Job DescriptionPosition Title: Associate General Counsel - Litigation & HSE
Position Summary
The Company is seeking an experienced, business-oriented
Associate General Counsel -
Litigation & HSE to manage complex litigation, regulatory disputes, pre-litigation matters, and HSE/environmental legal matters across the Company's operations. This senior role will provide strategic, risk-based advice to business and legal stakeholders, oversee outside counsel, and help protect the Company's commercial, operational, governance, environmental, and reputational interests.
What You Will DoKey Responsibilities
- Manage a portfolio of complex civil litigation, arbitration, regulatory, administrative, and pre-litigation matters involving the Company and its subsidiaries or affiliates.
- Develop and execute litigation strategies that align with the Company's legal, business, operational, and reputational objectives.
- Handle commercial disputes, contract claims, business torts, regulatory matters, environmental and natural resources-related disputes, energy sector litigation, HSE matters, corporate governance disputes, and other matters relevant to the Company's business.
- Supervise and manage outside counsel, including counsel selection, case strategy, budgets, work product, and matter performance.
- Provide practical, risk-based advice to internal business clients on litigation exposure, dispute avoidance, settlement strategy, contractual risk allocation, HSE/environmental risk, regulatory risk, and related business considerations.
- Lead pre-litigation dispute resolution efforts, including demand letters, negotiations, mediation, fact development, and early case assessment.
- Partner with internal stakeholders to identify, assess, and mitigate litigation, commercial, HSE, environmental, and regulatory risks arising from operations, transactions, compliance issues, and strategic initiatives.
- Support corporate governance and compliance matters as needed, including disputes involving boards, officers, subsidiaries, governance processes, investigations, internal controls, and HSE or environmental compliance issues.
- Manage litigation holds, document preservation, e-discovery, data collection, document review, privilege issues, and coordination with IT, records management, compliance, and business teams.
- Oversee responses to subpoenas, third-party discovery requests, government inquiries, regulatory requests, and other compulsory legal processes.
- Conduct and support internal investigations related to litigation, regulatory, HSE, environmental, compliance, employment, commercial, operational, or governance matters.
- Prepare and review key litigation materials, including pleadings, briefs, motions, settlement agreements, position statements, witness outlines, and board or executive-level updates.
- Advise on settlement authority, litigation reserves, case valuation, insurance coverage, remediation obligations, and other financial or operational implications of disputes.
- Monitor relevant legal, HSE, environmental, and regulatory developments and support legal department initiatives, including process improvements, outside counsel management, compliance enhancements, and dispute-related training.
What You Will BringRequired Qualifications
- Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school.
- Active license to practice law and good standing in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
- Minimum of 10 years of litigation experience, gained in a law firm, in-house legal department, government agency, or a combination of these environments.
- Significant experience managing complex civil litigation, commercial disputes, regulatory matters, arbitration, administrative proceedings, investigations, or other high-stakes adversarial matters.
- Demonstrated ability to develop litigation strategy, supervise outside counsel, assess risk, and advise senior legal and business stakeholders.
- Strong understanding of litigation procedures, discovery obligations, privilege, evidence preservation, settlement strategy, and dispute resolution processes.
- Subject matter expertise relevant to the Company's business, such as commercial litigation, regulatory enforcement, energy and natural resources, environmental disputes, HSE compliance, infrastructure, corporate governance, compliance, or other industry-related litigation.
- Excellent legal research, writing, analytical, communication, and negotiation skills, with the ability to manage multiple complex matters independently.
It'd be great if you also have:Preferred Qualifications
- Prior in-house litigation experience within a corporate legal department.
- Litigation experience in the energy, utilities, infrastructure, mining, natural resources, environmental, manufacturing, or other heavily regulated sectors.
- Experience handling disputes involving federal, state, or local regulatory agencies.
- Experience with environmental, permitting, land use, operational, safety, incident response, remediation, or regulatory matters affecting energy or natural resources businesses.
- Experience advising on corporate governance, board-related matters, internal investigations, compliance programs, or enterprise risk management.
- Experience managing large-scale e-discovery, litigation holds, outside counsel budgets, alternative fee arrangements, litigation reporting, or matter management systems.
- Trial, arbitration, mediation, deposition, or significant motion practice experience.
- Licensed to practice law in at least one US jurisdiction.
Skills & Competencies
- Litigation Strategy: Ability to develop and execute strategies that balance legal risk, business objectives, cost, timing, precedent, and reputation.
- Business Acumen: Strong understanding of how disputes, HSE matters, and environmental issues affect operations, commercial relationships, regulatory posture, and enterprise risk.
- Sound Judgment: Ability to make practical, risk-based recommendations in complex, uncertain, or time-sensitive situations.
- Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex legal issues clearly to legal, executive, and business audiences.
- Leadership and Matter Management: Ability to manage a significant litigation portfolio, supervise outside counsel, coordinate stakeholders, and drive matters to resolution.
- Collaboration: Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with legal colleagues, business teams, HSE professionals, compliance, finance, risk management, operations, and senior leadership.
- E-Discovery and Information Governance: Strong understanding of litigation holds, preservation, collection, review, production, privilege, and e-discovery workflows.
- Professionalism and Integrity: Highest standards of ethics, discretion, confidentiality, and professional responsibility, including when handling sensitive incidents, investigations, and regulatory matters.
Reporting Structure
This position reports to the
VP, Deputy General Counsel, M&A, Litigation, and Joint Ventures and works closely with the legal department, compliance team, business leadership and professionals, HSE professionals, and outside counsel.
Location & Work Arrangement
This position is based in
Charlotte, North Carolina and will follow the Company's applicable office, hybrid, or flexible work policies.
Benefits of Joining Albemarle- Competitive compensation
- Comprehensive benefits package
- A diverse array of resources to support you professionally and personally.
