Law Department Search : Texas Lawyer Recruiting & Attorney Search : Courtney Sapire : Texas Lawyer Jobs

Large company seeks commercial contracts negotiators to review, analyze and negotiate domestic and international sales agreements. Position responsibilities include:

·         Leading negotiations for the sale of information technology projects and services

·         Interacting with senior management as both an advisor and business leader

·         Collaborating with sales, operations, finance, legal, tax, and risk management to ensure that agreements adequately protect company’s interests

·         Reviewing and providing input on terms and conditions contained in RFP & and sales proposals

Requirements:

·         Heavy experience dealing with international business practices, antitrust laws, intellectual property, resellers, leasing companies, and commercial contract law

·         Minimum of 8 years of domestic and international sales negotiation, transactional, and/or in-house corporate legal experience

·         Extensive knowledge of the information technology industry and detailed knowledge of commercial contracts terms

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We have multiple opportunities with energy companies in the New England area for lawyers with federal and state energy regulatory experience.  This is an exciting time to work in the electric power industry and participate in shaping energy policy and regulations.

Our clients seek attorneys with 3 - 7 years of FERC or state regulatory experience and excellent writing skills.  These are busy departments that offer cutting-edge work, along with competitive salaries and benefits, and career stability.

If interested, please contact sharon@sapiresearch.com .

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In today’s economic world, marketing is more important than ever. The people who are bringing in business are the ones who are going after it.  Here’s a great opportunity: for the next 48 hours only, my colleague Paula Black is offering a collection of free bonus gifts to anyone who purchases her latest book: “The Little Black Book: A Lawyer’s Guide To Creating A Marketing Habit in 21 Days.” Designed to help lawyers integrate marketing into their daily lives, this book is quick, easy and inspirational. By purchasing it within the next 48 hours, you’ll receive special access to information and resources from more than 30 industry experts. A compilation of advice from some of the most sought-after experts in the legal arena, “The Smart Lawyer’s Toolkit” gives you instant admittance to an incredible collection of tips and information. Click here for details.

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Legal Week recently launched a group for in-house lawyers.  Established last month by Legal Week conference editor Anthony Parker, the group enables law department attorneys to to exchange information and build working relationships.  The 500-member group is growing fast.

Members include in-house counsel from JP Morgan, Dubai International Capital, Virgin, Nomura, UBS, 3i, Carillion, Chevron, Barclays and IBM.   Access to the group provides links to features and analysis from Legal Week and its US sister titles, the latest news stories relating to in-house counsel and corporate legal departments, discussion boards, and information about upcoming events. 

To join, click here.

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Downsizing almost always destabilizes a corporate law department, leaving in its wake uncertainty and doubts about the future in the minds of those not affected by the layoffs. If you’re among the ranks of those left standing, you might be thinking it’s a good time to start exploring other opportunities. Networking and reaching out to former colleagues is first step.

If you’ve been with the same firm or company for several years, your contacts may be out of date, especially if networking has taken a back seat to the demands of work and family life.  Here are some tips to start reconnecting:

• If you’re not using online business and social networking tools, join now. These really work. LinkedIn is the leading online business networking site and has a very user-friendly interface. Spoke and ZoomInfo are also fairly useful, although the information can be outdated. Facebook is even crossing over to the business arena.
• If you’re already a member of an online network, make sure to update all your current job and contact information. Join alumni groups and those that relate to your area of specialty. 
• Bar association websites are also great resources to find former colleagues. Most states have online searchable attorney databases.
• The Association of Corporate Counsel is also an excellent resource and the contact information for its members is almost always current.
• Finally, Twitter is gaining ground as a way for business people – including lawyers – to self-promote and find colleagues. You can search for contacts and follow them, which can be a great way to re-establish a relationship.

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Gaps on your résumé and multiple jobs within a short time period can raise red flags when applying for a new job.  Although we’re in a recession and have seen in the last several years an unprecedented wave of corporate and law firm consolidation, hiring managers and HR will still question résumé gaps and multiple job changes. No matter what the job market conditions are, first impressions on paper still count.

Here are some tips on how to handle these issues:

On the Resume. In my experience, people tend to go straight to the résumé and either scan or skip the cover letter entirely. Consequently, candidates should include as much explanation as possible on the actual résumé. 

