Senior Counsel, Commercial Transactions

Under broad direction from the Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, Commercial Transactions and working in close collaboration with senior members of the legal team, the Senior Counsel will act as counsel to the sales and operations team in Building Solutions, N.A.

How you will do it

Act as a member of the legal team assisting in the development and execution of strategies and tactics that enable the business to achieve its objectives and supporting complex commercial and other strategic transactions in furtherance of those objectives.
Negotiate complex customer agreements with a focus on new and developing technology and data sharing agreements and SAAS agreements.
Negotiate collaboration/partnership agreements, teaming agreements, data sharing agreements and integration agreements relating to new technology offerings.
Proactively identify and mitigate risks to the business, with a focus on ensuring Johnson Controls ability to continue to develop and enhance its building environment offerings.
Serve as a subject matter expert and lead legal support on commercial transactions, including software, data and technology licensing, cybersecurity, privacy and other matters of strategic importance, as well as providing general business advice.
Provide training and guide clients in complex issues typical for innovative, growth-oriented, multinational technology companies.
Counsel the business and manage disputes within the business they support.
Work collaboratively and develop internal team of contract managers and other professionals assuring delivery of cost-efficient and effective legal services.
Work directly with legal business partners, corporate center of excellence, regional legal teams and outside counsel to ensure cost-effective support of commercial transactions and other matters of strategic importance to the business.
Identify and sponsor enterprise-wide initiatives that advance the companys legal function.
Domestic travel will be required.

Qualifications

What we look for

The successful candidate will be a forward-looking lawyer, with a deep understanding of the businesses they support. They must have demonstrated capability for innovative thinking, working independently and proactively, and challenging the status quo. They must have the credibility to function as a trusted advisor to the business leaders they support. In addition, the candidate must display an unquenchable curiosity and be able to make connections and draw conclusions from incomplete information.

For this position, the qualified candidate will have a demonstrated interest in products and service sales, technology products (hardware and software), complex commercial negotiations and in helping businesses be successful in achieving their business plans.
They must have a J.D. degree with a minimum of 10 years of relevant law firm and in-house experience, preferably with software or technology companies with international operations, including expertise in technology, data sharing, software licensing and other complex commercial transactions.
Experience with mobile applications, cloud computing, open source software, Internet-of-Things offerings, data ownership and privacy are also important, as is familiarity with M&A transactions.
The successful candidate must be a disciplined legal drafter/writer and possess a problem-solving, can do orientation with a demonstrated ability to simplify complex situations.
Experience selecting and managing outside counsel on international basis is a plus.
Must be fully licensed to practice law within the United States and able to practice in-house in Wisconsin.
Ability to influence without authority and to work within a matrixed legal team are key attributes.

Ability to develop and sustain relationships with management at all levels across geographies and customer management skills are required