Job Description

Gould & Ratner LLP is seeking an Associate to join its Corporate Practice. The ideal candidate will have significant experience with transactional and corporate governance matters, including mergers and acquisitions, corporate structure (formation and reorganization), corporate contracts (operating agreements, license agreements, employment/compensation agreements, service contacts, buy/sell agreements, distribution agreements etc.), joint ventures, divestitures, venture capital and private equity, technology transactions, and corporate finance/bank lending. 

Candidates can look forward to a practice that will include handling all aspects of complex transactions for clients of all sizes and across industries. This attorney will gain direct client interaction, business development experience, and significant responsibility on complex and sophisticated legal matters. This is an excellent opportunity for an attorney who is highly motivated and seeking a positive career trajectory.

Please note that this role allows a flexible work schedule with a hybrid remote and in-office presence.

Job Requirements

• Experience working with angel investors, investment syndicates, and venture capital firms to assist in the formation of special purpose vehicles, investment clubs, and venture capital funds, is a plus (but not required). 
• Experience drafting transaction agreements and documents with efficiency and clarity, negotiating deal terms, managing transaction closings and processes, and providing thorough factual and legal research and analysis.
• Excellent writing and oral communication skills. Attention to detail, self-directed, and an ability to work efficiently on a several different matters at a time.
• A drive for excellence and a willingness to take the initiative to solve problems. The ideal candidate will demonstrate intellectual curiosity and the ability and desire to learn. 
• Strong analytical, interpersonal and communication skills. The ideal candidate has the ability to work as part of a team while also having the confidence and demeanor to assume individual responsibility for matters involving direct client interaction. This attorney will serve as business advisor to clients, guiding them in a full range of legal matters throughout their life cycle.
• A degree or background in business or finance is a plus.
• Candidates must be currently licensed in Illinois or licensed in another state with a UBE score that qualifies in Illinois for comity, be eligible to waive in, or be willing to sit for an upcoming IL bar exam (open to relocation candidates that meet these requirements).

Additional Highlights

• Commitment to mentorship, training, and professional development with an achievable path to partnership. When you join Gould & Ratner, you are not just getting a job – you are building a career. You will work together with G&R colleagues and partner with clients to hone your skills as a business lawyer. 
• Opportunity to step into meaningful client relationships and be a key component of the Firm’s succession planning efforts 
• Emphasis on business development
• Low turnover, collegial, and collaborative environment
• A dynamic culture that prizes thinking outside the box
• Health care, life and disability insurance
• Competitive compensation, benefits package, and a generous 401k plan
• Employee discounts and wellness programs
• Hybrid in-office/remote role based in our Chicago office

For more information about Gould & Ratner, see: https://www.gouldratner.com/our-firm

For more information about our Corporate Practice, see: https://www.gouldratner.com/service-area/corporate

Applicants should submit their resume to Arielle Pankowski (Legal Recruiter), at apankowski@gouldratner.com. Please feel free to contact Arielle with any questions at (312) 899-1631. 

Gould & Ratner is an equal opportunity employer committed to a culturally diverse workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, creed, medical condition including pregnancy, disability, genetic information, gender identity and expression, marriage or parental status, sexual orientation, or Veteran’s status.

Job Description

Gould & Ratner LLP is seeking an Emerging Companies & Venture Capital Associate to join its Corporate Practice. The ideal candidate will have:

• Strong experience with M&A transactions in the technology and venture capital spaces.
• Familiarity with convertible debt, preferred equity issuances, and related financing tools.
• Fund formation experience, including experience structuring funds, management entities, and carried interest holding structures.
• Familiarity with regulatory matters facing funds and issuers, including the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, The Securities Act of 1933, Reg D safe-harbors, and state blue sky law compliance.
• Familiarity and experience with the forms published by the National Venture Capital Association.
• Understanding of the issues facing clients whose primary asset is intellectual property, including IP ownership, IP development, licensing agreements, tax matters, employee matters, and similar concepts.
• Experience with the ESG, clean-technology, blockchain, Web 3, and cryptocurrency spaces is a plus.

Candidates can look forward to a practice that will include handling all aspects of complex transactions for clients of all sizes and across industries. This attorney will gain direct client interaction, business development experience, and significant responsibility on complex and sophisticated legal matters. This is an excellent opportunity for an attorney who is highly motivated and seeking a positive career trajectory.

Please note that this role allows a flexible work schedule with a hybrid remote and in-office presence.