• Example 1 - To explain a move or job change as a result of a merger: “ABC Company was acquired in 2006 by XYZ Corp.” The candidate may or may not have joined XYZ, but the message communicates that something unrelated to performance is the reason for the change.
• Example 2 - To explain a gap as a result of maternity or parental leave: Place an asterisk or footnote next to the year or month in which the gap occurred and explain it at the bottom. “From 2000 – 2001, I took time off to care for my young children.”

Cover Letters. Although cover letters are extremely helpful to headhunters and external recruiters in that they tend to provide more information about the candidate than what is on the résumé, they are frequently discarded in the online résumé submission process, or are simply not forwarded by HR to the hiring managers. Sometimes, even hiring managers don’t read them.  If you believe more explanation is necessary to explain a career gap or job change than what you can fit (or should try to fit) on a résumé, then attach your cover letter to the résumé so that it becomes page 1, and then PDF it so that it’s all in one document. It is more likely to stay intact that way, which increases the chances that a hiring manager will read it.

Dates of Employment. A way to de-emphasize multiple moves in a short period of time is to list years instead of months and years in connection with dates of employment.

Chronological vs. Skills-Based Format.   A skills-based format typically highlights strengths, accomplishments and skills at the top with a summary of job positions below. Although this format is frequently recommended by career counselors, I advise against it. When I see résumés formatted this way, my initial impression is that a candidate is trying to hide something (like re-arranging the furniture to conceal a floor plan problem).  Recruiters and hiring managers want to know what you did in each job. 

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As companies continue to look for ways to trim costs, video and telephone conferences are quickly becoming an initial first step for interviewing non-local candidates. Here are several tips on how to prepare for your video interview:        

• Dress as you would for a face-to-face interview -  from head to toe. Even though the camera may catch you from waist-up at your desk, don’t take the chance being viewed in shorts.
• Try to maintain eye contact with remote viewers and avoid frequently looking away, which could create an impression that you’re distracted.
• DON’T CHECK YOUR BLACKBERRY.
• Speak clearly and pay close attention to the interviewer’s conversation with you, even if the interview is being simultaneously broadcast to multiple offices.
• When emphasizing something important, lean in slightly toward the camera.
• If you’re a small person in a large chair, sit on the edge of your seat to maintain a strong visual presence.

To prepare for a telephone interview:

• Minimize distracting background noise prior to the call’s start.  Barking dogs, television noise and flushing toilets can blow it.  
• If the call is unexpected, ask to reschedule for a time when you’ll have had a chance to prepare yourself and your environment.
• If the interview is scheduled, keep your résumé and notes close for reference.
• Like a video interview, avoid checking your blackberry or e-mail, and pay close attention to the conversation. Phone interviewers judge candidates by what they say and how they say it.  Lulls in conversation can indicate a lack of focus or knowledge on a subject.

For both telephone and video conference interviews, it helps to practice. You can practice in the mirror or even by recording yourself. Additionally, it’s nice to send a follow-up thank you that reiterates your top selling points. Be sure to proofread, though.

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The economic slump has caused demand for most transactions lawyers to come to a screeching halt. Deal flow is stagnant, credit is scarce, and many attorneys who specialize in real estate and structured finance are looking for jobs.  

Areas that continue to experience growth – and hiring -- include:

• Renewable energy project development. Attorneys with experience in power project development, especially wind projects, are in high demand. 
• International trade & global compliance. FCPA violations, import/export issues and customs audits keep GCs awake at night. These are mission-critical positions within legal departments.
• E-discovery managers. For many companies that experience a high volume of litigation, these positions are starting to become more prevalent.    Recessions tend to increase litigation, so this position will likely play an important role on corporate legal teams.
• Regulatory practices. Demand is increasing for regulatory lawyers, including those who specialize in energy, environmental, securities and now banking.

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The credit crisis has wreaked havoc on several practice areas, including real estate and finance.   Many lawyers who specialize in these practices are seeking new positions. The problem is that there aren’t many openings for these lawyers right now. Worse, the trend for the last 5-8 years has been to hire “specialists,” those with niche areas of expertise – the round peg for the round hole. 

