Counsel or Senior Counsel

The Counsel or Senior Counsel will effectively and efficiently provide legal counsel and support to the subsidiaries of the Southern Company, and especially with the Company’s and its affiliates’ strategic and business development initiatives and transactions. This position will report to an Associate General Counsel in the Legal department.

Job Summary:

• Location: Atlanta, Georgia 
• Responsibilities:
  • Support business units on strategic/development transactional and commercial matters
  • Collaborate with various internal and external transaction teams 
  • Direct and assist outside counsel
  • Other duties as assigned by the Associate General Counsel

Job Requirements:

• J.D. degree from an ABA accredited law school with strong academic credentials
• Licensed to practice law in Georgia or Alabama, and in good standing with the Bar.
• Approximately 5+ years of experience including practicing law in a large, nationally recognized law firm or corporate law department representing Fortune 500 clients with an emphasis on corporate transactional and public and private company M&A matters
• Required experience executing on complex M&A and financing transactions from inception to closing, as well as related experience in general corporate and governance matters
• Required experience drafting and reviewing documentation utilized in complex M&A and financing transactions and related securities filings
• Required experience in negotiating and drafting various strategic venture and general commercial transaction agreements and their related documents
• Preferred experience in drafting and negotiating large-scale procurement contracts for products and services, or technology systems (including software license agreements, SaaS and application software provider agreements, and data hosting or sharing agreements)
• Ability to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work autonomously on complex projects

Job Responsibilities:

• Regularly advise, negotiate and execute on a variety of strategic transactional matters, equity and debt investments, and strategic and commercial ventures, including the acquisition and disposition of businesses and assets as well as executing on deal closing and integration processes
• Organize and collaborate with various transaction teams throughout the enterprise to ensure transactions are effectively executed
• Effectively and efficiently work with and manage outside counsel on transactional matters
• Provide legal advice on compliance with federal and state statutes, rules, and regulations, particularly relating to commercial transactions
• Assist other members of the legal team by performing other assignments, as directed
• Direct para-professional and administrative staff

Behavioral Attributes

• Team player with good client service skills
• Initiative and ability to prioritize work
• Ability to appreciate and maintain strict confidentiality
• Perform work and act in an honest, highly ethical and professional manner that demonstrates “Our Values” as set by the Company