Paralegal

We have an exciting Paralegal opportunity available out of our corporate offices in Atlanta, GA.  The Paralegal provides support to the General Counsel and other internal personnel in handling franchise operations, compliance matters, litigation and discovery, employment matters, commercial/procurement contracting and corporate governance. The job is a general in-house paralegal role, with a focus on franchise legal matters in the United States, including franchise compliance process, franchise agreement termination, system-wide initiatives and programs, pre-litigation negotiations, and system standards and requirements. 

Key Accountabilities Include:

• Support franchisee compliance process, working with inside and outside counsel and corporate staff, including preparation of default and termination letters, mutual cancellation agreements, and related documents, following up on default and termination statuses.
• Analyze franchise and other agreements and applicable laws for compliance requirements, default opportunities, cure periods, and other franchise compliance issues.
• Communicate compliance status and strategies with counsel, corporate staff, franchisees, and other representatives.
• Input data, ensure accuracy of information, and maintain, develop, and improve various tracking and reporting mechanisms for franchise compliance process as necessary.
• Resource for Finance, Development, Operations, and other internal departments on franchise sales and compliance issues.
• Draft legal documents including franchise sales contracts, compliance/variance notices, franchise assignment documents; letters agreements, addenda to existing agreements, and correspondence, as well as other matters relating to franchising.
• Participate in cross-functional teams to establish and enforce new franchise initiatives.
• Assist with litigation, discovery, employment matters.
• Review procurement and other commercial contracts, with guidance from the General Counsel
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Education & Qualifications

• 5-7 years of experience at a law firm, in-house corporate legal department, or equivalent legal experience.
• Bachelor's degree and Paralegal certificate required.
• Franchise experience preferred.
• Self-motivated and efficient, with good business judgment and analytical skills.
• Ability to efficiently manage a large workload and react promptly to multiple deadlines.
• Ability to work independently.
• Must maintain a professional demeanor.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Must be able to interact effectively at all levels and divisions of the Company, franchisees, and legal counsel.
• Detail oriented and organized.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and adapt quickly to changing priorities.
• Must be able to work with highly confidential and sensitive documents and information and maintain such confidentiality to protect the Company.

Advanced Microsoft Office, Word, Excel, and Adobe skills.  FranConnect a plus.