General Counsel

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Description

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• As a member of the organization’s global executive team, provide advice and counsel to senior leaders in the organization
• Partner with programs leads to provide guidance, legal opinion, and, when necessary, review of issues. Oversee the safety and security function and develop safety-related protocols
• In collaboration with the Chief Financial Officer, manage insurance coverages and limits.
• Partner with the HR team regarding matters related to relevant employment and labor laws and internal investigations
• Partner with the Finance team on tax, audit, and other financial matters

• Proactively and creatively evaluate risk factors impacting business decisions, including receipt of donor funding, registering in new countries, entering into contracts with different types of entities, programmatic risk (particularly exposure of industries), and establishing policies and procedures
• Anticipate legal issues that could impact the organization
• Advise on potential liability and areas of risk for WRI.
• Oversee intellectual property matters, including copyrights and trademarks, data privacy and security matters
• Advise on global employment law issues and people-related risks

• Advise on the organization’s global operations and expansion, oversee office registration and closing processes, and assess advantages of registration type
• Support compliance with all applicable laws and regulations for WRI globally, including its multiple offices and affiliates

• Advise on investigations into employee complaints around the globe
• Support WRI’s Chief People Officer (CPO) in implementing a safe, equitable and inclusive workplace policy
• Serve as a key member of the newly-formed resolution team that ensures allegations of inappropriate conduct are treated consistently across all offices and at all levels of the organization 

• Be knowledgeable about and anticipate legislative and regulatory changes affecting the organization, especially industry-specific issues (e.g., tax-exempt organizations and international non-governmental organizations), employment law, corporate governance, compliance and regulatory affairs
• Familiarity with governmental and donor lobbying rules
• Advisory support for development and implementation of legal policies and procedures

• Working closely with the Board of Directors and the Chief Financial Officer will staff the Audit and Risk Management Committee
• Advise on matters of corporate governance, WRI’s tax-exempt status compliance obligations, and matters of strategic importance to the Board 

• Build, coordinate and manage a network of external counsel that can respond to legal issues and regulations impacting WRI’s operations worldwide
• Oversee all disputes and litigation, including managing outside counsel representing WRI

• Law degree from an ABA accredited law school

• Minimum of 15 years of post-degree legal experience, including experience in a senior in-house counsel role. Legal experience working internationally with a demonstrable track record of handling a wide variety of legal and compliance issues a leading NGO faces in its work around the globe Eligible to practice law in the District of Columbia or ability to waive in

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