Legal Counsel, Commercial (Northfield, IL)

Job Summary

Medline is seeking an experienced Commercial Lawyer to provide a variety of legal services for clients across Medline’s business. This role primarily focuses on customer- and supplier-facing relationships as well as corporate relationships, and provides sophisticated commercial counseling across key business initiatives. This individual partners closely with senior leadership to enable growth, manage legal risk, and drive sound, commercially practical decision-making.

Job Description

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as a point of intake for the Legal department for commercial relationships, assessing for commercial advisory and risk management purposes.

• Draft and negotiate commercial agreements and provide ongoing legal guidance on complex customer and vendor relationships. Advise on contracting and deal strategy, negotiation posture, and risk tolerance aligned with business priorities.

• Provide practical, risk-based legal advice to product divisions on sourcing, manufacturing, and go-to-market strategies for product and solution launches. Translate legal risk into clear, actionable business guidance to support informed decision making. 

• Work cross-functionally with various control functions to provide seamless legal support to the business.  Collaborate with peers in the Legal Department on product regulatory requirements, including safety, labeling, import/export, and FDA-regulated frameworks.

• Counsel clients on risk mitigation strategies within the attorney’s purview. Negotiate and resolve related disputes prior to litigation.

• Act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on legal implications of strategic initiatives and corporate growth plans.

• Contribute to enterprise risk management by proactively identifying legal and regulatory issues and developing scalable solutions.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

Education

• Juris Doctor degree.

Certification / Licensure

• Member of a state bar in good standing.

Work Experience

• 4 or more years of post-law school experience at a law firm and/or in-house at a corporation.

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities

• Strong background in commercial contracting and advising businesses on complex legal and operational issues.

• Proven ability to balance legal risk with business objectives and provide practical, solutions-oriented advice.

• Excellent negotiation, drafting, and communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with senior executives.

• Process-oriented doer, capable of conceiving of, executing, and completing large-scale projects involving various stakeholders.

• Intense curiosity, ability to quickly learn the business and assess risk. Responsive, resilient attorney with sound judgment.

• Excellent communication, interpersonal skills, capacity to influence and build consensus. 

PREFERRED REQUIREMENTS

Certification / Licensure

• Licensed to practice in Illinois

Knowledge / Skills / Abilities

• Demonstrated ability to use technology, such as generative AI, in the provision of legal service.

Our benefit package includes health insurance, life and disability, 401(k) contributions, paid time off, etc., for employees working 30 or more hours per week on average. For a more comprehensive list of our benefits please click here. For roles where employees work less than 30 hours per week, benefits include 401(k) contributions as well as access to the Employee Assistance Program, Employee Resource Groups and the Employee Service Corp.

We’re dedicated to creating a Medline where everyone feels they belong and can grow their career. We strive to do this by seeking diversity in all forms, acting inclusively, and ensuring that people have tools and resources to perform at their best. Explore our Belonging page here.

Medline Industries, LP is an equal opportunity employer. Medline evaluates qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, neurodivergence, protected veteran status, marital or family status, caregiver responsibilities, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.