Overview
Chief Legal Officer/General Counsel, Executive Vice President of Legal Affairs
Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer and Authority Board Members, the General Counsel is responsible for all legal matters of the Authority and serves as the Chief Legal Officer. The General Counsel will represent the Authority as required under the Rules Regulating the Florida Bar, including but not limited to Rule 4-1.13 Organization as Client. It is the duty of the General Counsel to take the management, charge, and control of the legal business of the Authority and serve as the legal advisor to Board members, the Chief Executive Officer, and all of the Authority’s departments on all legal matters related to airport operations, including contracts, leases, regulatory compliance, litigation, and risk management. The General Counsel will prosecute and defend all legal actions by and against the Authority with assistance as necessary from outside special legal services.
The General Counsel will manage all activities of the Department of Legal Affairs, including establishing departmental goals, supervising staff, managing legal budgets, and overseeing the preparation of all agreements relating to the Master Plan development program, airline agreements, concession/commercial development agreements, land acquisition and ground leases, construction and consultant agreements, and the lease of airport facilities at the Authority’s four airports.
The General Counsel will identify, assess, and mitigate legal risks associated with airport operations, including operational risks, strategic initiatives, and potential litigation. The incumbent will ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations, including aviation regulations, labor laws, environmental regulations, and procurement rules. The General Counsel will be responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive legal strategy to support the airport’s strategic goals and objectives, including risk mitigation, regulatory compliance, and legal support for business development initiatives.
The General Counsel will provide legal opinions and advice to the CEO and Board Members on a wide variety of legal matters related to all aspects of the Aviation Authority from its governance to the management and operation of Tampa International, Peter O Knight, Plant City, and Tampa Executive Airports.
The General Counsel is responsible for the oversight of any existing or proposed federal, state, or local legislation or governmental policies that would affect the governance, finances, operations, or
management of the Authority and, with the aid and assistance of the Director of Government and Community Relations, will prepare, advocate or oppose such laws in a manner which will best represent the interests of the Authority, including the hiring of specialists and experts in connection therewith. The General Counsel is expected to build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including airport staff, government officials, industry partners, and other relevant parties and keep abreast of changes in aviation regulations, laws, and policies, and ensure the Authority’s operations comply with these changes.
The General Counsel is hired by the Chief Executive Officer subject to approval by at least a majority of the Authority Board.
SUPERVISES OTHERS: YES
FLSA STATUS: EXEMPT—
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
· Review and approval of all contracts, grant agreements, concession agreements, vendor agreements, labor agreements, user agreements, leases, easements, permits and similar documents.
· Coordination of all legal issues with the Authority’s CEO.
· Draft and final preparation of contracts or other legal documents.
· Representation in real estate transactions, including examination of land titles.
· Representation in actual or threatened litigation or in any adversarial proceedings before Administrative agencies.
· Liaison with legislative and executive representatives of County, State or Federal government agencies.
· Oversee all outside legal service contracts.
· Manage and lead the legal team and Director of Government and Community Relations.
· Other duties and assignments as may be required.
This list is not intended to be all-inclusive, and you may not be responsible for every item listed. The employer reserves the right to assign additional functions and responsibilities as necessary.
REQUIRED FOR ALL HCAA JOBS
· In the event of an emergency or disaster that impacts the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority (HCAA), an employee may be required to respond promptly to duties and responsibilities as assigned by the employee’s department or the HCAA Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Such assignments may be before, during, or after the emergency/disaster.
· Complies with all HCAA Policies, Procedures, and Standards.
· Performs other duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS (EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, LICENSES & CERTIFICATIONS)
· Juris Doctor Degree from an accredited school of law
· A member in good standing of the Florida Bar
· 10+ years’ experience as a practicing attorney including extensive professional legal experience involving some branch of local government, experience in the aviation or transportation industry, or any equivalent combination of experience and training a must.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
Experience should reflect demonstrated knowledge and a thorough understanding of the laws as they relate to the sale and purchase of real property, rental and lease agreements, construction and contract administration, procurement, and compliance with policies and procedures. The General Counsel will perform a wide range of legal services for the Authority, and a thorough understanding of the requirements relating to the Public Sector environment is critical.
The Aviation Authority-Tampa International Airport provides equal employment opportunity to all persons, regardless of age, race, religion, color, national origin, sex, political affiliations, marital status, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, age, sexual orientation, membership, or non-membership in an employee organization, or based on personal favoritism or other non-merit factors.
The Aviation Authority-Tampa International Airport welcomes and encourages applications from minorities, veterans, and persons with physical and mental disabilities, and will reasonably accommodate the needs of those persons in the application and testing process. The decision to grant reasonable accommodation requests will be made case-by-case.
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