Senior Counsel

The Group:

General Corporate unites a variety of functions at Morningstar including design, marketing, finance, quality, human resources, corporate communications, legal, compliance, strategic planning, and technology with the goal of keeping our business running smoothly. Each of these functions plays an essential role in supporting our companys infrastructure, day-to-day operations, and ongoing strategic initiatives.

The Team:

The Legal and Compliance team consists of lawyers, compliance specialists and other professionals across the globe who bring to the team various kinds of expertise. On the legal side, we have commercial, regulatory, M&A, SEC compliance, corporate governance, privacy and employment expertise in-house as well as broad-based international legal experience to support the companys operations in 29 countries. The Compliance team has expertise in overseeing the compliance processes and practices of regulated credit ratings, investment management, investment research and benchmark administration businesses. The Legal Department coordinates and oversees Morningstars use of external counsel around the world.

The Role:
This role has a diverse set of responsibilities, focused on key corporate transactions including strategic transactions, M&A and investments, corporate governance, securities compliance and financing matters. This role reports to the Corporate Secretary and Global Head of Corporate, Legal, currently based in Chicago. This position is based in our Chicago office.

Job Responsibilities:

• Partnering with cross-functional internal teams on various corporate and subsidiary-level projects, including strategic transactions and M&A.

• Supporting all legal aspects of transactions, including advising senior executives on complex and high-value risk matters, drafting term sheets and other preliminary documentation, managing deal processes, coordinating due diligence reviews, collaborating with cross-functional transaction teams, drafting and negotiating deal documentation, assisting on regulatory filings, closing deals, and managing post-closing integration and disputes.

• Contributing to corporate governance, entity management (including serving as corporate secretary or in other roles for company subsidiaries, as needed) and administration, risk management, and enterprise sustainability activities on behalf of the company, its board of directors, and its global subsidiaries.

• Assisting with securities law compliance and SEC reporting, including review of current periodic reports, proxy statements, and Section 16 filings.

• Providing legal support for treasury and tax matters including the legal aspects of financing transactions, as needed.

• Managing and liaising with external counsel to execute transactions and projects effectively and efficiently.

• Advising cross-functional teams, including accounting, corporate strategy, investor relations, corporate communications, and other specializations on a wide range of corporate issues and legal projects, as needed.

• Ad hoc or stretch projects as required.

Qualifications:

• JD degree from an ABA-accredited university.

• Must be a member in good standing of a state bar.

• 7+ years of experience gained in a nationally or a regionally recognized law firm and/or in-house position.

• Experience with capital markets, securities law, M&A, financing/treasury, and other corporate transactions.

• Knowledge and interest in broad areas of corporate and transactional matters, including disclosure and reporting, corporate governance, investments, and international expansion.

• Experience of collaborating across multi-disciplinary teams to find practical solutions in complex transactions.

• Excellent analytical and writing skills required, a robust team player who is proactive, innovative, flexible, and creative--capable of managing multiple priorities and meeting tight deadlines.

• Excellent work ethic and high degree of professionalism, and a proven ability to work both independently and within a team.

Morningstars hybrid work environment gives you the opportunity to work remotely and collaborate in-person each week. Weve found that were at our best when were purposely together on a regular basis, at least three days each week. A range of other benefits are also available to enhance flexibility as needs change. No matter where you are, youll have tools and resources to engage meaningfully with your global colleagues.