Corporate Counsel

Bunzl North America is seeking a highly motivated Corporate Counsel to join our team. Bunzl North America is a leading distribution and wholesale company.  With headquarters in St. Louis, Bunzl North America is the largest business unit of the Bunzl plc group, a FTSE 100 company based in London.  This is a new position that would join an existing in-house legal team of five attorneys supporting Bunzl’s operations in North America.

As Corporate Counsel, you will be responsible for providing legal guidance and support to the company in all areas of business law, with a primary focus on commercial transactions with both customers and vendors, and a secondary focus on product liability and regulatory issues, corporate governance, legal risk management and other matters as needed. The right candidate will be a self-starter with strong interpersonal skills, a proactive approach to problem-solving, and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.  While risk management and mitigation are inherent parts of any in-house legal role, this candidate must also possess sound business acumen and be comfortable with ambiguity and pragmatic solutions that achieve business or strategic objectives.

The position will report to the Senior Corporate Counsel in St. Louis.  While a hybrid schedule in the St. Louis office is preferred, remote work from outside the St. Louis area is an option.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review and negotiate a wide variety of commercial contracts, including supply and distribution agreements, nondisclosure agreements, product vendor, contract manufacturing, and IT vendor agreements.
• Provide counsel to corporate and division management on legal issues related to business strategy and operations, including corporate governance, regulatory compliance, and risk management.
• Advise and provide direction to business clients on legal issues, including contract interpretation, dispute resolution, and regulatory requirements with a sense of practical business application.
• Assist with regulatory compliance and licensing requirements in various product categories including FDA and EPA related issues.
• Manage product liability claims, commercial disputes and litigation matters and coordinate practical resolution with outside counsel.
• Stay current on relevant laws and regulations affecting the company and provide legal opinions and guidance to the business.
• Conduct legal research and provide guidance on legal policies and procedures.

Requirements:

• Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited law school.
• Active membership in at least one U.S. state bar.
• Minimum of 4 years of experience as a corporate or transactional attorney, in-house (preferably in the wholesale, distribution, or manufacturing industry) or private practice with focus on those areas.
• Strong drafting, negotiating, and communication skills. Familiarity with contract and matter management software (Legal Tracker, HighQ or similar) a plus.
• Demonstrated experience in transactions and contract negotiations with multi-billion-dollar companies.
• Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills with the ability to not only identify and mitigate legal risks but also to appropriately assess and balance those risks in the context of business or strategic objectives.
• Experience managing a variety of legal matters simultaneously and independently.

Bunzl is a global leader in the Cleaning & Hygiene, Food Processing, Grocery, Health Care, Non-Food Retail, and Safety industries. We have grown both organically and through acquisitions to sales in excess of $10 billion.  Bunzl North America is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.  Bunzl North America owns and operates more than 100 warehouses and serves all 50 states, Puerto Rico, Canada and parts of the Caribbean and Mexico. With more than 5,000 employees and 400,000 plus supplies, Bunzl is regarded as a leading supplier in North America.

Bunzl Distribution offers competitive salaries, a comfortable work environment, and a full range of benefits including a 401k with a companymatch.

Bunzl Distribution has a tradition of commitment to equal employment opportunity. It is the established policy to attract and retain the best qualified people without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex/gender (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, age, disability or veteran status as provided by law.