Here are some tips on how to break into a new area, or “re-tool” your practice:

-          Start building your résumé and your knowledge base.  Attend CLE courses and list them. Research and write an article about a particular area. Better yet, find the experts and ask if you can assist with an article. These people are usually on the speaking circuit and are frequently publishing. They may welcome some assistance on a particular topic. 

-          Try to get contract work in that area. Many companies and firms need attorneys to fill in on a project basis (not just for document reviews).

-          Take on some pro bono work in that area if you can find it.

-          Work for a government agency. Although it may be a temporary financial setback, the hands-on experience can be fantastic.

-          NETWORK.   Despite the trend of hiring lawyers with a track record in a particular area, there are still employers out there who simply want hard-working individuals with bright minds.   They just won’t pay a search firm to find them.

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We have been retained by National Grid USA to conduct a search for an Assistant General Counsel - Federal Regulatory. The position will be based either in the company's U.S. headquarters located near Boston, or in Washington D.C.

National Grid USA is a wholly owned subsidiary of National Grid plc. National Grid’s core U.S. business is the delivery of electricity and natural gas. National Grid is one of the ten largest utilities (by number of customers) in the U.S. and has the largest electricity transmission and distribution network in the New England/New York region. National Grid plc is an international network utility with principal activities in the regulated electricity and natural gas industries.  It is one of the largest investor-owned utilities in the world.  The company’s headquarters are in London, and it is listed on the London (Symbol: NG) and New York (Symbol: NGG) stock exchanges.

Reporting to the Deputy General Counsel – Regulatory, the AGC – Federal Regulatory is responsible for all federal legal matters for the company and will be the primary point of contact for the legal department to the transmission function.

Additional responsibilities:

• Assumes primary responsibility for federal energy regulatory matters.
• Manages and supervises a team of 4-6 in-house attorneys and outside counsel.
• Provides legal advice and counsel to senior management in electric distribution and transmission functions.
• Assists in the monitoring of gas pipeline filings affecting transportation capacity held by gas distribution companies in four states.

Requirements:

• 10-20+ years of experience on FERC matters.
• Experience managing attorneys within a corporate legal department.

In addition to an outstanding career opportunity and a fantastic work environment, the company offers competitive compensation and a comprehensive benefits package that includes a pension plan.  

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Large energy company headquartered in Dallas seeks a 3+ year attorney to join its growing legal team. The position will focus on state energy regulatory work, but will secondarily include business transactions and legislative affairs. The role offers a hands-on opportunity to gain immediate experience in the energy regulatory and policy arena while under excellent mentorship.

Responsibilities include:

·         Providing support in connection with PUC and FERC regulatory matters, including representing the company at hearings and proceedings

·         Handling franchise agreements and other commercial transactions

·         Providing support in connection with legislative affairs and public policy matters

In addition to offering access to one of the largest energy infrastructures in the world, the company offers significant internal opportunities, a competitive compensation plan and a comprehensive benefits package.   

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We have been exclusively engaged by a top-caliber energy boutique firm in Texas to recruit litigation associates.   In addition to lucrative compensation packages, the firm boasts a Fortune 500 client base and a robust pipeline of sophisticated work.  

TRIAL EXPERIENCE: This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to get hands-on trial experience and work directly with the some of the largest and most successful companies in the world.

Additional features:

·         All associates really practice law from day one and will try cases in their first year. 

·         The dockets are fluid. Lawyers open matters, process them, and close them.   With a full pipeline of cases, the work is steady and plentiful.

·         All lawyers maintain multiple open files, which reinforces experience, expedites the learning curve, makes the work more interesting, and teaches attorneys how to manage big dockets. It’s an environment in which lawyers succeed and careers are made.

·         Lawyers work across the table from the best lawyers and firms in the country.

·         Cases are tried in venues throughout Texas and beyond.

Culture & Values:

This firm’s culture stresses interaction and personalized working relationships among its lawyers, a shared passion for achievement on behalf of its clients, and an overall commitment to finding ways to help each other maximize potential as individual lawyers and as an organization.

Energy Industry:

The energy industry has been a mainstay of the firm’s practice. The importance of energy in the new economy has enhanced business opportunities for the firm’s clients, resulting in cutting-edge representations.    