Job Requirements

• Experience drafting transaction agreements and documents with efficiency and clarity, negotiating deal terms, managing transaction closings and processes, and providing thorough factual and legal research and analysis.
• Excellent writing and oral communication skills. Attention to detail, self-directed, and an ability to work efficiently on a several different matters at a time.
• A drive for excellence and a willingness to take the initiative to solve problems. The ideal candidate will demonstrate intellectual curiosity and the ability and desire to learn. 
• Strong analytical, interpersonal and communication skills. The ideal candidate has the ability to work as part of a team while also having the confidence and demeanor to assume individual responsibility for matters involving direct client interaction. This attorney will serve as business advisor to clients, guiding them in a full range of legal matters throughout their life cycle. 
• Candidates must be currently licensed in Illinois or licensed in another state with a UBE score that qualifies in Illinois for comity, be eligible to waive in, or be willing to sit for an upcoming IL bar exam (open to relocation candidates that meet these requirements).

Additional Highlights 

• Commitment to mentorship, training, and professional development with an achievable path to partnership. When you join Gould & Ratner, you are not just getting a job – you are building a career. You will work together with G&R colleagues and partner with clients to hone your skills as a business lawyer. 
• Opportunity to step into meaningful client relationships and be a key component of the Firm’s succession planning efforts 
• Emphasis on business development
• Low turnover, collegial, and collaborative environment
• Health care, life and disability insurance
• Competitive compensation, benefits package, and a generous 401k plan
• Employee discounts and wellness programs
• Hybrid in-office/remote role based 

For more information about Gould & Ratner, see: https://www.gouldratner.com/our-firm

For more information about our Corporate Practice, see: https://www.gouldratner.com/service-area/corporate

Applicants should submit their resume to Arielle Pankowski (Legal Recruiter), at apankowski@gouldratner.com. Please feel free to contact Arielle with any questions at (312) 899-1631. 

Gould & Ratner is an equal opportunity employer committed to a culturally diverse workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, creed, medical condition including pregnancy, disability, genetic information, gender identity and expression, marriage or parental status, sexual orientation, or Veteran’s status.

Job Description

Gould & Ratner LLP is seeking a Mid-Senior Level Associate to join its Human Resources & Employment Law Practice. The ideal candidate will have significant experience with all aspects of employment litigation, human resources counseling, and employer training and educational programs. 

Candidates can look forward to gaining direct client interaction, business development experience, and significant responsibility on complex and sophisticated legal matters. This is an excellent opportunity for an attorney who is highly motivated and seeking a positive career trajectory.

This role allows a flexible work schedule with a hybrid remote and in-office presence.

Additional Requirements

• 4 – 8 years of experience with both employment litigation and human resources counseling. 
• Strong litigation skills, including researching and writing legal memoranda, drafting complaints, motions and written discovery, taking depositions and preparing for trial.
• Experience counseling employers on a variety of human resources-related topics, including accommodations for disabled or pregnant employees, the Family and Medical Leave Act, legal issues relating to potential employment terminations, investigating harassment complaints, wage & hour law and liability related to plant closings. 
• Experience assisting employers with training their workforces on employment-related topics, including harassment prevention, overtime, performance management, employment discrimination, computer use policies, hiring and firing, accommodating disabled employees, leadership, workplace violence, supervisory skills and risk management.
• Experience reviewing and editing employee handbooks.
• Experience negotiating and drafting executive employment agreements, compensation and bonus plans and restrictive covenant agreements.
• Strong writing, analytical, interpersonal and communication skills. 
• The ideal candidate has the ability to work as part of a team while also having the confidence and demeanor to assume individual responsibility for matters involving direct client interaction. This attorney will serve as business advisor to clients, guiding them in a full range of legal matters throughout their life cycle.
• Candidates must be currently licensed in Illinois or licensed in another state with a UBE score that qualifies in Illinois for comity, be eligible to waive in, or be willing to sit for an upcoming IL bar exam (open to relocation candidates that meet these requirements).

About Our Human Resources & Employment Law Practice

Gould & Ratner’s Human Resources and Employment Law Practice advises company management on a broad array of employment matters and state and federal labor laws. We focus our practice on three core disciplines: (1) employment and benefits counseling, (2) employee training and educational programs, and (3) employment litigation.

