Ares Management

Alternative investment manager across asset classes

Vice President Senior Commercial Counsel

Legal Counsel & Legal SupportConfirmed live in the last 24 hours

Full-timeLos Angeles, CA, USAIn-person

About the Job

Requirements

A Juris Doctor from an accredited law school is required.
A bachelor's degree is required.
Admission and good standing in at least one U.S. state bar is required.
At least 8-10 years of legal experience, including significant experience reviewing, drafting, and negotiating vendor and other commercial agreements, is required.
Demonstrated experience leading or materially overseeing a large-scale, high-volume commercial or vendor contract review program is required; annual volume exceeding approximately 5,000 contracts is preferred.
Significant hands-on experience negotiating complex technology, software, software-as-a-service, professional services, and other vendor agreements is required.
Experience supervising and developing attorneys, paralegals, contract administrators, or other contract professionals is required.
Demonstrated experience designing, scaling, or materially improving commercial contracting processes and operating models is required.
Strong understanding of contract lifecycle management systems and technology-enabled contracting workflows is required, as is demonstrated fluency in artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies applicable to contract review and legal service delivery.
Strong stakeholder management experience, including interaction with senior leadership and cross-functional business partners, is required.
Experience providing practical, solutions-based legal advice and collaborating strategically with business partners to navigate legal and commercial considerations is required.
The ability to operate autonomously and as part of a larger team is required.
The ability to plan, execute, and manage complex projects and organizational change, including obtaining stakeholder buy-in, is required.
Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills are required.
Excellent time management and organizational skills are required.
Excellent contract review, drafting, and negotiation skills are required.
Critical thinking, issue spotting, and strong attention to detail are required.
The ability to manage and prioritize multiple priorities and competing or shifting demands is required.
Strong people-management skills and the ability to develop high-performing teams are required.
An appreciation for process design, implementation, and continuous improvement is required.
A technology-forward mindset and interest in identifying and implementing innovative approaches to legal service delivery are required.
A growth mindset and desire to learn, improve, and take on new challenges are required.

Responsibilities

Review, draft, and negotiate a broad range of vendor and other commercial agreements, including master services agreements, statements of work, software and software-as-a-service agreements, technology agreements, professional services agreements, nondisclosure agreements, and other commercial arrangements.
Serve as a senior escalation point for complex or higher-risk vendor contracts and provide practical, solutions-oriented advice regarding contractual and commercial risk.
Ensure vendor contracts reflect the firm's contractual standards, policies, and risk tolerances while facilitating its commercial objectives.
Partner with stakeholders across Procurement, Technology, Information Security, Privacy, Finance, and other business functions on vendor contracting matters.
Develop, maintain, and improve contract templates, playbooks, fallback positions, and escalation guidelines to promote consistency and efficiency across the contracting function.
Lead and supervise a team of contract professionals responsible for day-to-day review, drafting, and negotiation of vendor contracts.
Personally review and negotiate contracts while managing, developing, and supporting the broader contract review team.
Establish standards, workflows, and escalation protocols, and provide substantive guidance and coaching to contract review team members.
Monitor contract volume, turnaround times, workload allocation, and other performance indicators to ensure timely, high-quality, and consistent support for internal stakeholders.
Build relationships with business stakeholders and serve as a primary Legal contact for the vendor contract review process.
Develop and implement a scalable, efficient, and technology-enabled operating model for the vendor contracting function.
Evaluate artificial intelligence, contract review, workflow automation, and other legal technology solutions for the firm's contracting needs.
Partner with Legal Operations, Technology, and other stakeholders to enhance and optimize contract lifecycle management functionality, workflows, and integrations, and lead or support improvements to the contracting function.
Evaluate and, where appropriate, oversee alternative legal service providers, law firms, or other external resources supporting vendor contract review, including setting service expectations, escalation procedures, quality standards, and performance metrics.
Identify opportunities to streamline contract review, reduce unnecessary friction, improve the internal stakeholder experience, and manage legal and commercial risk.
Develop and use metrics and reporting to assess the contracting function's effectiveness and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.
Stay current on contract lifecycle management technology, artificial-intelligence-assisted contract review, and evolving legal service delivery approaches, and apply relevant developments to the contracting function.