The firm’s strong relationships with key players in this sector have advantageously positioned it to get the work that really counts – these are cases that shape the energy industry and have an impact on a national and global scale.

It’s an exciting time to practice at this firm.

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Global energy company with a top-caliber legal department seeks an attorney to support its renewable energy division. The position will provide legal support in the nature of counseling, drafting, negotiating, and transactional assistance for clients.

This position is for an experienced commercial attorney with extensive transactional experience. This position will provide legal support in the nature of counseling, drafting, negotiating, and transactional assistance to the company’s solar business including:

·         Providing advice, counsel and general transactional support in connection with the design, manufacture and marketing of solar electric systems for a wide range of applications in the residential, commercial and industrial sectors;

·         Negotiating, drafting and reviewing complex, detailed project agreements such as memoranda of understanding, engineering, procurement and construction agreements, operation and maintenance agreements, leases, supply agreements, technology agreements and joint venture agreements;

·         Supporting bid transactions and acquisition efforts;

·         Supporting divestiture activities and sales of operating projects and projects in development;

·         Managing outside counsel as appropriate;

·         Providing client training on related legal issues.

The position will also require cross-team collaboration and coordination of legal workload with the other legal colleagues. The candidate should have a proven track record as a team player and as an effective manager of resources, both internal and external.

This company offers an outstanding work environment, along with a competitive compensation and benefits package.

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Global energy company with a top-caliber legal department seeks an attorney to support its renewable energy division. The position will provide legal support in the nature of counseling, drafting, negotiating, and transactional assistance for clients.

This position is for an experienced commercial attorney with transactional and project development experience to support wind projects. This position will provide legal support in the nature of counseling, drafting, negotiating, and transactional assistance to the company’s wind business including:

·         Providing advice, counsel and general transactional support in connection with the development, construction, and operation of wind projects;

·         Negotiating, drafting and reviewing complex, detailed project agreements such as site plan agreements, escrow agreements, supply and transmission agreements, memoranda of understanding, engineering, procurement and construction agreements, operation and maintenance agreements, and equipment supply agreements;

·         Supporting bid transactions and acquisition efforts;

·         Supporting divestiture activities and sales of operating projects and projects in development;

·         Working closely with the real estate attorneys and land team within the wind business in the acquisition of options and leases on land;

·         Managing outside counsel as appropriate;

·         Providing client training on related legal issues.

The position will also require cross-team collaboration and coordination of legal workload with the other legal colleagues. The candidate should have a proven track record as a team player and as an effective manager of resources, both internal and external.

The company offers an outstanding compensation and benefits package, along with a great work environment.

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Conducting a legal job search when you’re 50 or older poses some additional challenges.  Hiring managers often pass on résumés of senior-level attorneys, assuming they expect a large paycheck, or that they won’t fit into the organizational structure  of the legal department. 

Here are some tips on marketing yourself:

• Prepare for a longer process. It takes an average of 22 weeks for someone over 55 to find a new position, compared with a much shorter time for attorneys at the lower end of the career experience spectrum. And the higher up on the career ladder you are, the fewer openings you’ll find. Setting your expectations realistically will help maintain a positive outlook.
• Packaging. What is your niche? Having a specialty makes it much easier to get your foot in the door. The majority of job openings seek a particular skill set that the legal department needs.  Ironically, once on board, in-house counsel tend to handle a wide variety of matters.  
• The Right Recruiters. Once you’ve identified your specialty, it’s wise to target recruiters who focus on that area. They’re likely to have a higher profile and stronger relationships in the industry.
• Networking.   Expanding your business and social circles increases the odds of hearing about new openings and getting referrals.  Sites such as LinkedIn.com and Plaxo really work!
• TECHNOLOGY.   This is crucial. To combat age bias, you must be knowledgeable about all the basics (Outlook, Excel, Word at a minimum).  Better yet, get up to speed on instant messaging and blackberries. 
• First impressions count.   Everything on the outside conveys a message. A contemporary style can erase the impression that you’re stuck in a different generation. 

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Growing Texas division of a large international company seeks a midstream transactions attorney with experience in natural gas transactions and operations.  The company offers competitive compensation, flexible work schedules, a collaborative work environment, and an opportunity to join a dynamic and rapidly growing sector of the energy industry.

