Vice President, Global Litigation

Title: VP, Global Litigation

Location: This position will be based out of our North American Headquarters in Grand Rapids, MI or in Morristown, NJ.

Hybrid

Workplace: Salary

Department: Legal

Job Description:

At Perrigo, we are driven by our mission to Makes Lives Better Through Trusted Health and Wellness Solutions, Accessible to All. We are proud to be a Top 10 player in the European Consumer Self-Care market and the largest U.S. store brand provider of over the counter and infant formula. Dedicated to providing The Best Self-Care for Everyone, we are the people behind the brands you trust. We are Opill , Compeed , Solpadeine , NiQuitin , ACO , and many more. We Are Perrigo. We are committed to enhancing the wellbeing of our colleagues and consumers alike. We pride ourselves on fostering an inclusive, collaborative culture where each person can experience a sense of belonging.

Join us on our One Perrigo journey as we evolve to win in self-care.

Description Overview

This position reports directly to the EVP General Counsel and plays a crucial role in leading all litigation-related activities within the organization, ensuring the protection of the company's legal rights. Our ideal candidate has experience in the industry managing a docket of complex product liability and other complex litigation cases, with the ability to navigate high-stakes legal challenges and provide strategic guidance to senior management. The successful candidate will be responsible for overseeing the Company's litigation portfolio, managing outside counsel, coordinating with internal stakeholders, and providing advice and updates to senior leadership. This role is crucial for minimizing legal risks and ensuring compliance with legal standards globally for the organization. This position will be based out of our North American Headquarters in Grand Rapids, MI or in Morristown, NJ.

Scope of the Role

• Strategic Litigation Management: Lead and manage all global litigation, arbitration, and regulatory investigations, including commercial, employment, intellectual property, antitrust, and product liability matters. Develop and implement global litigation strategies to protect the organization's interests.
• Legal Risk Mitigation: Develop and implement strategies to minimize litigation risk and exposure. Provide proactive legal advice to business units to avoid disputes.
• Develop defense strategies: Create cost-effective defense strategies and consult with senior management to resolve issues and decide settlements.
• Team Leadership: Build and lead a high-performing global litigation team. Mentor and develop in-house counsel and manage relationships with external law firms.
• Executive Collaboration: Advise senior leadership on significant litigation matters, potential liabilities, and risk management strategies.
• Budget Oversight: Manage litigation budgets, including forecasting, cost control, and billing oversight for outside counsel.
• Crisis Management: Lead legal response during crises involving litigation or regulatory scrutiny.
• Liaison Role: Act as a liaison between external attorneys and in-house staff.
• Consultation: Consult with executive leadership to advise on and get input on litigation strategy. Present to senior leadership members on ongoing cases and risk mitigation.
• Claim Assessment: Analyze new matters for liability risk and insurance coverage and develop cost-effective defense strategies.
• Litigation Avoidance: Counsel business leaders on pre-litigation issues to help prevent litigation. Ensure litigation practices align with internal policies, regulatory requirements, and ethical standards.
• Training: Provide training to the business leaders on various topics involved in litigation and risk mitigation.
• Monitor Trends: Monitor evolving litigation trends and novel theories of liability and provide updates to the department and leadership. Identify potential legal risks and develop strategies to mitigate them.

Experience Required

• Education: Juris Doctorate degree from a law school of recognized standing and member of State Bar or licensed by the State Bar Association as an in-house counsel.
• Experience: Typically, fifteen plus years of professional legal experience in corporate or law firm environment. In-house experience in a senior litigation leadership role in the consumer self care industry preferred. Progressive global legal leadership experience managing complex litigation and regulatory matters in a publicly traded company.
• Skills:
  • Comprehensive knowledge of litigation processes, strong strategic thinking, and excellent communication skills.
  • Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities in a fast-paced environment. Ability to analyze business issues and understand implications of legal decisions.
  • Exceptional leadership and communication skills, including well-developed interpersonal skills and strong written communication skills.
  • Superior leadership skills with ability to manage and develop teams, and multiple projects.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage senior executive relations and ability to collaborate and build relations with stakeholder across functional and organization lines, and enterprise-wide program development and management skills.

Benefits
We believe our people are our greatest asset. Alongside competitive compensation, we offer benefits tailored to supporting you and your family, as well as career development opportunities to ensure you feel valued and supported, both professionally and personally.

Hybrid Working Approach
We love our offices and the setting they provide for in-person collaboration and celebration. But we also appreciate the opportunity to work remotely can energise you too, so we promote flexibility with the ability to work two days a week from home in many roles.

We are proud to be included in the Forbes list of "America's Best Employers by State 2024". 

We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or other characteristics protected by law. #weareperrigo