Deputy General Counsel

 Title:                          Deputy General Counsel

Unit:                           Executive

Reports to:                 General Counsel

Salary Range:            $120,000 - $150,000

Status:                        Full Time; Regular; Exempt

Location:                    Long Island City/Harlem

Date Prepared:          October 11th, 2024

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Deputy General Counsel assists the General Counsel in representing the legal interests of The Fortune Society (Fortune Society), including contractual, real estate, policy, litigation, regulatory, employment, and not-for-profit governance.  While assisting the General Counsel in the above listed areas, The Deputy General Counsel will provide specific legal support in the area of employee relations. The Deputy General Counsel shall be part of Fortune Society’s Senior Executive Team.

CORE COMPETENCIES:

The Deputy General Counsel shall possess the following core competencies which are key to the fulfillment of the requirements for the position:

Mission/Culture

The Deputy General Counsel must embody the values and mission of the Fortune Society. This includes meeting our participants where they are in the re-entry process, demonstrating our values through compassion and understanding; and affirming that none of us should be measured against the worst things we have done.

Cultural Competence

The Deputy General Counsel must have the capacity to engage all of our staff, which consists of a diverse and inclusive group of people of varied backgrounds, with many having lived experience with the criminal justice system. The Deputy General Counsel shall have the necessary emotional intelligence to navigate complex investigative and employee relation matters all the while maintaining an objective and neutral fact-finding process.

Organizational Skills

The Deputy General Counsel must be a highly-organized and effective documentarian. This individual is charged with the management and oversight of all employee investigations and must keep all records in accordance with any relevant internal policies as well as any applicable laws and regulations from our funding and licensing authorities.

Adaptive Capacity

The Deputy General Counsel must be adaptive and proactive in the management of revolving/competing deadlines and must be anticipatory and efficient in response to the unpredictable nature of the work.

Analytical Capacity and Reporting Skills

The Deputy General Counsel must be proficient at analyzing and synthesizing large amounts of documentation, reports, relevant case law and regulatory information that arise during the course of an investigation.  Additionally, the Deputy General Counsel must be able to translate investigative findings into a comprehensive report which details the relevant facts of the investigation, the applicable policies and rules and presents a well-reasoned recommendation for agency action.  

Employment Law and Regulation Resource

The Deputy General Counsel must have or be able to develop extensive knowledge of employment law (Federal, State and Local) in order to serve as the prime legal liaison with the Human Resources Department.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES:

Fortune is seeking an experienced attorney who will report directly to the General Counsel and will assist with the overall management of the general legal affairs of the organization. This position is a full-time position.

General Legal

• Advise General Counsel, senior management and others within the organization on policy, compliance, intellectual property, governance, benefits, litigation, real estate, non-profit, ethics, and employment law issues;


• Draft, review, revise, and negotiate a variety of contracts, such as agreements with government funders and other third parties, vendor and consultant agreements, and agreements relating to ownership of intellectual property, corporate sponsorships, special events, licensing, real estate and leases, among other things, and advise senior management on related issues;


• Assist General Counsel with ensuring organizational compliance with contracts and applicable law and regulation, such as lobbying, regulatory and public policy matters, and laws relating to charitable solicitations in New York State and nationally;


• Advise on risk management practice, liability, and insurance matters including investigation of client incidents;


• Monitor and advise the General Counsel and others on legislative developments related to nonprofit organizations, including human resources and benefits-related legislation;


• Analyzing statutes, regulations and procedures;


• Supervising responses to requests for information and subpoenas;


• Communicating independently with outside counsel and representatives of outside agencies;


• Monitoring and managing litigation;


• Developing and delivering trainings and workshops for staff and external partners;


• Representing the corporation in court and administrative hearings;


• Performing other duties as assigned;


• Demonstrated leadership and interpersonal skills. Ability to communicate effectively with people with varying levels of education;


• Excellent organizational, managerial skills required. Ability to meet deadlines. Planning, organization and prioritization; and


• In the absence of the General Counsel, represents the General Counsel and provides support and guidance to staff.

Employee Relations

• Investigate internal discrimination, harassment, and whistleblower complaints in coordination with the General Counsel, outside legal counsel and internal leadership.  Issue report on investigation findings, include recommendations for disciplinary actions in accordance with potential legal exposure and agency values.


• Provide legal advice and assistance to Human Resources, as needed, including in the area of disability accommodation, employee leave management, and Fair Chance Act procedures.


• Review and recommend policies and procedures related to employment practices, ensuring agency compliance with federal, state and local employment laws and regulations.

Qualifications:

• A law degree from an accredited institution;


• Admitted to practice law in New York State;


• At least five (5) years of experience practicing law in a fast-paced organization, including preferably at least 3 years of labor/employment and nonprofit experience;


• Possess excellent analytical, drafting, negotiation, research and oral and written communication skills;


• Possess ability to provide sound legal advice, develop creative solutions, and exercise sound business judgement;


• Track record of demonstrating professional judgment and discretion in being of service to multiple teams and senior managers in a diverse and multi-faceted organization;


• Prefer solid knowledge of federal, state and city laws with specific understanding labor and employment law;


• Exceptional investigation and documentation skills that will meet legal standards;


• Superior skills in MS Office including Excel, and Word;


• Customer-focused with experience and ability to work with executives and staff at a variety of levels and to coordinate multiple stakeholders and projects;


• Excellent verbal and written communication skills;


• Ability to multi-task with strong organizational and time management skills;


• Good self-direction and ability to problem solve and work as a team;


• Commitment to the values and culture of The Fortune Society; and


• A sense of humor.

Travel Requirements:  Will require local travel to our program sites and citywide meetings where appropriate.

Physical Demands:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The responsibilities and requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skills, minimum education, training, licensing, experience and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

The Fortune Society is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will be afforded equal employment opportunities without discrimination because of conviction history, race, religion/creed, citizenship status, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, predisposing genetic characteristics, victim of domestic violence status or marital status.