Our lawyers regularly provide advice in a vast array of areas including:

• Planned discharge decisions, including assessing risk and compliance with EEO law
• Impact of labor and employment law issues on mergers and acquisitions
• Legal compliance audits of human resources practices
• Layoffs and reductions in force
• Leave issues under the Family and Medical Leave Act, workers’ compensation law and the Americans with Disabilities Act
• Requests for reasonable accommodation
• Drafting and enforcing non-compete, non-solicitation and non-disclosure agreements
• Investigating harassment complaints
• Revising and updating employee handbooks
• Securing I-9 compliance through internal audits
• Strategies to ensure exemptions from the requirement of paying overtime

We have a long history of working closely with our clients’ general counsel and/or human resources professionals to proactively consult on a myriad of employment-related issues. Our team has all the resources needed to build a “best practices” human resources department and to minimize the risks of litigation. In addition to consulting on the latest human resources topics, our attorneys elevate human resources to the “C” suite, draft executive compensation agreements, and design and draft employee benefit plans.

Our team consists of a diverse group of trial attorneys focusing on all areas of complex commercial disputes for public and private companies, as well as business-related disputes for closely held and family businesses. We also represent employers in employment-based lawsuits in state and federal courts across the country and before various federal, state and local governmental agencies. We have handled and won cases involving all aspects of employment law, including:

• Employment discrimination (race, national origin, age, disability, etc.)
• Sexual harassment
• Workers’ compensation retaliation
• Enforcement of restrictive covenants
• Breaches of fiduciary duty
• Breaches of contract
• Unfair labor practice charges
• EEOC charges
• Wage and hour

About Gould & Ratner

Gould & Ratner is an 80-year old Chicago law firm with a team of over 50 attorneys. Our team consists of a deep bench of sophisticated and experienced attorneys that provide exceptional legal service while affording our clients the benefits of working with an agile and entrepreneurial-minded team of results-oriented, well-rounded professionals.

Gould & Ratner is focused on building the next generation of leaders in law. Attorneys who come to Gould & Ratner stay at Gould & Ratner – providing continuity of service from generation to generation. Our associates have the opportunity to work in a professional, challenging and collegial midsized firm environment. Because of the diverse nature of our clients, our attorneys gain exposure to sophisticated transactions, complex litigation and intricate estate/wealth management planning, among other areas. Like the individuals and businesses we represent, our lawyers are skilled in a number of technical disciplines, have an entrepreneurial focus, adapt quickly to changing market conditions and provide excellent client service and value.

Additional Highlights

• Commitment to mentorship, training, and professional development with an achievable path to partnership. When you join Gould & Ratner, you are not just getting a job – you are building a career. You will work together with G&R colleagues and partner with clients to hone your skills as a business lawyer. 
• Opportunity to step into meaningful client relationships and be a key component of the Firm’s succession planning efforts 
• Low turnover, collegial, and collaborative environment
• A dynamic culture that prizes thinking outside the box
• Health care, life and disability insurance
• Competitive compensation, benefits package, and a generous 401k plan
• Employee discounts and wellness programs
• Hybrid in-office/remote role based in our Chicago office

Applicants should submit their resume to Arielle Pankowski (Attorney Recruiter) at apankowski@gouldratner.com. Please feel free to contact Arielle with any questions at (312) 899-1631. 

Job Description

Gould & Ratner LLP is seeking a Mid to Senior Level Associate to join its Real Estate Practice. The ideal candidate will have experience representing property owners, developers, lenders, and investors in their acquisitions, dispositions, sales, financings, leasing, and development of commercial real estate.

Candidates can look forward to a practice that will include handling all aspects of complex transactions for clients of all sizes and across industries. This attorney will gain direct client interaction, business development experience, and significant responsibility on complex and sophisticated legal matters. This is an excellent opportunity for an attorney who is highly motivated and seeking a positive career trajectory.

Please note that this role allows a flexible work schedule with a hybrid remote and in-office presence.

Job Requirements

• 2 – 8 years of strong real estate experience, including commercial office and retail leasing, lending and financing. Candidates should also have experience handling title, survey, entity, and other real estate diligence matters. 
• Additional experience in commercial lending and banking transactions, including commercial real estate loans, asset-based loans, or other secured credit facilities of varying types is a plus.
• Experience in affordable housing, low income housing tax credits, or historic tax credits is also preferred but not required.
• Experience with entitlement, zoning, and tax issues as they relate to real estate and construction transactions is also preferred.
• Excellent writing and oral communication skills. Attention to detail, self-directed, and an ability to work efficiently on a several different matters at a time.
• A drive for excellence and a willingness to take the initiative to solve problems. The ideal candidate will demonstrate intellectual curiosity and the ability and desire to learn. 
• Strong analytical, interpersonal and communication skills. The ideal candidate has the ability to work as part of a team while also having the confidence and demeanor to assume individual responsibility for matters involving direct client interaction. This attorney will serve as business advisor to clients, guiding them in a full range of legal matters throughout their life cycle.
• Candidates must be currently licensed in Illinois or licensed in another state with a UBE score that qualifies in Illinois for comity, be eligible to waive in, or be willing to sit for an upcoming IL bar exam (open to relocation candidates that meet these requirements).

