JOB PURPOSE:

The Chief Legal Officer (CLO) serves as the organization's senior legal executive, providing strategic legal counsel and executive leadership across all entities. This role oversees all legal affairs, manages legal risk, ensures compliance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, and partners with executive leadership to support organizational growth, regulatory compliance, and operational excellence.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

Enterprise Legal Strategy

• Serve as the principal legal advisor to the CEO, Executive Leadership Team on all legal, regulatory, governance, and business matters.
• Develop and execute the organization's legal strategy in alignment with corporate objectives and long-term growth initiatives.
• Identify legal risks and implement proactive strategies to protect the organization and its affiliated entities.
• Provide legal guidance on strategic initiatives, mergers, acquisitions, affiliations, partnerships, joint ventures, and business expansion opportunities.
• Advise executive leadership on emerging legal, regulatory, and healthcare industry developments that may impact organizational operations.

• Provide legal counsel to the Board of Directors and Board Committees.
• Ensure corporate governance practices comply with applicable laws, regulations, and organizational bylaws.
• Oversee preparation and maintenance of corporate records, resolutions, governance documents, and legal filings.
• Support Board meetings by reviewing legal matters and advising on governance responsibilities.
• Provide legal oversight regarding healthcare regulations, including but not limited to: CMS regulations, New York State Department of Health (DOH), HIPAA, Medicare and Medicaid requirements, PACE regulations, Fraud, Waste, and Abuse laws, and Corporate Compliance requirements.
• Partner with Compliance leadership to support regulatory readiness, audits, investigations, corrective action plans, and government inquiries.
• Monitor changes in healthcare laws and regulations and provide recommendations for implementation.

Contracts and Commercial Transactions

• Oversee the drafting, review, negotiation, and approval of complex agreements, including Vendor agreements, Provider contracts, Medical service agreements, Technology and software agreements, Business Associate Agreements (BAAs), Consulting agreements, Professional service agreements, Purchasing agreements, Construction and facilities agreements, Affiliation agreements, etc.
• Develop standardized contract templates and contracting policies.
• Ensure contractual protections appropriately mitigate organizational risk.

Labor and Employment Law

• Provide legal counsel regarding labor and employment matters.
• Advise Human Resources leadership on employee relations, accommodations, workplace investigations, reductions in force, executive employment agreements, and organizational restructures.
• Provide legal guidance regarding collective bargaining agreements, union negotiations, grievances, arbitration, and labor relations matters.
• Support compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws.

Litigation Management

• Oversee all litigation, claims, arbitrations, administrative proceedings, and government investigations involving the organization.
• Develop litigation strategies and control legal expenditures.
• Evaluate settlement opportunities and litigation risks.

Real Estate and Facilities

• Provide legal oversight for:
  • Property acquisitions and dispositions
  • Commercial leases
  • Construction agreements
  • Facility expansions
  • Property management agreements
  • Landlord and tenant matters

• Support strategic real estate transactions across all organizational entities.

Government Affairs

• Monitor legislative and regulatory developments affecting healthcare organizations.
• Provide legal support regarding government relations and public policy initiatives.
• Coordinate legal responses to governmental agencies, regulatory inquiries, and legislative matters.
• Support advocacy efforts involving healthcare policy when appropriate.

Risk Management

• Identify enterprise legal risks and develop mitigation strategies.
• Partner with executive leadership to minimize legal exposure while supporting business objectives.
• Review organizational policies to ensure legal compliance.
• Support enterprise risk management initiatives.

Privacy and Information Security

• Provide legal oversight regarding HIPAA, privacy laws, cybersecurity regulations, and data governance.
• Advise leadership on data breach response and incident management.
• Partner with Information Technology and Compliance to ensure appropriate legal safeguards for organizational data.

Weekly Hours: 40

Days: Monday to Friday

Hours: 8:30AM – 5:30PM

Salary Range: $400,000.00 - $500,000.00

QUALIFICATIONS:

EDUCATION:  Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school required.

Additional Requirements:

• Active member in good standing of a State Bar required.
• Minimum of 12 years of progressively responsible legal experience.
• Minimum of 7 years in executive or senior legal leadership roles.
• Significant experience within healthcare organizations, integrated delivery systems, managed care organizations, hospitals, physician groups, PACE organizations, or healthcare services organizations required.
• Experience advising executive leadership and Boards of Directors.
• Experience managing outside counsel and complex litigation.
• Experience with healthcare regulatory compliance and corporate governance.
• Experience supporting labor relations and unionized workforces preferred.

Disclaimer:Responsibilities and tasks outlined in this job description are not exhaustive and may change as determined by the needs of the company.