Position Description:

The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) seeks an experienced, collaborative, mission-driven legal executive to serve as its next Vice President, General Counsel and Assistant Secretary of the Board of Trustees (GC). This is an exciting opportunity to lead and manage the legal function of one of the nation's premier freestanding and private academic health sciences institutions that is widely recognized for advancing academics, training, education, clinical care and research.

Located in Milwaukee, WI, MCW provides excellence in training and education for physicians, scientists, pharmacists and health professionals including graduate and undergraduate medical education programs, basic and translational research initiatives and overall clinical excellence. MCW is a major national research center ranking in the top third of U.S. medical schools in NIH funding, and is Wisconsin’s largest private research institution and the cornerstone of the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center campus. MCW is home to approximately 6,700 faculty and staff. Nearly 5,400 faculty and staff work at the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center campus.
Over 2,500 physicians from the community serve as volunteer faculty. MCW is the eighth largest private employer in the metro Milwaukee area. MCW also has regional campuses in Green Bay and Wausau, Wisconsin.

Reporting directly to the President and CEO of the Medical College of Wisconsin, John R. Raymond, M.D., the GC will serve as the chief legal advisor to the institution, senior leadership, Board of Trustees, faculty, staff and students. As a highly visible and engaged member of the senior leadership team, this executive will provide legal insight with respect to the strategic direction of MCW and participate in a wide range of projects where legal and regulatory knowledge is needed. The GC will oversee outside counsel and provide guidance on all legal initiatives, including advising on corporate and commercial transactions (including joint ventures, affiliations, and other strategic alliances), litigation, employment, regulatory matters, malpractice claims, intellectual property and other aspects of organizational development and integration.

The GC will play an instrumental role with MCW's major affiliate partners, Froedtert Health and Children's Wisconsin, as well as Milwaukee Regional Medical Center and Versiti Blood Center of Wisconsin. As MCW's relationships continue to evolve with these organizations, the GC will be critical in the implementation and negotiation of new definitive agreements with its affiliate partners. The GC will also play a key role in the Land Bank, a shared entity between Children's and Froedtert to develop 80+ acres on the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center campus. The GC will serve as a business partner to the executive leadership team and Board of Trustees providing legal counsel in support of MCW's strategic goals and priorities. The GC will be expected to develop collaborative relationships with the legal teams of MCW's affiliate partners.

The GC will lead a high performing, mature team ensuring their accountability while also effectively mentoring this group and building a positive, open and responsive team environment. The GC will be an actively engaged leader with mature interpersonal skills, who remains active in the practice of health law. It is important that the GC be a credible and visible leader who exhibits high integrity, a willingness to listen effectively and to work collaboratively.

The legal team is responsible for providing legal counsel to MCW clients in subject areas pertinent to business matters, mergers, and acquisitions, joint ventures, fraud and abuse, employment, patient care, regulatory, physician practices, health science research and discovery, managed care/third party reimbursement, risk management, health care services, faculty and student matters, and governance. Members of the legal team will serve as business partners of the organization, who proactively provide counsel and training in subject matters related to MCW as a whole. Currently, the legal department has an annual budget of approximately $3 Million with 4 attorneys and a total of 7 budgeted FTEs (including attorneys).

Responsibilities
The successful General Counsel candidate will:
Demonstrate effective leadership principles that support the mission, values and goals of MCW.
Perform the function of Assistant Secretary of the MCW Board of Trustees and advises both the CEO and the Board of Trustees on corporate governance-related matters and best practices, including any governance restructuring and maintenance of corporate records. Attends board and board committee meetings, oversees documentation of meeting minutes.
Provide strategic direction and oversight for all aspects of the organization’s legal affairs.
Participate as a strategic member of the senior leadership team of the healthcare system. Consult with and advise the CEO and other executives with regard to legal implications of overall strategic direction. Provide ongoing legal counsel and advice to senior management, the Board of Trustees and other stakeholders within the system especially surrounding those issues pertaining to governance, legal risks, faculty, students, liability and insurance matters, public monies and purchases risk management, public policy and advocacy.
In partnership with corporate compliance, oversee the creation of programs designed to reduce/prevent risk to the organization, and works collaboratively on risk management issues, including claims management and litigation management across the institution.

Provide legal assistance and direction regarding commercial and business transaction (including the purchase, sale, lease and other transactions involving real estate, major equipment, physician groups or entities and related healthcare organizations).

• Serve as key legal advisor on all major business transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, integrations, and similar transactions.

Maintain a comprehensive understanding of organization’s goals, priorities and needs and develop objectives that support priorities and scorecard goals.
Participate in the definition and development of corporate policies, procedures, and programs.
Assess litigation, claims, agency charges, and investigations brought against or on behalf of MCW, coordinates with appropriate executive(s) to define a strategic defense or pursuit, and approves resolution and settlements of related disputes where warranted.
Oversee the selection, retention, management, and evaluation of all outside legal counsel.
Represent the Office of General Counsel at all levels of MCW, as well as external constituencies and affiliate partners, to ultimately support the success and direction of MCW.
Lead the development, implementation, and assessment of departmental policies, procedures, and philosophy, consistent with MCW policies and values.
Provide the professional leadership necessary to drive continuous improvement and operational efficiency by employing “best practices.”
Develop and oversee a seasoned, high-performing team that provides a broad range of legal services that are linked to strategic and operational initiatives across MCW and reflect a depth of functional expertise.
Mentor legal affairs team maximizing the talents of staff and developing strategies for filling experiential gaps and skills. The GC must champion a diverse and inclusive culture that rewards innovation and creativity on the part of all staff members.
Consistently demonstrate proficiency in decision making, change leadership, conflict management, communication, managing vision, building relationships and influencing others.
Continue to build on and maintain legal services as a credible and a valued internal resource for the organization, functioning effectively in order to provide legal services to MCW while offering business solutions to complex issues.
Act as a role model for change management, providing positive and constructive feedback and conducting business with high standards in ethics, integrity and appropriate confidentiality.
Appropriately allocate resources and determine what legal activities can be done “in-house” and what needs to be delegated to “outside counsel”; set appropriate service and quality standards for the department. Consult with outside counsel when necessary on the organization's legal/financial matters.

