Senior Corporate Counsel

Company Overview

Hillwood, a Perot Company, is a premier real estate investment and development company founded on a culture of integrity, respect, excellence and teamwork. The company is a full-service real estate developer, investor and advisor focused on developing opportunities for investors, partners and communities around the world. See additional details at www.hillwood.com.

Position Overview

Hillwood is seeking a Senior Corporate Counsel to serve as a senior legal advisor supporting the Hillwood enterprise and affiliated Perot companies. This role leads the corporate legal function, providing guidance across corporate governance, entity management, compliance, litigation strategy, intellectual property protection, and other key legal initiatives supporting business operations in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe.

Partnering closely with executive leadership, the Senior Corporate Counsel delivers practical, business-oriented legal counsel while supporting sound risk management across a privately held, multi-entity organization.

Responsibilities

Corporate Legal:

• Lead corporate activities across Hillwood entities, including structure, governance, documentation and corporate reporting.
• Oversee entity formation, maintenance, amendments, reorganization, and dissolutions.
• Manage compliance requirements related to the corporate regulatory obligations.
• Direct transaction management activities include coordinating closing, post-closing documentation, and internal record updates.
• Oversee business license registrations and renewals across jurisdictions.
• Maintain and enhance the enterprise-wide legal database and document management protocols.
• Draft, review, and negotiate general corporate contracts, including service agreements, consulting agreements, contractor agreements, waivers/releases, engagement letters, nondisclosure agreements, and related documents.
• Develop, update, and advise on corporate policies and procedures.
• Support miscellaneous corporate and family office legal projects as needed.

Leadership & Team Management:

• Lead a high-performing internal legal and compliance team; provide coaching, development, and direction while fostering a culture of accountability, discretion, and service.
• Coordinate internal workflows to support corporate governance, entity management, licensing, policy development, and transaction execution.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for outside counsel, setting expectations, negotiating fees when appropriate, and evaluating performance.
• Partner closely with executive leadership and business unit heads to anticipate legal risk, guide decision-making, and support long-term strategic objectives.

Compliance:

• Serve as Chief Compliance Officer for the SEC-Registered Investment Adviser entity, overseeing the full compliance program.
• Lead development, implementation, and monitoring of compliance policies and procedures in including:
  • Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and international compliance frameworks
  • General Data Protect Regulation (GDPR) and data privacy obligations
  • Insider trading polices
  • Political contribution restrictions
  • Document retention requirements
  • Ethics, conduct, and transparency standards
  • Additional regulatory or industry-specific requirements
• Provide ongoing compliance training and guidance to executives and functional teams.

Litigation Management:

• Oversee litigation and manage outside and outside counsel for active matters.
• Advise leadership on risk exposure, case posture, and practical business consideration.
• Coordinate discovery, document holds, and internal stakeholder involvement.

Intellectual Property:

• Manage trademark and trademark filings, renewals, and maintenance.
• Review website, marketing, and social medial content for legal and brand compliance.
• Support IP monitoring efforts and advise on protection of company assets.

Records Management:

• Provide legal oversight for enterprise records management, including the Central Records workflows, retention schedules, and governance.

Human Resources (HR):

• Advice on personnel matters, employee relations, and employment practices.
• Review employment, separation, confidentiality, and related agreements as needed.
• Support employment-related investigations and litigation strategy with HR.

Required Skills and Abilities

• Strong command of corporate law, governance, and compliance within a multi-entity private company structure.
• Sophisticated judgment, with the ability to balance risk and business objectives in a practical, solutions-oriented manner.
• Exceptional drafting, negotiation, and analytical skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex matters with discretion, clarity, and urgency.
• Confident communicator capable of advising senior executives on sensitive issues.
• High degree of professionalism, integrity, and respect for confidentiality.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to juggle diverse priorities across multiple business units.
• Excellent interpersonal and written/verbal communication skills, capable of engaging confidently with C-level executives, cross-functional teams, and external partners.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel; enthusiasm for learning and adopting new technologies.

Education and Experience:

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited U.S. law school.
• Licensed to practice law in Texas (or eligible for in-house counsel registration).
• 15+ years of progressively responsible legal experience, preferably within a privately held multi-entity organization or in a corporate/transactions practice at a reputable law firm.
• Experience across corporate governance, compliance, general corporate contracts, and litigation management required.
• Prior experience supporting HR/employment matters and managing outside counsel strongly preferred.
• Prior Real Estate experience a plus.

EEO Statement:

Hillwood is committed to providing Equal Opportunity in Employment, to all applicants and employees regardless of, race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, military status, veteran status, handicap, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.

#CORP