We are trusted investment banking advisors to business owners and senior executives of leading private equity firms and public and privately held companies around the world. Our services include mergers and acquisitions advisory, private funds and capital markets advisory, and valuation and fairness opinions. As one tightly integrated team of more than 1,000 professionals across 15 countries, we offer an unmatched perspective on the global private capital markets, backed by superb execution and a deep commitment to client success. With extensive industry knowledge and relationships, timely market intelligence and strategic insights, we forge deep, productive client relationships that endure for decades. Learn more at www.lincolninternational.com.

At Lincoln International, we know that the success of our global organization is a direct outcome of the strength of our people. We encourage diversity of thought and create talent density by attracting, retaining and engaging high performers from all demographics, backgrounds and perspectives. We value diversity, equity and inclusion as a catalyst to foster innovation and creative problem solving, access the best candidates and adapt to a highly dynamic, competitive environment. We know that employing a diverse team and valuing the unique perspectives of our people allows us to better understand and serve the needs of our clients.

Lincoln International is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We encourage you to read more about our commitment to diversity and Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG) efforts.

Lincoln International follows a hybrid work structure with an emphasis on in office collaboration.Our employees work in our Chicago office Monday through Thursday each week, with the option to work remotely or from the office on Fridays. Our office is located at 110 N Wacker Drive, just blocks from Union Station & Ogilvie Transportation Center.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Lincoln International is seeking a full-time Associate General Counsel in our Chicago office to assist our rapidly growing organization. Lincoln International is looking for an attorney to perform certain of our legal work supporting primarily our domestic offices, but also our international offices. We do not anticipate that travel will be required. This person will report to the General Counsel, help to coordinate and oversee the work of our outside counsel, work collaboratively with an existing Associate General Counsel and Senior Counsel and manage two junior Counsels, all located in Chicago. This person will have significant interaction with Lincoln International’s senior bankers, senior management, clients, potential clients and outside counsel. Successful candidates should be committed to excellence and motivated by the prospect of building a dynamic legal group within a leading, global M&A advisory firm.

Role & Responsibilities:

The primary duties of the associate general counsel are as follows:

• Engagement letters
  • Responsible for maintaining, reviewing and updating Lincoln’s engagement letter templates, including customized letters for sell-side, buy-side, capital raising, restructuring, and valuation assignments.
  • Assist Lincoln’s partners and officers with preparing and negotiating engagement letters with potential clients, and ancillary documents.
  • Prepare training materials and lead training sessions of senior bankers on common issues in engagement and company policy regarding escalation of certain institutional changes.
• Corporate Legal Projects and Advice
  • Work with the General Counsel, other Associate General Counsel, Senior Counsel and C-Suite Management on special corporate legal projects such as corporate structural work and integration of Lincoln International subsidiaries.
  • Provide legal advice and act as trusted advisor to most senior management of firm on risk management issues across multiple legal areas in consultation with General Counsel and outside counsel as needed.
• Partnership and other corporate documentation
  • Responsible for organizing and maintaining official corporate records, including all partnership and corporation agreements and option and subscription agreements for new partners
  • Assistance with drafting other corporate agreements such as consulting agreements, inter-company agreements and fee sharing agreements  
• Employment matters
  • Assist with the preparation of offer letters and secondment letters
  • Assist with the preparation of separation agreements
  • Assist with monitoring and maintaining compliance with employment laws and updating employment policies and mandatory training policies accordingly
  • Assist with monitoring and maintaining compliance with benefit programs and support HR initiatives
• International operations
  • Assist with the legal documentation related to the U.S. partnership’s ownership in foreign entities
  • Assist with the legal documentation related to the U.S. partnership’s establishment of new Lincoln International offices or entities abroad and in the US
  • Assist with the standardization of engagement letter templates across the global organization
  • Assist Lincoln International’s officers with preparing and negotiating engagement letters with potential clients on select cross-border deals
• FINRA and other compliance matters
  • Assist the general counsel and director of compliance generally with FINRA and broker-dealer related compliance questions and issues as they arise
  • Review and update FINRA written supervisory policies and procedures and coordinate implementation of appropriate KYC and conflict check procedures
  • Draft responses to FINRA requests and assist in FINRA cycle exams
  • Assist with FINRA compliance training for Lincoln International personnel
• Other items (vendor agreements, intellectual property and litigation)
  • Assist with review and negotiation of select vendor contracts
  • Work with outside counsel and the general counsel to protect Lincoln International’s intellectual property globally
  • Manage outside counsel handling litigation involving the company
  • Manage third party subpoena responses in coordination with outside counsel

Qualifications:

Lincoln International provides an opportunity to work in a demanding, yet supportive, team-oriented environment. Successful candidates are assertive, self-motivated, detail oriented and can manage multiple tasks and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

Interested candidates should meet the following requirements:

• Must have a JD from a top-tier program and have a strong academic record (both undergraduate and graduate)
• Must be licensed with at least one state bar accreditation  
• 8-12 years of combined experience in M&A/corporate law at a top tier law firm and as in-house counsel; in-house experience prior to this position preferred but not required
• Strong verbal communication skills; Must be able to effectively communicate with bankers and negotiate with clients, buyers, investors and lenders
• Strong written communication skills
• Significant experience in drafting and negotiating corporate agreements, vendor agreements and executive compensation documents; specific experience with M&A agreements and investment banking engagement letters preferred
• Ability to effectively multi-task and balance a variety of projects simultaneously
• Desire and willingness to take ownership of wide range of legal areas and develop expertise in consultation with outside counsel and General Counsel
• Confidence to work independently and exercise judgment on complex matters

Additional Information:

Lincoln International is not currently hiring individuals for this position who now or in the future require sponsorship for employment visa status.

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