Desired Qualifications

Experience managing external counsel, alternative legal service providers, or other outsourced contracting resources is preferred.

Over the last 20 years, Ares’ success has been driven by our people and our culture. Today, our team is guided by our core values – Collaborative, Responsible, Entrepreneurial, Self-Aware, Trustworthy – and our purpose to be a catalyst for shared prosperity and a better future. Through our recruitment, career development and employee-focused programming, we are committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive work environment where high-performance talent of diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives can build careers within this exciting and growing industry.

Job Description

Ares Management Corporation (NYSE: ARES) is seeking an experienced and strategic commercial attorney to join its Legal team. This role reports to the Managing Director, Associate General Counsel, Enterprise Legal. The position offers the opportunity to lead and continue developing Ares' vendor contracting function within a dynamic and fast-growing alternative investment management platform.

The Senior Commercial Counsel will serve as the primary legal advisor and functional lead for Ares' vendor contracting program. The role will be responsible for overseeing a high-volume contract review function while remaining hands-on in reviewing, drafting and negotiating vendor and other commercial agreements. The Senior Commercial Counsel will supervise a team of contract professionals and will partner closely with business stakeholders and other members of the Legal team on vendor contracting matters.

In addition to managing the existing contracting function, the Senior Commercial Counsel will be responsible for developing and implementing the future-state operating model for vendor contract review at Ares. This will include evaluating processes and workflows, external service providers, contract lifecycle management systems, and emerging artificial intelligence and other legal technologies. The ideal candidate will combine strong commercial contracting expertise with demonstrated experience leading a large-scale contract review function and an interest in using technology, process design and innovative service-delivery models to improve the quality, efficiency and scalability of legal services.

REPORTING

Reports to: Associate General Counsel, Enterprise Legal

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Commercial Contracting

· Review, draft and negotiate a broad range of vendor and other commercial agreements, including master services agreements, statements of work, software and SaaS agreements, technology agreements, professional services agreements, NDAs and other commercial arrangements.

· Serve as a senior escalation point for complex or higher-risk vendor contracts and provide practical, solutions-oriented advice regarding contractual and commercial risk.

· Ensure vendor contracts appropriately reflect Ares' contractual standards, policies and risk tolerances while facilitating the firm's commercial objectives.

· Partner with stakeholders across Procurement, Technology, Information Security, Privacy, Finance and other business functions on vendor contracting matters.

· Develop, maintain and improve contract templates, playbooks, fallback positions and escalation guidelines to promote consistency and efficiency across the contracting function.

Contract Review Team Leadership

· Lead and supervise a team of contract professionals responsible for the day-to-day review, drafting and negotiation of vendor contracts.

· Operate as a hands-on leader, maintaining responsibility for personally reviewing and negotiating contracts while effectively managing, developing and supporting the broader contract review team.

· Establish clear standards, workflows and escalation protocols and provide substantive guidance and coaching to members of the contract review team.

· Monitor contract volume, turnaround times, workload allocation and other relevant performance indicators to ensure the contracting function delivers timely, high-quality and consistent support to internal stakeholders.

· Build strong relationships with business stakeholders and serve as a primary point of contact within Legal for the vendor contract review process.

Contracting Strategy & Operating Model

· Develop and implement a scalable, efficient and technology-enabled operating model for Ares' vendor contracting function.

· Evaluate emerging artificial intelligence, contract review, workflow automation and other legal technology solutions to support the firm's evolving contracting needs.

· Partner with Legal Operations, Technology and other stakeholders to enhance and optimize CLM functionality, workflows and integrations and lead or support implementation of changes designed to improve the quality, efficiency and scalability of the contracting function.

· Evaluate and, where appropriate, oversee alternative legal service providers, law firms or other external resources supporting vendor contract review, including establishing service expectations, escalation procedures, quality standards and performance metrics.

