Managing Counsel – Business, Finance, and Innovation UC Office of the President
POSITION SUMMARY
Reporting to the Deputy General Counsel of Business Transactions, Finance, and Innovation (BFI), this Managing Counsel position oversees the expansion of technology assets, investing in and further developing the University’s opportunities, and supporting global partnerships. The Managing Counsel understands that UC is a large, complex organization with many clients. The Managing Counsel will supervise teams of in-house counsel and provide direct client service to carry out UC’s organizational philosophy to provide the best possible services in support of its mission: teaching, research and public service. The position serves as a resource to subordinates on highly complex legal matters or problems in the assigned practice areas; advises and renders opinions to senior management with respect to the legal implications of establishing or changing policy; works with representatives of the campus on developing and modifying practices and procedures to conform with legal requirements; and, leads and/or supports administrative or management initiatives within UC Legal.
The Managing Counsel:
Assists the Deputy General Counsel of BFI in the day-to-day operations of the practice group and the development of its strategic plans and budgets;
Serves as a member of the OGC leadership team;
Provides direct supervision over lawyers working in the Oakland UC Legal office and leads recruitment and retention efforts;
Has significant responsibility in several of the substantive legal areas described in the Key Responsibilities; and
Supports and leads development and implementation of the practice group’s efforts to effectively manage use of legal resources, including oversight of outside counsel.
By practicing UC Legal’s established Values for Principles of Community, all team members are expected to promote diversity and maintain a collaborative and supportive workplace that is respectful of differences, and committed to fairness and diversity in all interactions, both within and outside the team.
Required Qualifications
Minimum of ten (10) years of relevant experience in a law firm or academic setting. Experience should include work in at least one of the following areas: Intellectual Property, Corporate Law, or Business Transactions.
Advanced experience providing counsel on, negotiating and documenting complex legal transactions and collaborations, or familiarity with the various tax, intellectual property, governance, financing and jurisdictional issues associated with such matters.
Demonstrated ability to make and communicate hard decisions; demonstrated credibility to win support for those decisions.
Judgment, tact and diplomacy to partner with senior teams to help them achieve their strategic objectives.
Outstanding communication and presentation skills, including the ability to communicate clearly, logically, and persuasively during interactions and utilize active listening skills.
Exceptional ability to represent institutional concerns persuasively to internal and external parties.
Proven ability to maintain confidentiality with regard to sensitive issues and information and exercise discretion in dealing with sensitive or potentially sensitive topics.
Demonstrated commitment to the highest ethical standards.
Preferred Qualifications
Previous management or supervisory experience and / or significant project management experience.
Demonstrated experience in change-oriented operational management and people leadership with the capacity to lead and motivate a professional team to meet high client service expectations in an extremely visible organization.
Outstanding skills in the ability to lead by influence and consensus.
Outstanding interpersonal skills to interact effectively and develop and maintain productive working relationships with an array of diverse interests, individuals, and constituencies.
Outstanding written skills as defined by the ability to compose a variety of concise, informative written materials appropriate to a particular audience.
Exceptional ability to draft accurate, complete and persuasive legal documents.
Demonstrated ability to act as a team player in all circumstances, as defined by contributing to the successful outcome of initiatives, accountabilities, and operations of others.
Demonstrated understanding of highly complex legal issues in a University setting.
Education
Must possess a J.D. from an accredited law school.
License/Certifications
Must be a member in good standing of the California Bar. (Out-of-state hire would be afforded time to pass the Bar within a reasonable period.)
