Lead Principal Attorney

Join the diverse and dynamic team that powers Michigan's largest energy provider and one of the nation's largest gas and electric combination utilities.  Consumers Energy services 6.8 million of Michigan's 10 million residents - caring for our friends and neighbors in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.  We embrace a cleaner and leaner utility vision focused on eliminating energy waste and adding renewable energy from sources such as wind and solar.

Location:

This position is preferred hybrid (virtual/onsite) assigned to One Energy Plaza located in Jackson, Mi (remote opportunity may be considered as well).  The selected candidate must be within commutable distance from the location or willing to relocate (relocation package available for those who qualify).

We are looking for:  

  Lead Principal Attorney -

Transactions and Employment Section

We are seeking a highly motivated Lead Principal Attorney for a dynamic role in the Transactions and Employment Section of the legal department for Consumers Energy.  The Lead Principal Attorney leads large business transactions, including asset sales and purchases, purchases of renewable energy projects, and major construction contracts.  The Lead Principal Attorney also handles matters related to routine procurement, consulting, software, IT, and other contracts for Consumers Energy. 

The Lead Principal Attorney sets the standard for an individual-contributor role by leveraging an in-depth knowledge of multiple legal specialties or areas of law to provide superior advice and recommendations to executives and management on highly complex matters which have or may have a material financial impact on business activities and operations. They are regarded as a CMS Energy and industry subject matter expert of the highest degree, as well as a demonstrated leader in their area of expertise due to the combination of highest-level legal and business knowledge. They regularly provide advice and counsel to the General Counsel and assist clients in developing and meeting strategic plans and objectives. The cases and projects assigned to the Lead Principal Attorney are unique and non-recurring which require proactive, original, creative, and concise legal solutions are of the greatest importance to the organization, are vigorously contested and routinely require consultation with outside counsel and other experts. The Lead Principal Attorney has frequently demonstrated the skills, experience, initiative, and demeanor to (i) serve as a leader within the Company and the Legal Department, advising and assisting other attorneys, including attorneys with less experience, as well as Legal Department staff and (ii) organize, lead, and manage the work of a large or diverse group of internal partners on complex legal projects and/or business projects with significant legal implications (which may involve co-leading projects with other internal subject-matter experts). Consistently exhibits positive and collaborative mindset and behaviors, and consistently demonstrates ability to perform and lead that reflects the entirety of the Company’s cultural
values.

The knowledge and skills involved with this position include but are not limited to: 

-Expert level drafting, negotiation, review, and interpretation of contracts of various subject matters
Expert level verbal and written communication
ability
-Ability to handle legal work of the highest complexity and to analyze and advise on acceptable deviations from the routine in novel circumstances, including the demonstrated ability to form reasonable and defensible legal opinions, advice, and recommendations on issues lacking clear legal answers
-Has demonstrated dependability characteristics of a Principal
Attorney
-Standard-setter in their practice area and a leader of cases or projects at the highest level of complexity, including the ability to handle multiple critical projects without compromising deadlines or quality of representation
-Knowledge of state and federal laws and regulations in legal
specialty
-Ability to analyze, and through appropriate inquiry, develop facts and provide advice on the applicable
law
-Ability
to
advise
clients
on
strategic
decisions
important
to
the
client
 

We encourage you if you have:

style="margin-bottom:11.0px"-
-Juris Doctorate with admission

to

Michigan's

or

other

acceptable

jurisdiction's

state

bar with
ten (10) or more years of experience
as an attorney with a law firm and/or or in-house counsel, with a superior level of demonstrated leadership, management skills, and/or experience in utility, energy, or other related businesses
In this role, you will

: 

-Lead large business transactions, including asset sales and purchases, purchases of renewable energy projects, and major construction contracts
-Provide expert level support for routine procurement, consulting, software, IT, and other contracts for Consumers Energy
-Provide expert legal advice to client groups by conducting legal research, interpreting rulings and analyzing difficult and novel legal questions

-Keep clients abreast of developments in the relevant legal practice area, explains legal concepts, develops strategies to mitigate legal risk
-Serve as an expert leader and advisor, providing legal counsel on a broad range of significant corporate and business matters of the highest complexity
-Carry out assignments independently and makes final legal determinations in matters of critical importance to the Company
-Draft, review, and negotiate a wide variety of contracts and other legal documents, ensuring that the
organization’s
interests
are
protected
-Draft legal memoranda, opinions, and pleadings
-Contribute to the development and implementation of policies and procedures to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations
-Provide guidance to lower-level Attorneys and Paralegals to assist them in accomplishing their work
-Oversee the work of other legal staff to provide support on active cases of greater complexity
-Manage outside counsel and legal vendors
-Expert-level understanding of the business and industry to advance and lead the company's strategy, while weighing risks and benefits to advise on business decisions
-Handle the most complex matters within their area of legal expertise. Represents the company externally, on highly complex matters dealing with negotiations, regulatory, or court proceedings, or meetings with customers or other stakeholders
-Regularly lead litigation, transactions, regulatory or legislative projects of the highest complexity
-Meet regularly with clients to advise on matters of critical importance to CMS Energy
-Convey a deep understanding of the utility regulatory business model to clients and weighing risks and making decisions of critical importance to CMS Energy and ensure line of sight as to how legal options and actions affect the business
 

 

Why should you join our team?

At Consumers Energy, we offer more than just a place to work. We foster a culture that supports career development, growth, and stability, and we take pride in offering our co-workers excellent benefits and compensation packages. We are deliberately creating an inclusive culture that makes our diverse team of co-workers feel valued, supported, and empowered every day. We're a company made up of thousands of people, all with different stories to share and work to do, but we stand united in our company purpose: world class performance delivering hometown service.

What we offer:

-Competitive compensation packages
-Medical, Dental and Vision
-401k with company match
-Paid parental leave
-Up to 13 paid Holidays
-Paid time off
-Educational Assistance Program

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: 

We, at CMS Energy, value Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion. It is part of our DNA. We treat our employees with respect, we treat each other fairly and we value the opinions of others. We are passionate about building and nurturing an environment where everyone feels included. We don’t discriminate. We seek to learn about each other and better understand our unique differences. Our uniqueness makes us authentic. We create safe spaces where everyone can be who they truly are. We invite difficult conversations and uncomfortable topics. We value diverse perspectives; this is what makes us great together. We harbor an inclusive environment where employees feel empowered to share their backgrounds, experiences, and ideas. Our Employee Resource Groups, Women’s Advisory Panel (WAP), Women’s Engineering Network (WEN), Minority Advisory Panel (MAP), Pride Alliance of Consumers Energy (PACE), GENERGY, capable, Interfaith and Veterans Advisory Panel (VAP) are key enablers to living the values of our company culture: Caring, Empowered, Deliberate, Agility, and Ownership.

All qualified applicants will not be discriminated against and will receive consideration for employment without regard to protected veteran status, disability, race, color, religion, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin.

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