· Identify opportunities to streamline contract review, reduce unnecessary friction and improve the experience of internal stakeholders while appropriately managing legal and commercial risk.

· Develop and use appropriate metrics and reporting to assess the effectiveness of the contracting function and identify opportunities for continuous improvement.

· Stay current on developments in CLM technology, AI-assisted contract review and evolving approaches to legal service delivery and apply relevant developments to Ares' contracting function.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education

· Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school

· Bachelor's degree required

· Admission and good standing in at least one U.S. state bar

Required Skills & Experience

· 8-10+ years of legal experience, with significant experience reviewing, drafting and negotiating vendor and other commercial agreements

· Demonstrated experience leading or materially overseeing a large-scale, high-volume commercial or vendor contract review program, preferably with annual contract volume exceeding approximately 5,000 contracts

· Significant hands-on experience negotiating complex technology, software, SaaS, professional services and other vendor agreements

· Experience supervising and developing attorneys, paralegals, contract administrators or other contract professionals

· Demonstrated experience designing, scaling or materially improving commercial contracting processes and operating models

· Strong understanding of contract lifecycle management systems and technology-enabled contracting workflows, with a demonstrated fluency in artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies applicable to contract review and legal service delivery

· Experience managing external counsel, alternative legal service providers or other outsourced contracting resources preferred

· Strong stakeholder management experience, including interaction with senior leadership and cross-functional business partners

General Requirements

· Experience providing practical, solutions-based legal advice and strategically collaborating with business partners to navigate legal landscapes and commercial considerations

· Ability to operate autonomously as well as part of a larger team

· Ability to plan, execute and manage complex projects and organizational change, getting buy-in from relevant stakeholders

· Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills

· Excellent time management and organizational skills

· Excellent contract review, drafting and negotiation skills

· Critical thinker and skilled issue spotter with high attention to detail

· Ability to successfully manage and prioritize multiple priorities and competing/shifting demands

· Strong people-management skills and an ability to develop high-performing teams

· Appreciation for process design, implementation and continuous improvement

· Technology-forward mindset with an interest in identifying and implementing innovative approaches to legal service delivery

· Growth mindset with the desire to learn, improve and take on new challenges

Reporting Relationships

Associate General Counsel, Enterprise Legal

Compensation

The anticipated base salary range for this position is listed below. Total compensation may also include a discretionary performance-based bonus. Note, the range takes into account a broad spectrum of qualifications, including, but not limited to, years of relevant work experience, education, and other relevant qualifications specific to the role.

$250,000-$300,000

The firm also offers robust Benefits offerings. Ares U.S. Core Benefits include Comprehensive Medical/Rx, Dental and Vision plans; 401(k) program with company match; Flexible Savings Accounts (FSA); Healthcare Savings Accounts (HSA) with company contribution; Basic and Voluntary Life Insurance; Long-Term Disability (LTD) and Short-Term Disability (STD) insurance; Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and Commuter Benefits plan for parking and transit.

Ares offers a number of additional benefits including access to a world-class medical advisory team, a mental health app that includes coaching, therapy and psychiatry, a mindfulness and wellbeing app, financial wellness benefit that includes access to a financial advisor, new parent leave, reproductive and adoption assistance, emergency backup care, matching gift program, education sponsorship program, and much more.

There is no set deadline to apply for this job opportunity. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until the search is no longer active.

About the Company

Ares Management

Alternative investment manager across asset classes

Ares Management is a global manager of alternative investments spanning credit, private equity, real estate, and infrastructure for institutions, corporations, and high-net-worth individuals, offering both primary and secondary investment opportunities. It pools client capital into diversified funds and investment vehicles to buy assets or provide loans across asset classes, earning management and performance fees as well as investment income from its funds. The firm differentiates itself with a collaborative, multi-asset approach and flexible capital across markets and cycles, supported by its large scale and broad client base. Its goal is to deliver steady, attractive returns for clients while financing businesses and projects across market cycles.

Company size: 1,001-5,000
Company stage: IPO
Headquarters: Chicago, IL
Founded: 1997

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