Additional Highlights

• Commitment to mentorship, training, and professional development with an achievable path to partnership. When you join Gould & Ratner, you are not just getting a job – you are building a career. You will work together with G&R colleagues and partner with clients to hone your skills as a business lawyer. 
• Opportunity to step into meaningful client relationships and be a key component of the Firm’s succession planning efforts 
• Emphasis on business development
• Low turnover, collegial, and collaborative environment
• A dynamic culture that prizes thinking outside the box
• Health care, life and disability insurance
• Competitive compensation, benefits package, and a generous 401k plan
• Professional Development programs
• Employee discounts and wellness programs
• Hybrid in-office/remote role based in our Chicago office

For more information about Gould & Ratner, see: https://www.gouldratner.com/our-firm 

For more information about our Real Estate Practice, see: https://www.gouldratner.com/service-area/real-estate

Applicants should submit their resume to Arielle Pankowski (Attorney Recruiter), at apankowski@gouldratner.com. Please feel free to contact Arielle with any questions at (312) 899-1631. 

Gould & Ratner is an equal opportunity employer committed to a culturally diverse workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, creed, medical condition including pregnancy, disability, genetic information, gender identity and expression, marriage or parental status, sexual orientation, or Veteran’s status.

Job Description

Gould & Ratner LLP is seeking an Associate to join its Real Estate Practice. The ideal candidate will have significant experience with commercial real estate transactions with a focus on development (office, residential, and industrial) and financing.  

Candidates can look forward to a practice that will include handling all aspects of complex transactions for clients of all sizes and across industries. This attorney will gain direct client interaction, business development experience, and significant responsibility on complex and sophisticated legal matters. This is an excellent opportunity for an attorney who is highly motivated and seeking a positive career trajectory.

Please note that this role allows a flexible work schedule with a hybrid remote and in-office presence.

Job Requirements

• 2-10 years experience in commercial real estate transactions with a focus on development (office, residential and industrial) and financing.
• Additional experience in commercial lending and banking transactions, including commercial real estate loans, asset-based loans, or other secured credit facilities of varying types is a plus.
• Experience in affordable housing, low income housing tax credits, or historic tax credits is also preferred but not required.
• Excellent writing and oral communication skills. Attention to detail, self-directed, and an ability to work efficiently on a several different matters at a time.
• A drive for excellence and a willingness to take the initiative to solve problems. The ideal candidate will demonstrate intellectual curiosity and the ability and desire to learn. 
• Strong analytical, interpersonal and communication skills. The ideal candidate has the ability to work as part of a team while also having the confidence and demeanor to assume individual responsibility for matters involving direct client interaction. This attorney will serve as business advisor to clients, guiding them in a full range of legal matters throughout their life cycle.
• Candidates must be currently licensed in Illinois or licensed in another state with a UBE score that qualifies in Illinois for comity, be eligible to waive in, or be willing to sit for an upcoming IL bar exam (open to relocation candidates that meet these requirements).

Additional Highlights

• Commitment to mentorship, training, and professional development with an achievable path to partnership. When you join Gould & Ratner, you are not just getting a job – you are building a career. You will work together with G&R colleagues and partner with clients to hone your skills as a business lawyer. 
• Opportunity to step into meaningful client relationships and be a key component of the Firm’s succession planning efforts 
• Emphasis on business development
• Low turnover, collegial, and collaborative environment
• A dynamic culture that prizes thinking outside the box
• Health care, life and disability insurance
• Competitive compensation, benefits package, and a generous 401k plan
• Employee discounts and wellness programs
• Hybrid in-office/remote role based in our Chicago office

For more information about Gould & Ratner, see: https://www.gouldratner.com/our-firm

For more information about our Real Estate Practice, see: https://www.gouldratner.com/service-area/real-estate

Applicants should submit their resume to Arielle Pankowski (Attorney Recruiter) at apankowski@gouldratner.com. Please feel free to contact Arielle with any questions at (312) 899-1631. 

Gould & Ratner is an equal opportunity employer committed to a culturally diverse workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, religion, creed, medical condition including pregnancy, disability, genetic information, gender identity and expression, marriage or parental status, sexual orientation, or Veteran’s status.