Associate General Counsel - Franchising

Job Description Summary

The Assistant General Counsel will be expected to balance legal and business imperatives in the course of supporting a broad range of legal matters for our rapidly growing global hospitality organization. Primary responsibilities will center on franchise-related activities such as governmental filings, contract negotiations, and related litigation and compliance matters. The role involves collaboration with the full spectrum of the company’s internal and external stakeholders, including our legal, franchise operations, franchise development, finance, accounting, and risk management teams, in addition to franchise owners. The Assistant General Counsel must embrace Sonesta’s principle of providing “Service with Passion” in support of our owners, our guests, and our employees.

Job Description

Principle duties and responsibilities include assisting with:

• Reviewing and monitoring the filing of Franchise Disclosure Documents for all of our hotel brands in all markets.

• Negotiating and/or guiding team members in the negotiation of, and advising on rights and obligations under, a broad variety of agreements in support of the growth of our franchise portfolio, including franchise contracts, extensions and modifications.

• Overseeing outside counsel in matters such as preparation of Federal and State filings to ensure legal compliance in our franchising activities.

• Assisting with the development, delivery and execution of franchise compliance initiatives, such as trainings and implementation of programs for the franchise operations, development and legal team members.

• Seeking proactive measures and solutions to expedite legal processes and cooperation with the franchise development and operations teams.

• Staying well-informed on franchise laws and conducting legal research, as necessary, to provide advice to operations and development teams.

• Collaborating closely with internal stakeholders to service new and existing license relationships, and to develop and execute new initiatives in furtherance of the success of our franchising and licensing activities.

• Such other activities that may arise and that may be necessary or helpful in furthering the company’s growth, mitigating risk and protecting its legal interest.

Additional Job Information/Anticipated

Pay Range

• Minimum of six years’ experience in a law firm or in-house legal department setting, or comparable governmental organization, with specific focus on business transactions. Franchising experience strongly preferred

• Strong organization and follow-through skills, keen attention to detail, sound judgment and common sense.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including legal writing and advocacy and general communications.

• Strong people skills to manage potentially confrontational situations, interact with opposing counsel, and coordinate with corporate and hotel team members.

• An ability to work within a team and independently to produce high quality work product.

• A drive for success and the ability to thrive in a high-energy, fast-paced environment.

• Minimal travel may be required.

Benefits

Sonesta recognizes that benefits play a vital role in helping ensure the health and financial security of employees and their families. We offer a variety of benefits to our employees including:

• Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Health Savings Account with Company Match
• 401(k) Retirement Plan with Company Match
• Paid Vacation and Sick Days
• Sonesta Hotel Discounts
• Educational Assistance
• Paid Parental Leave
• Company Paid Life Insurance
• Company Paid Short Term and Long Term Disability Insurance
• Various Employee Perks and Discounts
• Hospital Indemnity
• Critical Illness Insurance
• Accident Insurance

Upon submitting your application, please ensure you complete a full application in addition to attaching a resume. Incomplete applications received will not be considered.