Senior Legal Counsel

Senior Legal Counsel, North America Business Center

Overview

The Senior Legal Counsel will report to LONGi’s North America General Counsel and provide legal support for all aspects of the Company’s commercial matters. A member of the US legal team, this attorney will be responsible for contract drafting and negotiation, as well as guiding contracts through review, negotiation, and signing.

• Experience: 7+ years of legal experience in-house and/or at a law firm, with an emphasis on commercial transactions and contract drafting/negotiation.
• Experience working in energy, renewables, solar, manufacturing, construction, or related industries is ideal.
• Location: San Ramon, CA, Dallas, TX or Columbus, OH.
• Relocation: Yes. This is a national search, but local candidates preferred.
• Bar: Candidate must be a member in good standing with a U.S. State Bar (preferably CA).

Company Overview

LONGi is China’s first solar enterprise and has been creating low-cost clean energy products for the world for over 20 years.LONGi is the world’s leader in the clean energy transition and the world’s largest solar technology company, supplying over 30 GW of high efficiency solar wafers and modules annually, about a quarter of the global solar market. With unparalleled financial strength in the sector, LONGi is a perennial BloombergNEF Tier 1 Supplier and the only AAA-rated solar module supplier according to PV-Tech. LONGi’s global leadership stems from its core values: innovation and sustainable development. The company has invested well over $1 billion into R&D in the past three years and currently holds multiple world record efficiencies for next-generation solar cell technologies. Furthermore, LONGi is committed to the Climate Group’s RE100, EV100 and EP100 initiatives and will source 100% renewables-based electricity across all of its operations by 2028.

LONGi has manufacturing facilities and sales offices in more than 150 countries and regions worldwide, including factories in China, Vietnam and Malaysia. There are also sales offices in the United States, Japan, India, Australia, the United Arab Emirates.

Owing to its leading talent development strategy, Forbes has awarded LONGi the title of China's Most Sustainable Employer of the Year in 2022 for the second consecutive year.

Position Information

The Senior Legal Counsel will report to LONGi’s North America General Counsel and will support the business on a variety of commercial transactions and negotiations, draft and negotiate commercial agreements, and implement best legal and compliance practices. This attorney will also have the opportunity to branch outside of commercial work and advise on international trade and customs matters. Responsibilities include:

1. Transaction Support

• Provide efficient, responsible, and professional legal support to manage risks and facilitate transactions.
• Drafting and negotiating a broad range of commercial agreements in support of various business units both in the U.S. and in Canada;
• Providing legal support to the Company, including on international trade, tariffs, and customs matters;
• Preparing and reviewing various agreements, contracts, and other legal documents;
• Drafting and responding legal letters to stakeholders;
• Enhance the professional capabilities in contract review, optimize working standards, and further improve review quality and efficiency.
• Optimize contract evaluation criteria to effectively identify and control risks.

2. Legal Compliance Management

• Establish a legal compliance system for the North regional subsidiaries and improve legal compliance awareness among subsidiary management.
• Identifying and evaluating legal risks in the U.S. operation and management, researching and interpreting existing laws and regulations and anticipated changes to laws to guide the business’s informed decisions and evaluation of risks;

3. Dispute and Case Management

• Standardize the management of disputes and cases with end-to-end oversight.
• Actively participate in the prevention and resolution of disputes to avoid legal loopholes and ensure favorable outcomes.
• Effectively manage the selection and oversight of external legal counsel.

4. Additional legal duties in support of LONGi’s North America General Counsel.

Qualifications & Skills

• JD or LLM from an accredited U.S. law school;

• Licensed and in good standing to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction (preferably CA);

• 7+ years drafting and negotiating commercial transactions, including minimum 3 years at a reputable law firm.

• Experience working in energy, renewables, solar, manufacturing, construction, or related industries is ideal; and

• Experience working for multi-national companies is ideal.

Preferred bilingual skills in English and Mandarin due to frequent communication with HQ in China as part of the job scope.

Leadership Characteristics:

• The successful candidate is entrepreneurial, and business focused, is able to flex and adapt in a multicultural, multinational environment, and has exceptional legal and organizational skills to bring order and structure to areas of grey and uncertainty;

• The successful candidate is a life-long learner and seeks continuous improvement;

• The successful candidate is a high performer, able to work independently but also able to work collaboratively cross-functionally and as part of a lean legal team;

• The successful candidate has a positive, can-do, even-keeled, and proactive attitude and has exceptional skills and ability to:

o Work in a fast-paced, evolving environment

o Manage to completion multiple projects, large and small, simultaneously

o Communicate, work cooperatively, and interact comfortably with all levels of LONGi and its external partners, clients, vendors, etc.

o Integrate pragmatic business solutions into all aspects of legal advice

o Analyze alternatives, draw logical conclusions, and develop efficient, cost-effective solutions

o Respond to and resolve sensitive and complex legal inquiries and issues

o Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing

o Exercise sound judgment and a high degree of integrity and discretion

o Demonstrate agile thinking with an ownership mentality

Why This Is A Great Opportunity

• As LONGi is an award-winning global leader in solar and the clean energy transition, the successful candidate will have the unique opportunity to be part of a lean and growing legal team that is supporting LONGi’s innovation and efforts to “Utilize Sunshine, Creat[ing] a Green World” for mankind;

• This commercial generalist will serve as the right-hand person to an experienced General Counsel and will have the unique opportunity to develop experience and skillsets beyond commercial work, in areas such as international global trade, public policy, and joint ventures; and

• This Senior Legal Counsel will have ample opportunities to advance his or her legal career with a global company positioned for further growth!