Corporate Counsel

Overview

We are seeking an experienced and practical legal leader to serve as a part-time Corporate Counsel for our growing agribusiness organization. This role will act as the company’s primary in-house legal advisor, providing broad oversight across corporate governance, commercial contracts, employment and labor matters, workers’ compensation, risk management, regulatory compliance, litigation management, and corporate transactions.

This is a hands-on, operational role. The Corporate Counsel will operate as a team of one while managing outside counsel and external advisors as appropriate. The ideal candidate brings strong generalist legal experience, sound judgment, and the ability to deliver pragmatic, business-oriented guidance within defined lanes of responsibility.

This position can be located onsite or hybrid in Parkville (KC), MO, Boulder, CO, or Visalia, CA. Also has the potential to be fully remote if needed.

Responsibilities

Essential duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Commercial Contracts & Business Support

• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of commercial agreements, including:
  • Vendor and supplier agreements
  • Customer and distribution contracts
  • Commodity purchase and sale agreements
  • Manufacturing and service agreements
• Develop and maintain contract templates and review standards.
• Partner with business leaders to structure agreements that balance risk and operational practicality.
• Provide day-to-day legal guidance to operations, finance, HR, and commercial teams.

Mergers & Acquisitions / Corporate Transactions

• Conduct and coordinate legal due diligence for mergers and acquisitions.
• Review and negotiate transaction documents where appropriate.
• Manage and oversee outside M&A counsel and transaction advisors.
• Advise leadership on transaction-related risk and integration considerations.

Employment, Labor & Workers’ Compensation

• Advise HR and leadership on multi-state employment and labor matters.
• Provide guidance on employee relations, terminations, investigations, and policy development.
• Oversee workers’ compensation matters, with particular focus on high-exposure states such as California.
• Partner with HR and safety and brokers to monitor claims trends and mitigation strategies.
• Manage outside employment counsel when specialized expertise is required.

Litigation & Dispute Management

• Oversee all litigation, claims, and pre-litigation matters.
• Manage outside counsel and control legal spend.
• Advise on dispute resolution and settlement decisions.

Regulatory & Compliance

• Monitor and advise on regulatory requirements impacting agribusiness operations, including grain handling, feed manufacturing, transportation, and safety.
• Partner with operations and safety leaders to support compliance initiatives.
• Support internal investigations and ethics-related matters as needed.
• Support enterprise risk management initiatives
• Coordinate with international counsel (e.g., Spain or Mexico) when appropriate.

Liens, Secured Transactions & Commercial Risk

• Advise on UCC filings, liens, and secured transactions.
• Support commercial and finance teams in managing credit and collateral risk.
• Review financing agreements and related documentation.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school.
• Active license to practice law in at least one U.S. state.
• 10+ years of legal experience in a law firm and/or in-house environment.
• Broad generalist background across corporate, commercial, employment, and regulatory matters.
• Experience managing outside counsel and legal budgets.
• Experience in manufacturing, agribusiness, commodities, or other operationally intensive industries strongly preferred.
• Multi-state employment law experience required.
• Strong contract drafting and negotiation skills.
• Ability to operate independently and prioritize effectively in a growing organization.

Leadership & Professional Competencies

• Sound judgment and balanced risk assessment.
• Highly practical and solutions-oriented.
• Strong communicator capable of translating legal complexity into business clarity.
• Comfortable operating as a team of one.
• Collaborative and approachable business partner.
• High integrity and discretion.

Physical Requirments

• Frequently required to: sit for prolonged periods of time, reach for/manipulate standard office equipment, communicate with various staff and/or reach for and manipulate objects.
• Occasionally lifts up to 20 pounds.

Compensation Min

Compensation Max