ability to work effectively and efficiently with all levels of management and personnel
• Required: Strong organizational and planning skills and meticulous attention to detail
• Required: Self-starter with the ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in a team environment
• Required: Ability to handle competing priorities in a fast-paced environment and exercise sound commercial and legal judgment
• Required: Must be flexible due to rapidly changing business environment for a growth company

Skills

• Proficient with Word; working knowledge of Excel and Microsoft Access
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Strong organizational and planning skills
• Ability to work independently and in a team
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment

Education

• Juris Doctorate from an accredited law school