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Dairyland Power Cooperative · 4 days ago

Senior Counsel (Hybrid - La Crosse, WI)

La Crosse, WI

Full-time

Hybrid

Mid, Senior Level

$132K/yr - $198K/yr

3+ years exp

Dairyland Power Cooperative is an organization focused on a People First culture that emphasizes collaboration and professional development. The Senior Counsel will provide comprehensive legal advice and services across various areas, ensuring compliance and managing contractual transactions and litigation matters.

EnergyNon ProfitRenewable EnergySustainability

Responsibilities

Provide legal support and advice on all aspects of procurement and contracting for materials, equipment, supplies, and services in support of Dairyland’s varied system needs. This work includes the ability to draft and review a wide variety of contracts, leases, waivers, and other legal documents, negotiate modifications and amendments as necessary, assist Dairyland in addressing warranty claims, contract terminations, defaults, and contract disputes, as needed, and coordinate with internal stakeholders, Supply Chain and the Deputy General Counsel and/or General Counsel to finalize as appropriate

Provide legal support and advice to Dairyland management and staff on legal consequences or risks as they relate to Dairyland business, compliance and regulatory activities. Serve as internal legal counsel on project teams as necessary

Collaborate with the Legal Services Team to continuously improve Legal Services processes and operations and provide necessary legal support to enable Dairyland to achieve strategic goals in support of Dairyland’s mission and vision

Ensure compliance issues and concerns within the organization are appropriately evaluated, investigated, and resolved and/or mitigated consistent with Dairyland’s policies and procedures

Assist in the development and drafting, review and maintenance of corporate procedures and policies

Review state and federal statutes and regulatory dockets; prepare and file comments, petitions, applications, interventions, and other documents, as needed, with appropriate governmental agencies as directed

Manage legal activities in certain divisions of the organization as assigned. Draft legal letters and other legal communications documents

Assist Legal Services Department in developing and growing internal legal services’ portfolio

Assists, as directed, in conducting litigation on behalf of Dairyland or monitoring the conduct of such litigation by outside legal counsel. Prepare budgets for extensive transactional matters and ongoing major litigation and assure that, to the extent practicable, those matters are conducted within the approved scope and budget

Manage and provide effective reporting to Staff and Board of Directors on significant matters, as directed by the Deputy General Counsel and General Counsel

Performs any other related duties as assigned

Qualification

Juris Doctorate DegreeLegal compliance expertiseContract drafting skillsReal property lawElectric/public utilities lawEnergy lawRegulatory complianceAnalytical skillsDiscretionCritical thinkingCommunication skillsProblem-solvingConfidentiality

Required

Juris Doctorate Degree from accredited law school

Must be in good standing with a U.S. state bar and willing and qualified to seek admission to the bar in Wisconsin at the earliest opportunity required

Minimum of 3 years of active legal practice in the area(s) of electric/public utilities, energy, regulatory compliance, corporate, cooperative, or real estate law

Direct experience in one or more of the following areas and working knowledge of the other areas: Real property law/real estate transactions (including condemnation litigation), electric/public utilities/cooperatives law, energy law, commercial transactions/commercial law, environmental permitting/environmental law, and general business and corporate law

Strong contract drafting and negotiating skills, paying close attention to details

Possess strong critical thinking, interpretation, problem-solving, and analytical skills

Superior communications skills with the ability to interface effectively with individuals at all levels, both internally and externally

Strong listening, reasoning, influencing and facilitating skills

Ability to uphold the highest standards of discretion and confidentiality and adhere to the Wisconsin Rules of Professional Conduct

Maintains familiarity with Wisconsin Public Service Commission and/or Minnesota Public Utilities Commission laws, rules, and regulations, as well as Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and Regional Transmission Organization laws, rules, and regulations

Demonstrated ability to assess and balance commercial/legal risks against business objectives to ensure timely and appropriate results and outcomes

Preferred

Experience in the state of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa or Washington D.C

Proven experience navigating complex regulatory environments, with a demonstrated understanding of the unique compliance needs of electric cooperatives, including FERC, NERC, and state utility commissions

Expertise in advising cooperative boards of directors on governance and legal matters, ensuring adherence to fiduciary responsibilities and supporting democratic decision-making that prioritizes member interests

Demonstrated ability to assess and mitigate legal risks while safeguarding the cooperative's assets, reputation, and long-term member-focused operations

Familiarity with the cooperative business model and the ability to align contracts, policies, and legal strategies with cooperative principles of transparency, fairness, and member service