Associate General Counsel- Birmingham

JOB SUMMARY

The Associate General Counsel (AGC) will serve as a senior-level attorney for Southern Nuclear, providing legal counsel and strategic guidance on a broad range of business, operational, and regulatory matters. The role calls for an intellectually curious, resourceful attorney who can quickly learn unfamiliar subject matter, exercise sound judgment, and work independently to develop practical solutions. Working closely with senior leadership, business units, and outside counsel, the AGC will advise on commercial agreements, regulatory matters, litigation and claims, employment and compliance matters, and other legal issues affecting the Company. The successful candidate will take ownership of matters while keeping the General Counsel informed of significant developments and emerging risks, communicating effectively, and seeking input or escalating matters as appropriate.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as a trusted legal advisor to senior leaders, business units, and functional organizations.

• Assess legal and business risks, develop recommended courses of action, coordinate appropriate resources, and drive matters toward resolution in coordination with the General Counsel, as appropriate.

• Oversee and collaborate with outside counsel, including managing work assignments, budgets, invoices, deadlines, and status reporting.

• Translate complex legal and regulatory concepts into clear, concise, and practical advice for executives and non-lawyer clients.

• Manage multiple complex matters with competing priorities and deadlines, keeping the General Counsel informed of significant developments, risks, and open issues.

• Identify and elevate matters involving significant legal, regulatory, financial, reputational, strategic, or precedent-setting considerations.

• The areas below illustrate the work this role may support and are not exhaustive. The successful candidate will assume a combination of responsibilities based on experience, strengths, and Company needs. Experience in every area is not expected; candidate evaluation will emphasize sound legal judgment, the ability to learn new subject matter, independent ownership of matters, and the overall strength and relevance of the candidate’s experience.

• Commercial: Draft, review, and negotiate commercial, confidentiality, information-sharing, collaboration, and other business agreements; advise on related confidentiality, intellectual property, data use, disclosure restrictions, and Company-specific procurement and supply-chain matters; and coordinate with other Southern Company attorneys and outside counsel when specialized expertise is needed.

• Litigation: Assess and manage litigation, claims, investigations, disputes, and other contested matters in coordination with the General Counsel and outside counsel; recommend strategies; coordinate preservation and collection of relevant information; and support legal holds, discovery, witness preparation, settlement, and other litigation-related activities, as appropriate.

• Regulatory:
  • Provide legal support on nuclear regulatory, licensing, enforcement, compliance, and rulemaking matters, working with Regulatory Affairs, Compliance, technical subject-matter experts, business leaders, and outside counsel to develop legally sound, practical approaches and respond to regulatory inquiries, allegations, and enforcement matters, including coordinating internal review and preserving applicable legal privileges.

1. • Advise on export-control matters, including 10 CFR Part 810 requirements and related contract provisions, policies, processes, training materials, and legal questions.

• Employment/Personnel: Advise Human Resources, Compliance, Employee Concerns, and business leaders regarding legal issues arising from employment matters, personnel actions, investigations, retaliation concerns, compliance issues, and related matters.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Graduate of an American Bar Association-accredited law school with a Juris Doctor degree and strong academic credentials.

• Licensed and in good standing to practice law in Alabama, or ability to gain admission to practice law in Alabama.

• At least eight (8) years of relevant legal experience handling commercial, regulatory, litigation, employment, compliance, or other business matters.

• Demonstrated ability to independently manage multiple complex matters with competing priorities and deadlines.

• Strong legal judgment and demonstrated ability to identify and evaluate material legal and business risks and develop practical solutions.

• Excellent legal research, analytical, drafting, negotiation, interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to quickly learn unfamiliar legal, regulatory, and technical subject matter, identify the key issues, and translate complex concepts into clear, concise, practical advice.

• Demonstrated ability to take ownership of matters, work autonomously, and exercise sound judgment regarding when consultation or escalation is appropriate.

• Ability to engage effectively and frequently with senior Company leadership.

• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain constructive working relationships with business clients, subject-matter experts, other attorneys, outside counsel, and external stakeholders.

• High ethical standards and sound professional judgment.

• Ability to work autonomously and in a team environment, as appropriate.

• Experience working in a highly regulated industry is preferred.

• Energy, utility, or nuclear-industry experience is preferred.

• Broad legal experience involving multiple substantive areas is preferred, whether gained in-house, in private practice, or in government, is preferred.

• Experience drafting and negotiating commercial agreements, confidentiality agreements, and information-sharing arrangements is preferred.

• Experience managing litigation, claims, investigations, or other contested matters is preferred.

• Experience managing and supervising outside counsel is preferred.

• Experience with Nuclear Regulatory Commission requirements, proceedings, enforcement matters, or other complex federal regulatory regimes is preferred.

• Experience with export-control laws and regulations, including 10 CFR Part 810, is preferred.

Please Note: This position will be based in Birmingham, Alabama and will require in-office presence consistent with Company policy, which currently is 4 days/week. This position will also require occasional travel and availability and responsiveness to clients outside normal business hours.