Responsibilities include:   

• Provide overall legal advice and assistance on project development and facility operations matters, which may include real estate matters, permitting (state and federal), vendor service contracts, construction contracts and related matters, and working with outside counsel on same.
• Provide legal assessments, interpretations, recommendations and representation on project development matters, including related policy matters. Manage and assist in due diligence on project acquisitions and divestitures.
• Provide overall legal advice and assistance on gas storage commercial transactional matters, which may include development and negotiation of storage agreements, interpretation and drafting of storage tariffs (FERC) and other interaction with the FERC in respect of the Company’s current and future gas storage activities.
• Provide assistance with compliance and training programs, and draft legal advisories, documents and contracts, including transactional documents and board papers.

Qualifications

• 5+ years experience working on the development of energy resources, with a particular focus on real property, oil, gas and energy and permitting or engineering, construction and procurement. 
• Ability to draft and negotiate storage agreements and vendor master service agreements, draft permitting applications and manage legal requirements associated natural gas storage and transportation operations.
• Experience with form energy agreements (including the EEI, WSPP, ISDA, IADC), customized energy purchase agreements, physical and financial trading, natural gas storage, transportation, scheduling, and credit enhancement/ margin agreements, letters of intent and term sheets for project development/acquisition.
• Experience with general business law and natural gas / electricity energy transactions. 
• Experience with FERC rules, regulations and policy in respect of natural gas storage matters (including both Section 311 and Section 7(c) authorizations). 

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Houston energy company seeks an experienced energy transactional and operations attorney with experience in midstream transactions and operations. This attorney will provide legal support for the operations and business development activities of the company’s midstream business units, which are comprised of natural gas liquids (NGLs) storage, liquids products pipelines, NGL and olefins fractionation facilities and natural gas gathering and processing.

Responsibilities include: 

• Drafting, reviewing and negotiating support for contracts related to business development activities including: confidentiality agreements, asset and real property purchase and sale agreements, right of way acquisition documents and construction agreements for pipelines and liquids infrastructure facilities
• Advising client departments regarding day to day operational issues arising under existing commercial agreements and business arrangements and in connection with prosecution of major capital projects
• Advising client departments regarding compliance with applicable governmental regulations, including permit applications and general and specific compliance issues with respect to the Texas Railroad Commission, Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, the Federal Energy Regulatory Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

Qualifications:

• 5 - 15 years of experience in the energy industry
• Working knowledge of the natural gas liquids and/or petroleum products businesses. Experience in the petroleum products or NGL pipeline businesses is a substantial plus
• Solid drafting and contract experience.  Industry-specific experience in the midstream or other fixed asset-based energy business segments is preferred. 

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Global energy company seeks an executive-level attorney with strong energy project development experience for the role of Vice President and Assistant General Counsel. This position reports to the Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary of the parent company and also to the President & CEO of one of its divisions.

The Vice President and Assistant General Counsel is responsible for providing legal counsel to the parent company and its subsidiaries in connection with complex energy-related transactional, project development, asset management and finance matters, with emphasis on wind, biomass and other renewable energy sources. The position will also be responsible for assisting the company on compliance issues, including local, state and federal regulatory requirements and overall compliance with national, state and/or local laws and regulations in North America.

Specific responsibilities include:

- Developing and executing comprehensive legal strategies and solutions to lawfully facilitate the parent company's and its subsidiaries' commercial objectives while mitigating any associated legal risks

- Providing legal advice and support to the renewable energy business unit, in connection with complex energy-related project development, asset management and finance agreements, and ensuring compliance with national, state and/or local laws and regulations in North America

- Advising on North American national, state and local regulations and requirements, with an emphasis on renewable energy

- Assisting with managing litigation, administrative proceedings and policy matters with an emphasis on matters involving the renewable energy unit

- Providing support to the parent company legal function generally in matters not involving renewable energy, including gas, power and LNG matters

In addition to a great work environment with a strong leadership team, the company offers an attractive compensation package that includes both short and long-term incentives, as well as an annual perquisite allowance.

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Global company headquartered in Houston seeks an executive-level attorney for the role of Associate General Counsel - Commercial. This officer-level position reports to the Senior Vice President and General Counsel and leads a team of three attorneys.

