Primary Purpose

The primary purpose of this position is to serve as the deputy general counsel for a not-for-profit trade association.  The successful candidate will need to have broad experience in trade association legal issues, capable of addressing a wide range of commercial activities, which includes handling employment matters, serving as legal advisor to respective board(s), and undertaking compliance activities for the organization.  Experience in litigation, employment matters, business transactions, board services, and regulatory counseling is preferred.

Responsibilities

The essential job duties and responsibilities for this position include:

• Lead the legal oversight and legal management of the organization’s commercial activities.
• Oversee and manage association litigation activities as needed.
• Provide legal counsel (and some issue management) for employment operations at the organization.
• Provide advice and services to industry sector board(s) as needed.
• Manage some of the association’s legal department personnel, certain aspects of their workflow (or provide legal counsel in support of their workflow), and help in the administration of the department budget.
• Provide legal counsel and oversight for the organization related to compliance with antitrust, campaign finance, lobbying activity, and other applicable laws.

Specific Responsibilities include:

1. Legal Activities
   1. Manage litigation matters (BIO as amicus, intervenor, party; subpoenas, etc.) as needed.
   2. Provide legal counsel on employment matters.
   3. Provide regulatory counseling, legal advice, and advocacy support for BIO’s patient and alliance development, and certain international and business-related issues for the Emerging Companies Section.
   4. Provide regulatory counseling, legal advice, and advocacy support (as needed) for BIO’s healthcare, agricultural and environmental industry sectors.
   5. Provide legal advice and services to sector board(s) as needed.
2. Legal Counsel & Support of Commercial Activities
   1. Serve as in-house counsel/legal advisor for all BIO business-related activities and conferences, including BIO Business Solutions, the International Convention, BIO Investor Conferences, and other revenue generating programs. 
   2. Serve BIO’s internal clients by overseeing BIO’s contract review, negotiation, drafting and processing in coordination with Finance & Accounting.
   3. Supervise and help process Legal Department budget and administration (including review of engagement letters, invoices, check requests, travel and expense reports, etc.).
3. Compliance
   1. Serve as BIO’s Compliance Officer (corporate ethics, antitrust, BIOPAC, training, etc.).
   2. Provide legal counsel for compliance with lobbying and campaign finance activities for the organization.
   3. Oversee compliance and commercial activities for BIO’s management of its trademark and intellectual property (IP) portfolios.
   4. Review/supervise BIO’s advertising/marketing/news/communications activities for FTC/DOJ/FDA compliance issues.

Required Background and skills

• BA/BS Degree, with technical degree preferred
• JD Degree
• 10 to 15+ years of relevant legal
• Experience and expertise in trade association commercial operations;
• Familiarity or knowledge of association, communications & advertising, intellectual property, food & drug, environmental, agricultural, small business, trade and/or antitrust law;
• Familiarity with the biotechnology industry and the public policy issues facing the public and private companies in the industry;
• Familiarity with private equity financing (e.g., venture capital), tax law, and securities law;
• Experience with U.S. regulatory and legislative processes (and some exposure to international, state and local regulatory and legislative processes);
• Experience with contracts and corporate law, including board procedures and governance;
• Experience in the management of litigation and responses to discovery requests;
• Experience with compliance matters, especially related to antitrust, campaign finance, and lobbying; and
• Experience with supervising other senior attorneys.
• The individual should be able to work under tight timelines and multi-task easily and efficiently.
• Some travel required.

Candidates should be aware that BIO currently maintains a policy requiring all US-based employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and receive a booster shot once eligible. Newly hired employees must be vaccinated and boosted prior to their employment start date BIO is an equal opportunity employer and will provide a reasonable accommodation to those unable to be vaccinated or receive a booster where it is not an undue hardship to the company to do so as provided under federal, state, and local law.