Description

Family owned, dynamic business with operations throughout North America and Western Europe is seeking a full-time in-house General Counsel to manage the company’s legal affairs, including relations with the company’s outside counsel.  We are looking for someone with at least 4 years or more of progressive legal experience, with prior in-house GC or deputy GC experience preferred.

A broad knowledge base encompassing corporate law, contracts, employment law and regulatory compliance is essential, as the General Counsel must be able to handle a wide variety of duties. Because of the nature of the business, there will be a strong emphasis on contract administration and management, employee safety, risk management and employment law.

Equally important as substantive legal skills, we need someone with excellent communication skills and a willingness to work in a collaborative manner with management, and the executive team. Also important is the ability to build and maintain effective personal relationships within the company, acting at all times with the highest level of integrity and honesty, and earning the trust and respect of those with whom you will work.

Given the large geographical footprint of the company, travel may be required.  Because of the culture and character of the company, residing in Kern County and working on a regular basis at the company’s headquarters is required.

The General Counsel serves as advisor to the executive team, board of directors, and key business leaders. This role is responsible for overseeing legal affairs of the company, including contract management, regulatory compliance, intellectual property strategy, litigation management, employment law support, enterprise risk, insurance and oversight of outside counsel.

This role operates as both a strategic advisor and a practical problem solver, offering proactive legal guidance that supports business growth while mitigating legal and regulatory risk. The General Counsel requires a dynamic and strategic leader capable of balancing corporate-level initiatives while ensuring the operational success of a business unit.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Legal Strategy & Governance

• Provide practical, business focused legal advice to the CEO and executive leadership team on strategic initiatives, operations, and risk management. 
• Build and lead a high-performing legal and risk department, including recruitment, mentorship, performance evaluation, and succession planning.
• Provide strategic legal guidance on a wide array of matters including governance, regulatory compliance, litigation, and business operations.
• Lead activities to develop (with governance from the board of directors) and ensure adherence to all corporate policies.   
• The General Council may be required to present to the Board of Directors while maintaining strict confidentiality and attorney-client privilege.  
• It will also be expected that in-house counsel regularly consults expert legal outside counsel in all areas beyond in-house counsel’s expertise which exposes the Company to risk.   

Contract Management 

• Standardize and streamline the contract management process to improve the customer onboarding process (measured in response time). 
• Support contract lifecycle processes including review, drafting, negotiation, risk analysis, and enforcement.
• Support operational teams by aligning contractual frameworks with risk mitigation, strategic and financial goals.

Risk Management & Compliance

• Lead the enterprise risk management strategy including oversight of insurance programs, claims management, and alternative risk transfer programs.
• Represent the company in legal proceedings, investigations, and compliance reviews.
• Refresh framework to proactively identify and mitigate operational, financial, and reputational risk of the enterprise. 
• As a member of the IT Steering Committee, provide thought leadership on all aspects of artificial intelligence. 
• Lead the cross functional Risk Management Committee meetings, presenting risk assessments, mitigation plans, and key developments to the Board of Directors.
• Collaborate with Safety, Compliance, and HR leadership to monitor and mitigate environmental, regulatory, and workplace risk. 

Employment Law

• Work with outside council and HR to manage risk within our workforce model to include managing union activity and cross-border interactions.  
• Understand, guide (as necessary), and collaborate with HR on job classification, wages and hours requirements at various levels of the organization across all states and provinces where the company operates
• Work with Environmental Health &Safety and outside council to manage Safety, Health, and Incident Response policies and procedures including interacting with OSHA and other related agencies.
• At times, work with HR and outside council to manage independent contractor vs employee status, subcontracting, and prevailing wage obligations on public work.

Litigation & Dispute Resolution

• Direct all litigation matters, including oversight of outside counsel and internal litigation strategies.
• Evaluate potential liabilities, set reserves in coordination with Finance, and recommend resolution strategies.

Mergers, Acquisitions & Integration

• Serve as legal lead for corporate development activities including acquisitions, joint ventures, and divestitures globally.
• Lead legal due diligence, deal structuring, negotiation, and post-close integration.

Cost Control & Collections

• Implement tools and practices to directly reduce legal and operational costs.
• Collaborate with Finance and branch admin teams (as necessary) to support dispute resolution and collections efforts from a legal and contractual standpoint.
• Other duties assigned in support of the operation. 

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those and employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.  

At Rain for Rent, in-person work at our offices and/or branch location is a top priority because it allows us to more effectively collaborate, connect, and builds a workplace culture that drives our continued success. This role requires onsite presence at a Rain for Rent office and/or branch location. Except for limited circumstances, remote and/or hybrid options are not offered at this time.

The employee will be exposed to a well-lighted, heated and/or air conditioned indoor office setting with adequate ventilation. The employee may occasionally be exposed to working near moving mechanical parts. The noise level in the work environment is moderate.

Travel

Regular overnight travel (up to 40%) to visit branches that are located across the United States and in Canada and Europe.

Requirements

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations:

Active Bar license to practice law in California. 

Education and/or Experience:

• J.D. from an accredited law school is required. A current license to practice law in California or eligibility to register as in-house counsel is required.
• Requires 4+ years of progressive legal experience, in-house GC or Deputy GC experience preferred.
• Prior experience across corporate, business law, commercial contracts (customers, vendors, partnerships), employment law, regulatory compliance, and oversight of outside counsel preferred.
• Proven leadership experience managing teams, legal operations, and external counsel in an applicable industry (services, construction, oil & gas, agriculture, mechanical contracting, engineering, etc.).
•  Strong understanding of contracts, risk management, insurance, and compliance functions.
•  Excellent interpersonal, negotiation, and communication skills with the ability to engage cross-functional stakeholders and provide excellent service to operations teams.
•  Experience in process improvement, change management and business transformation.
•  Experience collaborating with Board of Directors, Executive Leadership, and multi-branch service operations.
•  Experience with Artificial Intelligence tools is preferred.
•  Experience in building and scaling multi-site industrial services businesses preferred
•  Experience conducting M&A transactions is preferred.