The Associate General Counsel heads the Commercial Section of the Law Department, which is responsible for day-to-day legal advice on business matters for the company's various operating divisions, functional departments and international operations. The AGC functions as a quasi-general counsel for one or more operating divisions with direct responsibility for assisting the applicable division executives and staff. In that capacity, the AGC manages all aspects of that division's legal needs, excluding IP, labor & employment, tax, environmental and litigation, all of which are handled by other attorneys at the company.

The Commercial Section has primary responsibility for providing legal support for issues related to commercial contracts, supplier relationships, distribution/rep relations & termination, FTC regulations, IT licenses and agreements, real estate, secured transactions, UCC, etc. 

Ideal experience would include a strong finance or accounting background and familiarity with corporate compliance, including customs, export control, anti-boycott and other international trade issues, FCPA, and government contracting.

This position will be a key part of the management of the law department and will drive certain law department initiatives, including the establishment of law department policies and developing corporate-wide compliance assurance.

Compensation:

The company is offering an outstanding compensation package for this role that includes cash and equity.

Required Experience: 

•             15+ years of experience, including prior law department management experience 

•             Strong commercial transactions and international experience

•             Strong finance or accounting background

•             Proven ability to work as part of a cross-functional team in overall project management, including the ability to work within established corporate risk tolerance levels.

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As you gain experience in your legal career, you’re likely to be contacted by a legal recruiter at some point.   Here are tips on building and managing strong relationships with them:

Know what you want. Offer yourself as a candidate only if you’re serious about making a change. Headhunters don’t like “tire-kickers.”  Legal recruiters are engaged by their clients to find qualified and motivated candidates.  

Be available. Once you’ve agreed to submit your resume for a particular position, make yourself available for interviews.   Although it’s time-consuming, being too difficult to schedule potentially sends a message to a prospective employer that you’re not interested in the position.

Is everyone on board? Be sure to discuss career moves with family members who would be impacted by a change, or whose voices count in your decision-making process.   Don’t get to the offer stage before you discuss relocating with your spouse.

Disclosure. If you have submitted your resume to other firms or companies, and by all means, if you are currently interviewing for a different position than the one for which you’ve been contacted, disclose this information up front.   No one likes surprises, especially the firm or company that’s about to make you an offer. 

Stay in touch. Check in with legal recruiters about once every two weeks to stay on the radar screen, and especially if you have a status change.

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Large Houston company seeks a 4-8 year tax attorney to join its legal department. This company offers a fantastic tax team and work environment, along with competitive compensation packages and outstanding benefits. 

This role is responsible for the company’s domestic and international taxes, and will counsel business segments to ensure compliance and optimize the company’s tax position. Assignments will evolve over time for staff development and to manage workloads on the regional team in Houston. This position is based in Houston and will require some U.S. and international business travel.   

Requirements:

•             Expertise in US and international taxation

•             L.L.M. or CPA a plus

•             Excellent research and analytical skills

•             Strong leadership skills and the ability to interact effectively with senior tax management and external professionals

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In a recent survey on the effects of associate salary increases conducted by Altman Weil Inc., companies are feeling the ripple effects.  In addition to restrictions on the extent to which junior associates can work on files, these increases are having an impact on corporate law department recruiting and hiring. 

Attracting and landing qualified candidates is getting harder.   In the past, non-executive level lawyers usually took a decrease in salary of approximately 20% when moving from a law firm to a corporate legal department.   That percentage has jumped to about 30% - 35% now, which has caused some associates to think twice about leaving. 

Corporate human resources departments are also feeling the pressure.   As outside counsel rates climb, many GCs are bringing more work in-house, as Law.com reports (see, “General Counsel Keep Close Watch on Associate Pay Hikes,” July 12, 2007). And more work in-house means legal hiring managers are leaning on HR to make budget adjustments in order to attract top lawyers.   Hiring a new lawyer at a higher base salary than those at comparable experience levels often necessitates across-the-board adjustments. So, the ultimate beneficiaries of associate raises may end up being the lawyers who are already practicing in corporate departments.

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Large energy company seeks 8+ year attorney with strong project development experience.  The company offers an attractive compensation and benefits package, significant opportunities for career growth, and a fantastic legal team.