Build/maintain an effective fiscal management structure to have a positive impact on the organization’s long-term economic value, including analyzing resource utilization and development of short and long-term budgets and efficiency planning.

Goals and Objectives
The following goals and objectives have been identified as priorities for this position:

• Gain credibility, trust and respect of senior leadership and the Board of Trustees.

Be recognized as insightful, responsive, collaborative, and approachable with strong follow- through; someone who provides solid legal advice based upon an understanding of the business of medicine and health sciences.

• Assure that all legal services are provided at a high level of service and that the legal department is recognized as collaborative, responsive, business focused, and problem solving. Clarify the structure and the services provided by the legal department, and enhance the recognition of the value of services offered by the legal team.
• Further develop and support a business oriented, problem solving approach to legal services in the legal department. Support and maintain an approach that will first seek to understand the strategic issue surrounding the question and explore creative but legally appropriate alternatives to matters that the organization faces.
• Support the innovative and entrepreneurial direction as well as highly collaborative culture of MCW by being savvy in the business of healthcare, research, the national landscape, and the critical success factors under health care reform.
• Adapt and respond to organizational needs, current responsibilities and changing priorities.

Make decisions and offer consultative advice on matters with organizational and strategic implications.

• Help identify innovative and effective ways to deliver legal services in the organization.

Manage department budget and staff, including all aspects of financial planning/accountability and recruitment, retention and performance management.

Preferred Schedule:

Position Requirements:

Education/Certification
Excellent academic credentials, a law degree from an ABA accredited school of law, membership in the State Bar of Wisconsin, or eligibility for admission based on reciprocity is required (if reciprocity is not available, out of state candidates will be expected to register to provide legal services as in-house counsel according to the rules of the State Bar of Wisconsin).

Knowledge and Work Experience
The ideal candidate will have ten (10) to fifteen (15) years legal experience, including at least seven (7) years of health care law experience gained in-house or through working closely with complex health care clients. Experience working in an academic medical center environment is preferred.
Experience with business transactions including affiliations, joint ventures, lending and merger/acquisitions/dispositions; real estate transactions, and managed care contracting.
Experience with state and federal legislatures, regulatory agencies and community organizations.
Experience with transaction law (including vendor/supplies/service contracts, medical staff issues).
A demonstrated ability to effectively analyze and balance legal issues with a propensity for developing practical but legally appropriate solutions to issues and challenges.
Strong team player skills with a track record of working collaboratively with a highly professional team.
A track record of building high performing teams, systems and infrastructure and successfully leading in a matrix organization.
Continue to develop and maintain a close and collaborative working relationship with members of the legal teams at affiliate partner organizations.
Prior experience working effectively with compliance and risk management.
Extensive Board Governance experience.
Successful experience managing outside legal counsel relations.
Experience building systems, processes, policies and procedures to run a sophisticated, highly professional department.
Experience gained in higher education is a plus.

Leadership Skills and Competencies
Demonstrates strong client service orientation, responsiveness and accessibility by MCW's management. Able to be available, accessible, time sensitive, well organized with outstanding management skills.
Has unquestioned integrity and moral character; able to build trust throughout the institution and community trust without reservation, effectively deal with ambiguity.
Educates, trains and develops others regarding health care, academic, and other legal issues.
Drives results through effective team and individual performance, sets clear goals and manages accountability. Willing to take personal risk to reap business rewards.
Influences and gains commitment to strategies by building strong, collaborative working relationships. Encourages dialogue within team and cross-functional members.
Possesses strong communication skills and the presence, stature and experience to represent the organization to a variety of audiences. Is sought out by peers for counsel related to business initiatives.
Leads effectively in a changing company and industry. Manages change amidst dynamic markets.
Possesses business savvy and understanding of complex, strategic issues.
Builds diverse teams and instills values related to equity and inclusion in the department and institution culture.
Demonstrates intellectual curiosity with an appetite for innovation along with excitement for enhancing delivery of the mission.
Demonstrates the humility and emotional intelligence necessary to build collaborative relationships and an inherent drive to succeed in fulling the mission, goals and objectives of MCW.
Performs duties with a hands-on approach and ability to keep the strategic initiatives in focus.
Sees the strategic goals before an organization and seeks to use the law as a tool to accomplish them, versus being a barrier to their achievement.
Serves as a confidant and closer advisor to MCW's leadership.
Influences others to get to “yes,” comfortable using formal and informal authority as required.

MCW as an Equal Opportunity Employer and Commitment to Non-Discrimination
The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to fostering a diverse community of outstanding faculty, staff, and students, as well as ensuring equal educational opportunity, employment, and access to services, programs, and activities, without regard to an individual's race, color, national origin, religion, age, disability, sex, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, predisposing genetic characteristic, or military status. Employees, students, applicants or other members of the MCW community (including but not limited to vendors, visitors, and guests) may not be subjected to harassment that is prohibited by law or treated adversely or retaliated against based upon a protected characteristic.

.