Jun 16, 2014 Upcoming Events 0 comment

GHBC is Seeking Candidates for General Counsel

Seeking Candidates for General Counsel

GHBC is seeking candidates to serve as General Counsel to provide legal advise and counsel for specific areas of business or governance. Interested parties should forward a company overview and/or personal bio to info@ghbcc.com.

Volunteer Opportunity

The office of the General Counsel is the senior attorney of the Greater Houston Black Chamber of Commerce (GHBC) legal department. The professional brings years of experience and knowledge to the position and is responsible for providing legal advice and counsel for specific areas of business or governance.

The general counsel reports to the GHBC President and CEO and the GHBC Board of Directors as appropriate.

The General Counsel has one primary objective of his/her role: to ensure the GHBC is operating within the law at all times. To do this, he/she must be aware of all transactions the GHBC is engaged in including those that may be in only the preliminary stages. This will ensure limited risk exposure to the bottom line, personnel and the GHBC’s public image. The General Counsel is expected to catch problems not traditionally associated with legal advice early on to ensure GHBC’s compliance and governance in all areas.

The General Counsel is also seen as a business partner and has additional job responsibilities in overseeing compliance functions to ensure they are aligned with the objectives of the Chamber, its legal department, and its Board of Directors.

The General Counsel must have a great deal of integrity and business experience. A strong personality and the ability to be persuasive and relentless in reinforcing the best interests of theGHBC is essential. He/she should also be an effective communicator, particularly when it comes to discussing legal matters with other attorneys and paralegals.

Duties include:

  • Serve as advisor to the GHBC President and CEO and Board of Directors on legal and regulator matters.
  • Work with the GHBC staff to update and/or create GHBC standard contracts and legal forms.
  • Recommend policies and procedures to identify and close compliance gaps and ensure risk management.
  • Ensure reliable document management policies and systems.
  • Assess need for and manage outside counsel assignments that represent the GHBC.
  • Support GHBC staff and Board Secretary to ensure efficient preparation and delivery of legal materials to Board of Directors.
  • Participate in meetings, organize work activities, develop legal budgets, etc. as warranted.
  • Review court documents such as briefs.
  • Assist the GHBC and its Board of Directors in developing litigation strategies.
  • Evaluate business operations to ensure that the GHBC is following laws and regulations.

Education Requirements

The General Counsel must have a Juris Doctorate (J.D.) degree and have passed required state’s bar exam(s). In addition, he/she must have several years of professional legal experience in a both a for-profit and non-profit business environment.

Compensation

The General Counsel position is pro bono.