This role will focus on the development and construction of domestic power projects including: engineering, procurement and construction, site purchase, leasing, easements, permitting, power purchase agreements, fuel supply, responding to RFPs, O&M agreements and issues, transportation, interconnection, insurance/risk management issues, issues arising during and after construction, familiarity with credit/debt agreements and compliance, joint venture/ownership/management issues, equity/asset divestitures, acquisitions, and outside counsel management.

Requirements include:

• 8+ years of experience in either private practice or within a corporate legal department
• Experience as lead counsel on projects and willingness to assist on associated projects
• Energy industry experience would be ideal.

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Large Houston company seeks an 8+ year tax attorney to join its top-caliber legal team.  The company offers competitive compensation and outstanding benefits, along with significant growth opportunities. 

This role has primary responsibility for the company's domestic employment and expatriate taxes, and will counsel all business segments in the Americas and ensure that the company is in compliance with all employment tax payment and reporting obligations.  This position will supervise a team of three and will have responsibility for providing advice and guidance on fringe benefits, expense reimbursement programs and the sourcing of compensation.  The position has responsibility to ensure corporate and individual compliance with U.S., regional and global tax rules and regulations with respect to the taxation of expatriate employees and employment tax issues.  The position is based in Houston and will require some U.S. and international business travel. 

Requirements:

• Expertise in U.S. and international taxation of expatriate employees
• Extensive knowledge of U.S. Internal Revenue Code Section 911 and the foreign tax credit provisions of U.S. tax
• Knowledge of U.S. income tax treaties and social security totalization agreements
• 8+ years of broad employment and expatriate tax experience required
• LL.M. or CPA a plus
• Excellent research and analysis skills
• Strong leadership skills and the ability to interact effectively with senior tax management and external professionals

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Large company in Houston seeks three, 4+ year transactions attorneys to join its legal department.  The company offers significant growth opportunities on both the legal and business sides, as well as an excellent compensation and benefits package.

The roles support two of the company's largest business units and involve counseling management and employees regarding general domestic and international transactional matters, negotiating and drafting sales and other commercial contracts, and providing support on other strategic projects.

Other responsibilities include:

• Developing legal training programs and systems to streamline the delivery of routine legal services
• Advising managers, executives and other clients regarding general commercial issues
• Drafting and negotiating contracts
• Developing and implementing legal and compliance training programs for assigned business areas

Ideal experience includes:

• Private practice experience in corporate law and exposure to routine as well as large transactions
• Experience advising management-level clients on complex commercial matters and prudent legal practices
• Familiarity with certain compliance issues, including FCPA, antitrust and international trade
• Exposure to general business issues relating to international operations and general exposure to corporate governance practices

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Houston company seeks a 2+ year energy trading lawyer to join an outstanding legal team.  The company offers excellent benefits, an attractive compensation package, and significant internal growth opportunities.

Responsibilities include:

• Negotiating energy commodity contracts including power, natural gas, coal, emissions and fuel oil, including but not limited to EEI, ISDA, NAESB, PPAs, RFPs, confirmations, origination transactions, complex energy transactions and other agreements necessary to support the generation unit.
• Providing support to other departmental attorneys, as well as contract attorneys, and will provide opinions and guidance to the commercial group.

Requirements:

• 2-7 years experience in a corporate legal department and/or law firm with a heavy emphasis on drafting and negotiating contracts
• General understanding of the laws and regulations applicable to energy trading markets
• Experience in a merchant energy company or energy trading company, or experience in energy, corporate and/or commercial transactions is ideal.
• Working knowledge of financial, market and credit risk issues and extensive experience with all relevant documentation is also ideal.

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Dallas energy company seeks a 4+ year attorney with experience in energy regulatory matters.  The company offers a vibrant work environment, significant opportunities for career growth, and an outstanding legal team.  The compensation package is attractive and the benefits are excellent.

Responsibilities include providing legal counsel, risk analysis and support to the company on a variety of legal matters, with a heavy emphasis on supporting regulatory compliance, as well as other commercial activities.

Requirements include prior energy regulatory experience and a working knowledge of PUC regulations.

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Not long ago, in-house counsel positions were highly coveted and in far greater demand than supply. With recent consolidation trends, new law firm associate salary raises, and the often large compensation disparities between law firm partners and in-house counsel, deciding whether to accept that in-house offer requires due diligence. 

