General Counsel, Animal Welfare Nonprofit

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Treasured Pets Foundation (TPF) is a registered 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization incorporated in Florida. We are located in the St. Petersburg - Clearwater, FL area. The organization was formed in 2021 for the sole purpose of disrupting and combatting Economic Euthanasia. We are dedicated to empowering pet and companion animal parents with the knowledge and resources needed to enhance and extend the lives of their beloved canine and feline companions. While we’ve made outstanding progress since 2021, Treasured Pets still has scores of work to do. The problem of Economic Euthanasia is enormous, and the solution complex - requiring considerable funds and abundant human resources. We need your support to expedite the release of our innovative programs intended to disrupt and alleviate Economic Euthanasia. Please help us fulfill our mission and realize our vision by donating the time you feel comfortable contributing. The Attorney or General Counsel role is vital to our organization's mission, vision, and general success.

TITLE: Attorney / General Counsel

PAY: Unpaid position

TIME COMMITMENT: Average 2-4 hours per month with a min. commitment of one year

SHIFT & SCHEDULE: You decide / As needed

LOCATION: Remote/Work-from-Home

REPORTS TO: President & Executive Director, COO, BOD

DEPARTMENT OR TEAM: Legal / Compliance

STIPULATIONS: Applicants MUST reside in the U.S. and possess U.S. work authorization

YOUR OPPORTUNITY

As the General Counsel, you'll play a vital role in furthering Treasured Pets' mission to disrupt, combat, and alleviate Economic Euthanasia. You will serve as part of the organization’s Senior Leadership Team, ensure that the organization operates within the law, remains compliant with all fundraising efforts, offer counsel on legal issues, be an effective guardian of the organization, and facilitate programmatic and operational strategies ensuring legal compliance and limiting risk exposure.

We want you because you’re familiar with the accountabilities of a legal team in the nonprofit sector. You comprehend that there is more to lawyering than identifying risk, and you think creatively to generate solutions that allow for various levels of risk mitigation or exposure. You are comfortable exercising and utilizing strategic judgment to help navigate tricky situations. You believe that win-win solutions exist and have to be prioritized, particularly concerning employee and volunteer relations issues.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Your responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Serve as a member of the Senior Leadership Team, providing visionary thought leadership and strategic guidance organization-wide
• Set long-term strategic vision and priorities for the Legal team
• Nonprofit compliance, including corporate governance, finance and tax, charitable solicitation, commercial co-ventures, international grantmaking, and lobbying
• Direct TPF's international legal portfolio, including international liability and international labor and employment
• Support and advise the Board of Directors, including drafting and revising corporate policies, bylaws, minutes, agendas, and resolutions
• Advise the team on federal, multistate, and international employment law, including employee handbook and policies, contingent workforce compliance, employee training, and investigations
• Advise management and staff on legal issues related to programmatic initiatives
• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide variety of agreements for all aspects of the organization
• Support the development of training materials, guidance documents, and relevant staff and volunteer training
• Manage the organization’s insurance portfolio and intellectual property portfolio
• Establish and manage relationships with pro bono attorneys and outside counsel.
• Other duties as assigned or necessary

REQUIRED SKILLS

• Extensive generalist legal experience, including 10 years of prior experience in a nonprofit, government agency, or private sector. In-house counsel experience would be helpful. In good standing with the bar in any state or the District of Columbia.
• Experience working with a global organization and familiarity with working cross-culturally and with those of diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
• Able to critically evaluate various issues and provide sound legal advice. Able to develop familiarity with legal systems in and outside the U.S. and adopt policies and procedures in compliance with local law. Able to quickly take complex concepts and make difficult judgments in the organization's best interests.
• Able to convey information accurately and appropriately to different audiences including staff, senior leadership, stakeholders, and the public across various cultural and linguistic backgrounds, through verbal, written, and nonverbal modes to ensure the intended message is understood. Able to communicate legal findings and decisions concisely and persuasively.
• Able to anticipate, diffuse, and resolve disagreements, confrontations, tensions, and complaints practically and constructively to achieve results.
• Demonstrated ability to foster high performance, build solid teams, and develop and motivate staff with transparency and collaboration. Delegates skillfully. Inspire and persuade others to take action, meet goals, and hold the team accountable.
• Ability to think strategically, anticipate potential problems and challenge conventional thinking. Ability to pivot when a course of action isn’t providing the intended results, maintain flexibility regarding the revision of own ideas and assumptions as new information emerges, and identify patterns to make meaning out of overarching trends. An ability to see information through the lens of the past, present, and future to address short-term and long-term goals.