Assistant General Counsel

Job Details

• Job Location: Smithfield, RI - Smithfield, RI
• Position Type: Full Time
• Education Level: Doctorate or PhD
• Travel Percentage: Occasional
• Job Shift: Daytime
• Job Category: Management

Description

The Assistant General Counsel assists in providing in-house legal services to the company. Legal services include the provision of legal advice and counsel to company’s management and staff on a broad variety of legal and business matters to ensure that the company is operated and managed in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations. This position provides strategic legal advice and support for all litigation matters, interpretation of laws and regulations, privacy laws and provides support to all business areas across the company.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Maintain familiarity with all requirements of law and regulation affecting the operation of a managed care company.
• Provide legal counsel and support to functional and/or operational groups within the organization; provides legal support to business on strategic initiatives of the company and answers inquiries from staff regarding legal issues.
• Negotiate and draft major contracts between Neighborhood and other companies, state and federal agencies, etc.
• Support process for review of contracts into which Neighborhood enters so that they best serve the organization’s needs and mission.
• Advise executives, directors and managers on legal risks and business terms of various deals.
• Advise and partner with the Compliance Officer and internal stakeholders on regulatory issues, privacy matters, including privacy incident investigations and approaches to complex data privacy protection and needs within the company.
• Partner with Compliance, Medical Management and other departments to provide counsel and assist in the successful implementation of their areas of responsibility.
• Provide support to Human Resources ; including advising on labor and employment matters, compliance with State and federal anti-discrimination laws, employee leave laws and related statutes; corrective action and discharge; wage and hour, disability and accommodation issues
• Review and advise on current policies, procedures, handbooks, and updates; provides guidance on policies or procedures that should be developed to promote compliant and efficient operations.
• Take action to avoid litigation as well as manage litigation matters involving Neighborhood.
• Directly perform legal tasks of a varying nature which are attendant to the operation of a non-profit health plan, including but not limited to the preparation and negotiation of provider, procurement, and other contracts affecting Neighborhood.
• Review advertising and marketing materials to ensure compliance with legal requirements.
• Select, retain, manage and evaluate outside counsel; directs work to outside counsel performing legal tasks for Neighborhood.
• Provide training to company on legal topics.
• Has direct and indirect management responsibility for staff.
• Other duties as required
• Corporate Compliance Responsibility - As an essential function, responsible for complying with Neighborhood’s Corporate Compliance Program, Standards of Business Conduct, applicable contracts, laws, rules and regulations, policies, and procedures as it applies to individual job duties, the department, and the Company. This position must exercise due diligence to prevent, detect, and report unlawful and/or unethical conduct by fellow co-workers, professional affiliates and/or agents.

Qualifications

Required:

• JD degree required; admitted to or eligible for admission to the Rhode Island Bar.
• Seven (7)+ years of in-house legal experience with healthcare law, litigation management, employment law, privacy law and contract review.
• Experience in legal research and analysis.
• Knowledge of laws and regulations affecting the operations of a managed care company.
• Expertise and/or familiarity with the following areas of law: HIPAA, Data Privacy, intellectual property, regulations affecting Health Care, employment laws.
• Experience supervising support staff and outside counsel.
• Experience with cost effective management of outside legal resources.
• Must be able to handle complex legal and contractual negotiations with providers, vendors, internal business clients, and outside attorneys.
• Solid Analytic skills.
• Strong oral, written communications and organizational skills.
• Partnering and influencing skills; a bility to deal effectively with clients, colleagues, outside entities and management and the ability to engage colleagues from a business as well as a legal perspective.
• Strong facilitation skills.
• Detail-oriented with good organizational skills and experience in advising clients.
• Demonstrated skills as a strong practitioner and negotiator, a creative problem-solver, self-starter.
• Strong foundation and understanding of general commercial law.
• Ability to see the big picture and help scale legal support of a rapidly growing company.
• Impeccable integrity, good judgment and well-honed analytical skills.

Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island 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, disability or veteran status.