Role Overview for Chief Legal Officer with a PE-backed Services Provider – Tampa, FL
JRG Partners is proud to partner with a high-growth, private equity-backed services provider in their search for a strategic and business-oriented Chief Legal Officer (CLO). Based in the vibrant city of Tampa, Florida, this is a career-defining opportunity to join the executive leadership team of a company on an aggressive growth trajectory. The successful candidate will be a key architect of the company’s future, providing expert legal counsel and strategic guidance to the CEO, Board of Directors, and senior management team.
This is not a traditional, reactive legal role. We are seeking a proactive business partner who can navigate the complexities of a fast-paced, M&A-driven environment. The CLO will be instrumental in shaping corporate strategy, managing risk, ensuring robust compliance, and driving the legal aspects of significant corporate transactions, including acquisitions and integrations. You will be responsible for building and leading a high-performing legal function that acts as a true enabler of business objectives. The ideal candidate will possess deep experience in corporate law, particularly within a PE-sponsored company, and will have a proven track record of successfully guiding organizations through periods of rapid expansion and transformation. This role demands a combination of legal expertise, exceptional business acumen, and the leadership presence to operate effectively at the highest levels of the organization.
Key Responsibilities of Chief Legal Officer with a PE-backed Services Provider – Tampa, FL
The Chief Legal Officer will have a broad range of responsibilities, acting as the primary legal advisor for all facets of the business. Key duties will include:
Strategic Legal Counsel & Executive Partnership
- Serve as a core member of the executive leadership team, participating in key strategic and operational decisions.
- Provide pragmatic, solutions-oriented legal advice to the CEO, executive team, and Board of Directors on a wide array of complex legal, business, and strategic issues.
- Anticipate and identify legal risks and opportunities, developing proactive strategies and policies to mitigate risk and advance business goals.
- Manage the company’s legal budget, including the strategic selection and cost-effective management of outside counsel and other legal service providers.
Corporate Governance and Compliance
- Oversee all corporate governance matters, including Board and committee meeting support, corporate record-keeping, and entity management for the parent company and its subsidiaries.
- Develop, implement, and maintain a robust, enterprise-wide compliance program that ensures adherence to all applicable laws, regulations, and industry standards.
- Establish and enforce policies related to data privacy (e.g., CCPA, GDPR), anti-bribery (FCPA), and other critical regulatory areas.
- Monitor changes in the legal and regulatory landscape relevant to the services industry and advise the company on potential impacts and necessary actions.
- Promote a culture of integrity and ethical conduct throughout the organization, ensuring adherence to the highest best practices in corporate governance.
Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) and Corporate Development
- Lead the legal execution of the company’s aggressive M&A strategy, from initial due diligence and structuring to negotiation, closing, and post-merger integration.
- Draft and negotiate term sheets, letters of intent, purchase agreements, and all other transaction-related legal documents.
- Manage and coordinate external legal counsel and other advisors to ensure efficient and successful deal execution.
- Provide legal support for other corporate development activities, including joint ventures, strategic partnerships, and financing transactions.
Commercial and Operational Legal Support
- Oversee the drafting, review, and negotiation of a high volume of complex commercial agreements, including customer contracts, master services agreements, vendor agreements, software licenses, and partnership agreements.
- Develop and standardize contract templates and processes to improve efficiency and mitigate risk across the organization.
- Provide legal counsel on matters related to intellectual property, including trademark, copyright, and trade secret protection.
- Advise on labor and employment law matters, including hiring, termination, compensation, employee relations, and litigation avoidance.
Litigation and Dispute Management
- Manage and oversee all litigation, claims, and other legal disputes involving the company.
- Develop and execute effective strategies for resolving disputes in a timely and cost-effective manner.
- Supervise outside litigation counsel and actively manage case progress and legal spend.
Requirements for the Chief Legal Officer with a PE-backed Services Provider – Tampa, FL
The ideal candidate will be a seasoned legal executive with a strong commercial mindset and a demonstrated ability to thrive in a dynamic, private equity environment. Specific qualifications include:
Education & Bar Admission
- Juris Doctor (J.D.) from a top-tier, ABA-accredited law school.
- An active license to practice law and in good standing with at least one U.S. state bar. Admission to the Florida Bar is preferred, or the ability to become authorized as in-house counsel in Florida.
Professional Experience
- A minimum of 15 years of progressive legal experience, with a combination of practice at a premier law firm and in-house roles.
- Significant experience serving as a General Counsel, Deputy General Counsel, or a comparable senior legal leadership role is required.
Crucial
Demonstrable experience working within a private equity-backed portfolio company is a mandatory requirement. Candidates must understand the pace, reporting requirements, and strategic imperatives of a PE-sponsored environment.
- Extensive, hands-on experience leading all legal aspects of mergers and acquisitions. The candidate must have a proven track record of successfully closing multiple deals.
- Broad-based experience across corporate law, including corporate governance, commercial contracts, compliance, labor & employment, and litigation management.
- Experience in the business services, technology services, or a related sector is highly desirable.
Skills & Personal Attributes
- Exceptional business acumen with the ability to think strategically and provide commercially practical legal advice.
- Proven ability to be a trusted advisor and collaborative partner to a CEO and executive team.
- Outstanding communication, negotiation, and influencing skills, with the ability to present complex legal concepts clearly to non-legal stakeholders.
- A self-starter with a high level of integrity, professional ethics, and sound judgment.
- Strong leadership and management skills with the ability to build and mentor a legal team.
- Excellent organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple high-priority projects simultaneously in a fast-paced setting.
- A low-ego, team-oriented individual who is willing to be hands-on and roll up their sleeves to get the job done.
Benefits & Perks Offered
Our client offers a highly competitive and compelling compensation package designed to attract and retain a top-tier executive. This includes:
- A competitive base salary and an attractive annual performance-based bonus.
- A significant and meaningful equity stake in the company, providing the opportunity for substantial wealth creation upon a successful exit.
- Comprehensive benefits package, including premium medical, dental, and vision insurance for you and your dependents.
- A robust 401(k) retirement savings plan with a generous company match.
- Generous paid time off (PTO), including vacation, sick leave, and paid holidays.
- Company-paid life insurance and disability coverage.
- Support for professional development and continuing legal education (CLE).
- Relocation assistance for the right candidate to move to the Tampa, FL area.
- The opportunity to work with a talented, driven, and collaborative executive team in a dynamic and rewarding environment.
How to Apply
JRG Partners is leading the exclusive search for this Chief Legal Officer position. If you are a dynamic legal executive with the requisite private equity and M&A experience and are excited by the prospect of making a significant impact in a high-growth company, we encourage you to apply.
Our client is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.
