Counsel

Chicago Fire Football Club is a Major League Soccer team that was founded in 1997. Under new ownership, the Club recently returned to Chicago’s iconic Soldier Field, opened a new 50,000-square foot office in the heart of the city, and will unveil a premium state-of-the-art Performance Center in January 2025. With tremendous growth and expansion, the Club is laying the foundation for an audacious and ambitious vision that will transform the brand and the company in the coming years.

At Chicago Fire FC, we’re on a mission to entertain, serve, and unite Chicago by delivering excellence on and off the pitch to ensure a world-class experience. As a club we let our values guide everything we do: we uphold uncompromising integrity, show respect for all at all times, never settle for less, constantly innovate, and hold ourselves relentlessly accountable.

Position Overview:

Chicago Fire Football Club is seeking a proactive and industrious Counsel to join our in-house legal team. This individual will report directly to the Club Deputy General Counsel and will represent the Club in a dynamic range of legal and risk management matters with a focus on corporate and transactional work.  The attorney will collaborate frequently with the General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel to advise executive leadership and others on various legal risks, business strategies, and commercial deals, including negotiating, drafting and analyzing a wide variety of sports licensing, partnership, technology and other commercial agreements.  The position will require excellent business judgment, adept problem-solving and strategic thinking, with an ability to work independently and collaboratively in a collegial, fast-paced team environment.

Job Responsibilities:

• Provide thorough and prompt legal and business counsel to all departments of the organization.
• Assist with administering and supporting the legal department’s contract management system and signature platform.
• Assist with negotiating, drafting and reviewing commercial contracts and other legal documents necessary to facilitate diverse transactions involving the Club, including sweeps/contests rules, community program waivers, sponsorships, IP licensing agreements, and vendor and program/event agreements.
• Advise internal clients and monitor compliance with transactional, corporate, intellectual property, labor, and employment, real estate and other legal matters arising in the business of global soccer and/or sports.
• Assist with company risk management initiatives and preparing and advising on affiliated policies, protocols, and trainings.
• Assist with preparing corporate documents and maintaining corporate records.
• Work closely with the Club’s General Counsel, and Deputy General Counsel, to assist with the following; 
  • Researching and drafting memoranda, opinions, and correspondence on a range of legal issues. 
  • Collaborating with colleagues and advise on major initiatives, including athlete, partner, program participant and fan safety. 
  • Managing and assisting with any claims, disputes and/or litigation. 
  • Formulating, developing, implementing, interpreting and reviewing Club regulations, policies and procedures to identify the need for policy development or changes to protect and serve the Club’s legal interests. 
  • Providing guidance on regulatory and other compliance for the Club. 
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an ABA-accredited law school.
• Admission to the Illinois bar, in good standing.
• Minimum of two (2) to four (4) years of progressively responsible experience as a practicing attorney, with sports industry or corporate law firm experience preferred.
• Strong academic and professional credentials.
• Experience negotiating and drafting complex agreements, with a broad transactional background.
• Experience fostering successful interaction and collaboration with a diverse array of colleagues, clients, stakeholders and leaders at all levels.
• Experience with keeping confidences, commitment to high ethical and professional standards, and a high degree of personal integrity and sound judgement.
• Self-motivation and a demonstrated ability to project manage and to effectively and efficiently execute multiple tasks and initiatives in a broad range of substantive areas.
• Strong interpersonal skills with an ability to prioritize and work as a team with other departments and the General Counsel, in a high-performing and high-profile environment.
• Must have impeccable oral and written communication skills, negotiation skills, and an ability to identify and address complicated and sensitive problems with creativity and sound judgment.
• A keen attention to accuracy and detail.
• The ability to work independently, without paralegal or legal assistant support.
• Thorough knowledge of state, local and federal laws and regulations for Illinois.
• Knowledge of and experience in sports law and transactions, including contracts law, corporate law, intellectual property law including licensing, copyright, and trademarks; real estate law and employment and labor law.
• Proficient in the Microsoft Office Suite, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Calendar and proficiency in redlining and editing documents.
• Ability to work non-traditional hours, in non-traditional settings, including all home games (or other work events) that fall on nights, weekends, and/or holidays

Please note:

• Chicago Fire FC is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion. Our diversity initiatives start with the recruitment and selection process; therefore, we’d like to welcome all diverse candidates to apply to opportunities within our Club.
• CFFC is committed to providing equal employment opportunity and maintaining a workplace for employees and applicants for employment that is free from discrimination.   The Company does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, citizenship, age, veteran or military status, disability, sexual orientation, sexual orientation or expression, marital status or any other characteristic protected by law. This policy governs all aspects of employment, including hiring, promotion, compensation, discipline, termination, and access to benefits and training. 
  • If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, please contact the People and Culture Department at peopleandculture@chicagofirefc.com to let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.    

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