General Hours of Work:   Monday - Friday (days) with some weekend and evening involvement 

Exempt/Nonexempt:          Exempt (salaried)

Department/Unit:              Corporate-Executive Leadership

Reports To:                       CFO

SUMMARY: The General Counsel serves as the chief legal officer and strategic advisor to the executive team and Board of Directors, responsible for overseeing all legal, regulatory, and compliance matters of the organization. This executive role balances legal expertise with business objectives, particularly in managing risk associated with the highly regulated healthcare environment, including M&A activities, a robust compliance program, and employment law issues.  

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Compliance and Regulatory Oversight: Develop, implement, and manage a comprehensive compliance program, ensuring adherence to all applicable federal and state healthcare laws and regulations, including HIPAA, the Stark Law, the Anti-Kickback Statute, the Civil Monetary Penalties Law, and Medicare/Medicaid conditions of participation. Advise management on emerging regulatory trends and their potential impact on operations. Ensure compliance with federal screening requirements included/excluded party lists including OIG/SAM/OFAC. 
• Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A): Lead and manage all legal aspects of M&A, joint ventures, affiliations, and divestitures from inception through post-closing integration. This includes structuring deals, conducting extensive legal due diligence, identifying and mitigating healthcare-specific risks (e.g., billing errors, physician contracts), and negotiating complex transaction documents and contracts.
• Employment Law: Oversee all employment and labor law matters, collaborating with the People and Culture department on policy development, employee relations, personnel management, and any potential litigation or disputes. Ensure all employment contracts and policies are compliant with federal and state laws and minimize risk.
• Legal Advice and Strategy: Provide timely, accurate, and practical legal counsel to the CEO, C-suite executives, and the Board on a wide array of legal issues, integrating legal insight into overall business strategy and decision-making.
• Contract Management: Oversee the drafting, review, and negotiation of a wide range of contracts, including payer agreements, vendor contracts, and other commercial arrangements, ensuring all agreements align with legal requirements and organizational objectives.
• Risk Management & Litigation: Identify and assess potential legal risks across the organization, developing strategies to mitigate exposure. Manage internal investigations and any litigation, coordinating and supervising outside counsel effectively and cost-efficiently.
• Corporate Governance: Ensure sound corporate governance practices, managing legal records, licenses, permits, and other statutory requirements.

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS: The individual must be able to work the hours specified above. To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required to perform these essential functions. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions, so long as the accommodations do not cause undue hardship to the employer.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, developing, training, and retaining employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

REQUIRED EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school.
• Active membership in good standing with at least one U.S. state bar.
• Extensive experience (typically 10+ years) practicing law, with significant experience specifically within the healthcare industry and in-house counsel experience preferred.
• Demonstrated expertise in federal and state healthcare laws and regulations (e.g., HIPAA, Stark, Anti-Kickback Statute) and experience in M&A and employment law.
• Proven ability to manage complex transactions and legal matters, demonstrating sound judgment and objective analytical skills.
• Strong communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to communicate complex legal concepts to non-legal stakeholders.

REQUIRED CERTIFICATION, LICENSURE, and/or REGISTRATIONS: 

• Relevant certifications, such as Certified in Healthcare Compliance (CHC), are preferred.
• This position requires a valid driver’s license and that the employee is insurable by the Avel automobile liability insurance carrier.  (only if applicable)

REQUIRED COMPETENCIES:

• Building effective teams: Building strong-identity teams that apply their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals (on-shore and off-shore). 
• Business acumen: Applying knowledge of business and the marketplace to advance the organization’s goals. 
• Decision quality: Making good and timely decisions that keep the organization moving forward.  
• Managing vision and purpose: Painting a compelling picture of the vision and strategy that motivates others to action. 
• Organizational agility: Maneuvering comfortably through complex policy, process, and people-related organizational dynamics.  
• Perspective: Taking a broad view when approaching issues, using a global lens. 
• Strategic agility: Seeing ahead to future possibilities and translating them into breakthrough strategies.  

REQUIRED PHYSICAL ABILITIES:

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. 
• The employee frequently is required to sit. 
• The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. 
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. 
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and the ability to adjust focus. 

REQUIRED COMMUNICATION/MATHEMATICAL/REASONING SKILLS:

• Must possess the required level of skills and abilities to read, write, speak, and apply mathematical concepts and sound reasoning to successfully perform the essential duties and responsibilities of this job.
• Must be able to perform basic operations on a personal computer within the Windows operating system.
• This position requires problem solving skills, critical thinking skills, and the ability to multi-task.

RESPONSIBILITIES, EXPECTATIONS & STANDARDS:

• Commitment to the daily application of Avel’s mission, vision and core values to deliver access to high quality care.
• Maintain confidentiality.
• Work effectively in a team environment, coordinating workflow with other team members and ensuring a productive and efficient environment.
• Comply with safety principles, Federal and State laws, regulations and standards including but not limited to the Joint Commission.
• May be involved on organization committees or boards.

JOB CODE: 488