Law Clerk

Paralegal – Job Description

Title:                           Paralegal

Reports To:                 Vice President, Legal Affairs & General Counsel    

Location:                    Florida

The Law Clerk, under the direction of the Vice President, Legal Affairs & General Counsel, will be primarily responsible for providing professional support and assistance to various internal business units, as well as for the ownership and management of the organization’s franchise disclosure and documentation processes. He/she would also be responsible for the day-to-day administration of franchise and related agreements, and advising internal business units on the interpretation, application and enforcement of those agreements.

 

Core Competencies

• Communication.
• High energy and ability to work under pressure.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative team.
• Detail oriented.
• Time management and ability to handle and prioritize multiple projects with conflicting deadlines.
• Accountable and professional.
• Planning and organizing.
• Ethics and integrity.
• Logical reasoning and persuasive thinking.

 

Job Duties

• Coordinate the delivery and execution of Franchise Disclosure Documents, Franchise Agreements, ensure filing deadlines are met, drafting amendments, addendums and all related correspondence.
• Preparation of documents for assembly, including printing, copying and binding, or electronically.
• Effect annual updates to the Franchise Disclosure Document.
• Tracking all steps of the workflow and providing updates to the legal team and business partners as required.
• Comprehensively draft and review legal documents, contracts and correspondence.
• Perform general office and clerical duties.
• Coordinate and collaborate with company affiliates and personnel based in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia.
• Advise internal business units regarding franchise agreements, landlord and tenant matters, contests, marketing and promotions, trademark use, and implement recommendations as necessary.
• Monitor and maintain compliance with franchise disclosure, trademark, privacy, advertising, and anti-spam laws.
• Search for and analyze contracts and other legal documents to investigate facts and determine rights and obligations of the company, its franchisees and other business partners.
• Receive and file documents and vital records.
• Retrieve company files and compile applicable documentation.
• Communicate with internal business units and obtain internal approvals.
• Liaise with and instruct external counsel, as necessary.
• Other related duties as assigned.

 

Requirements

• Bachelors or college degree required, with Law Clerk/Paralegal certification preferred, or an acceptable combination of education and experience.
• 5+ years of direct work experience as a Law Clerk at a law firm or in-house legal department with specialized experience in franchising and contracts.
• Preference for 5+ years in Real Estate and/or Intellectual Property.
• Preference for experience in United States franchise laws and regulations.
• Strong knowledge of, and ability to explain and apply, basic contractual and other legal concepts, principles and terminology associated with franchising, marketing, real estate and related areas.

• Ability to distill and explain key legal concepts, and effectively communicate with, and make recommendations to internal business units

• Good understanding of legal reference materials, procedures and legal filing systems.
• Critical and persuasive thinking, analytical and research skills are essential.
• Demonstrated ability to stay organized and work effectively and efficiently in multi-tasking environment with high volume workload.
• Strong sense of ethics and the ability to handle sensitive or private information with tact and discretion.
• Superior interpersonal skills to interact with the senior management team and other company personnel, external counsel, other professional advisors and service providers.
• Able to maintain filing systems and basic databases, document management software and office productivity applications.
• Proficiency with trademark portfolio management.
• Good research skills on the Internet and traditional sources of information.
• Excellent writing skills, including proper spelling, grammar and punctuation for complex documentation.
• Superior time management, multitasking and prioritization skills, and the ability to work with minimal supervision.
• Professional, responsive and positive work attitude is critical.
• Meticulous records maintenance and organizational skills.