Preliminary Research

Learn as much about the company as you can. Good sources of publicly available materials include Hoover’s, Yahoo Finance, Google Finance, and of course, the company’s website. Search the Internet for company news items from the past year and read the analysts’ reports.  Finally, use your own network of personal contacts – do you know any former in-house lawyers from the company, or lawyers who might have worked on an outside counsel basis for this company?

Ask Good Questions

Part of your research involves asking good interview questions (see my post of August 2, 2007 on good interview questions).

Law Department Profiles

How long has the General Counsel been in the role? If approaching retirement, what’s the succession plan? Do you like, respect and want to work for this person?

Get information about members of the legal department. Simply knowing experience levels, titles and practice areas can be useful. 

No amount of research, insightful questions and diligence can reveal every potential problem, but you’ll hopefully have a better feel for the department and the company before you take the job.

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Large company located in Kansas City seeks a senior counsel to manage complex commercial construction transactions.

The company is considered an industry leader with a progressive senior leadership team, and has experienced rapid growth from both operations and acquisitions. Current and long-term projects include new construction and existing facility upgrades valued in excess of $100 million. This role involves negotiating and drafting complex engineering and construction agreements, managing projects, implementing project controls, and monitoring contract compliance. Ideal experience includes:

• 10+ years handling complex commercial transactions
• Experience negotiating and drafting large construction transactions and managing long-term projects
• Prior experience in the engineering / construction industry

Opportunities for career advancement exist in the legal department as well as on the business side. The company offers an attractive compensation package and outstanding benefits.

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In a job interview, the interviewer is usually doing most of the listening.  However, at the close of almost every interview, candidates are given an opportunity to ask questions.  Asking insightful questions is not only a chance to let the interviewer know you've prepared for the meeting, but also a great opportunity to distinguish yourself.   Examples of some good interview questions include:

• What are the company’s strengths and how do you capitalize on them?
• What are the company’s weaknesses and how are you dealing with them?
• What changes to you anticipate in the industry?
• What risks will the company face due to industry changes?
• What are the best opportunities at your firm for new hires?
• How have you strategically responded to the competition?
• What legislation is pending that would affect operations?
• Where will be the major sources of business in the next 5 years?
• How is legal department performance measured and reviewed?
• What is the company’s management style?
• What challenges does the company face?
• What are the common denominator traits of top performers in this organization?
• Why have people left the company?
• Why have people stayed with the company?
• If you hire me, what are the 3 most pressing issues you need resolved?

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Large energy company located in Houston seeks a 5+ year transactions lawyer to provide operational support for one of its divisions. The role provides a great career platform at a company with a history of promoting internally. In addition, the salary is competitive and the company offers a generous short and long-term incentive plan.

Responsibilities include:

• Providing transactional and regulatory support for new product development and new market entry.
• Handling transactions related to energy commodities and services.
• Providing operational support in connection with billing, customer support and with automating documentation processes.
• Managing outside vendors, outside counsel and contract compliance.
• Managing litigation relating to energy commodities and services.

A prior in-house background is a plus. Also, candidates with a solid understanding of energy markets are preferred.

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Interviews are opportunities to sell yourself and to demonstrate what’s not on your résumé. Although you don’t know what the interviewer will ask you, you can take steps to maximize your chances of getting the job.

Here’s a list of 7 tips for making a good impression:

1. Do your homework. Prepare ahead by researching as much as you can about the company and its products or services.
2. Be prepared for chit-chat. Initiating conversation is a sign of good interpersonal skills.
3. Recall your past experience. Make a list prior to the interview of examples of your achievements and challenges you overcame in your career.
4. Dress appropriately. First impressions are critical, and as Mom says, “it’s always better to be overdressed than underdressed.”
5. Exhibit basic social skills. Look people in the eye when you’re having a conversation and give a firm handshake. 
6. Anticipate common questions and prepare for them. Most interviewers will ask you to talk about your background, discuss what expertise you bring to the table, and why this company appeals to you.
7. Avoid the worst interview answer.  Despite it being a perfectly valid reason for seeking an in-house position, “I want better work-life balance,” is never something prospective employers want to hear. 

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