Corporate Counsel
Company: American Water
Location: St. Louis, MO
Job Information
Primary Role
To provide legal counsel and representation to the Missouri, Illinois, and Iowa state leadership teams in a variety of areas, including real estate (purchase and sale, easements, rights of way, etc), contracts, litigation, customer complaints, investigations, utility regulation issues, acquisitions and business development, environmental law, and day-to-day operational issues as they arise.
Key Accountabilities
- Provide advice and counsel on a pro-active basis to executives, senior managers and employees in respect to legal issues affecting the business.
- Meet internal customers’ legal needs.
- Assist in the maximization of quality, cost-control and efficiency of acquired outside legal services.
- Serve as a member of the Missouri, Iowa, and Illinois Legal Team.
- Support the states’ Senior Director Corporate Counsel and the Vice President and General Counsel in building the capabilities of the legal team.
- Be a source of high caliber legal resources for the business.
- Contribute to effective communication by listening and providing constructive feedback.
- Participate in and support an open and honest work environment.
- Cascade and share knowledge and information relevant to other members of the team and colleagues across the business.
- Perform other projects as assigned.
Knowledge/Skills
Expertise in practice areas relevant to the business, such as real estate, contracts, litigation, environmental, business development and acquisitions, public utility law, and administrative law.
Experience/Education
- Minimum 5 years of in-depth experience in several of the legal areas listed above obtained with a law firm or combination of firm and in-house experience.
- Experience effectively handling a variety of matters displaying strong business acumen.
- Proven ability to successfully support the business and legal needs of clients.
- Experience in providing timely and effective practical legal advice and services.
- Able to effectively spot legal issues and determine practical, workable options for resolving them.
- Results-focused experience, has worked in fast-paced, deadline-oriented environment.
- Detail-oriented and able to effectively provide client-oriented service while protecting the organization.
- Experience before a state utility commission or other state administrative agency desirable.
- Juris Doctor from an accredited law school.
- Member of the Missouri, Illinois, and/or Iowa state bar, and able to meet all requirements to obtain in-house license in the other states within one year of hire date.
Travel Requirements
Occasional travel, primarily in MO, IL, and IA.
Other
- Able to handle a variety of ongoing projects simultaneously.
- Able to work effectively with minimal supervision.
- Excellent judgment in determining when and how to elevate matters.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills.
- Strong interpersonal and negotiation skills.
- Self-starter, takes initiative to respond to and address legal issues.
- Functions effectively both in individual and team environments.
- Able to work collaboratively with strong interpersonal skills.
Competencies
- Champions safety
- Customer obsessed
- Cultivates innovation
- Nimble learning
- Drives Results
- Collaborates