Franchise Platform Corporate CounselRole Details
Reports to: Chief Legal Officer
Location: On-site (Huntersville, NC) or hybrid
Employment type: Full-time, exempt
Travel: Based on business needs
About the OpportunityHomeFront Brands is seeking a high-agency, business-minded attorney to join its Legal & Compliance team. Reporting directly to the Chief Legal Officer, the Corporate Counsel will take meaningful ownership of franchise compliance, commercial contracts, legal operations, and a broad range of day-to-day legal matters across our portfolio of franchise brands.
This is a hands-on role for an attorney who wants to move beyond simply completing assignments. The successful candidate will identify needs, develop practical recommendations, drive matters to completion, and help maintain accurate, reliable legal and compliance systems. The position offers direct mentorship from the Chief Legal Officer, close exposure to business operators, and an opportunity to develop deep expertise in franchise law while assuming progressively greater responsibility.
Franchise experience is helpful, but it is not required. We are looking for a strong commercial and compliance attorney who is eager to learn the franchise business and take an operator's approach to practicing law.
Key ResponsibilitiesFranchise Compliance- Help manage the company's franchise compliance function across its portfolio of brands.
- Monitor franchisee obligations and partner with Finance, brand teams, and other business stakeholders to identify and address compliance deficiencies.
- Track insurance certificates, required documentation, payment-related issues, and other franchisee compliance requirements.
- Draft and issue default notices, noncompliance communications, fee-related agreements, amendments, releases, and other franchise system documents.
- Follow compliance matters through cure, resolution, or escalation rather than treating document delivery as completion.
- Maintain complete and accurate franchisee files, system records, and compliance documentation.
Commercial Contracts- Draft, review, and negotiate vendor agreements, master services agreements, SaaS and technology agreements, referral arrangements, and other commercial contracts.
- Lead routine contract matters from intake through negotiation, execution, and filing.
- Identify material legal and business risks and provide clear, practical recommendations to the Chief Legal Officer and business stakeholders.
- Maintain LinkSquares as the authoritative contract-management platform for vendor agreements, including accurate records, key dates, and executed documents.
Legal Operations and Chief Legal Officer Support- Take first-pass ownership of a broad range of legal deliverables, including research, drafting, issue analysis, and stakeholder coordination.
- Maintain assigned matters and department priorities through the Legal team's project-management system.
- Participate in regular Legal team standups and proactively communicate status, risks, delays, and recommended next steps.
- Help maintain organized, accurate, and transaction-ready legal records capable of supporting an efficient diligence process.
- Improve legal templates, playbooks, intake processes, execution workflows, filing practices, and compliance controls.
- Work effectively with the Chief Legal Officer, Legal administrative support, outside counsel, Finance, Franchise Development, Operations, and individual brand teams.
- Support other corporate, franchise, dispute, governance, and legal matters as business needs evolve.
Required Qualifications- J.D. from an accredited law school.
- Active membership in good standing in at least one U.S. jurisdiction and eligibility to practice as in-house counsel in North Carolina.
- Approximately 2-5 years of relevant legal experience in a law firm, corporate legal department, or comparable environment.
- Meaningful experience drafting and negotiating commercial contracts.
- Experience administering or supporting a compliance function, including monitoring obligations, identifying deficiencies, pursuing remediation, documenting outcomes, and escalating material issues.
- Strong legal drafting, research, analytical, and issue-spotting skills.
- Demonstrated ability to manage numerous active matters and competing deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to work effectively with business operators and cross-functional teams.
- Willingness and ability to work regularly from HomeFront Brands' Huntersville-area office.
Preferred Qualifications- Experience with franchise law, franchise compliance, or franchise-system administration.
- Experience with contract lifecycle management platforms, particularly LinkSquares.
- Experience working with Finance or operational teams on compliance and collections matters.
- Exposure to corporate governance, diligence, entity matters, disputes, or legal operations.
- Experience with Monday.com, DocuSign, SharePoint, or similar workflow and document-management tools.
What Success Looks LikeWithin the first year, the successful Corporate Counsel will:
- Independently drive the substantial majority of routine franchise compliance matters without requiring the Chief Legal Officer to manage each step.
- Handle routine vendor agreements from intake through execution, escalating material deviations, unusual risks, and significant business questions.
- Maintain accurate and current franchisee files, franchise-system records, compliance documentation, and LinkSquares data.
- Anticipate next steps, communicate proactively, keep assigned matters current in Legal project management systems, and consistently deliver work that requires review rather than rewriting.
- Create meaningful capacity for the Chief Legal Officer and the broader Legal & Compliance function.
Work EnvironmentThis is a hybrid position based in the Charlotte area. Regular in-person work at HomeFront Brands' office in Huntersville, North Carolina is an important part of the role. Corporate Counsel will work closely with the Chief Legal Officer, Legal team, and business stakeholders. This is not structured as a remote position.
