Associate Attorney

Part-Time Associate Attorney

Business Contracts, Intellectual Property and International Business

The Evans International Law Firms, LLC (TEIL Firms)
Hillside, Illinois | Hybrid
20–25 Hours Per Week

About TEIL Firms

The Evans International Law Firms, LLC is a business and international law firm serving entrepreneurs, established companies, importers, exporters and organizations operating across industries and borders.

Our work includes commercial contracts, intellectual property, international trade and compliance, corporate structuring, business transactions, commercial disputes and cross-border business matters.

TEIL values professional honesty, sound judgment, excellent legal work, personal accountability, and practical solutions. We are seeking an attorney who can accurately identify what they know, what requires additional research, and when an issue must be escalated.

The Position

TEIL is seeking a part-time associate attorney with meaningful experience in commercial contracts, intellectual property and business law. An interest in international business, international trade, or cross-border transactions is strongly preferred.

This is not an entry-level training position. The attorney must be capable of assuming responsibility for assigned matters, producing strong first drafts, managing deadlines and communicating professionally with clients and opposing counsel with appropriate supervision.

The successful candidate must also have an established professional, business or community network and a demonstrated ability to develop relationships that may generate appropriate legal matters for the firm. This positon may thave incrased hours depending on performance.

The associate will work directly with the Managing Attorney and will have the opportunity to contribute to the continued development of TEIL’s business, intellectual property and international practice.

Principal Responsibilities

The associate attorney will:

• Draft, review and negotiate commercial agreements, including service agreements, nondisclosure agreements, licensing agreements, independent-contractor agreements, vendor and supplier agreements, distribution agreements, technology agreements, assignments and related business documents.
• Analyze contract rights, obligations, termination provisions, indemnification, limitations of liability, intellectual-property ownership and dispute-resolution provisions.
• Assist clients with trademark, copyright, trade-secret, licensing, assignment, brand-protection and intellectual-property ownership matters.
• Conduct trademark clearance and prosecution work within the attorney’s demonstrated competence.
• Coordinate with patent counsel when a client’s matter requires patent prosecution or specialized patent advice.
• Research and assist with international business transactions, cross-border agreements, foreign-market entry, import/export compliance and coordination with foreign or specialized counsel.
• Support commercial litigation and business disputes involving contracts, intellectual property, ownership, licensing and business relationships.
• Conduct client consultations, identify legal issues and prepare clear recommendations and matter plans.
• Maintain complete client files, accurate time entries, calendars, deadlines and status reports.
• Produce client-ready work with progressively less substantive correction.
• Participate in professional associations, business-development activities, educational programs and selected TEIL events.
• Develop and maintain relationships with business owners, professionals, organizations and potential referral sources.
• Assist in converting appropriate prospective-client inquiries into paid engagements while complying with all professional-responsibility requirements.
• Contribute legal articles, presentations, seminars or other professional content supporting TEIL’s practice areas.
• Perform other substantive legal work consistent with the attorney’s experience and TEIL’s needs.

Business-Development Expectations

The associate is expected to have an existing professional network and to participate actively in responsible business development.

Candidates should be prepared to discuss:

• Professional associations and business communities in which they are active;
• Their history of developing client or referral relationships;
• The types of matters their network may generate;
• Their approach to maintaining professional relationships;
• Prior speaking, writing, teaching, networking or community-leadership experience; and
• Their ability to represent TEIL professionally in business and legal settings.

TEIL does not expect candidates to disclose privileged, confidential or proprietary information concerning current or former clients.

Required Qualifications

• Juris Doctor from an accredited law school.
• Active Illinois law license in good standing.
• At least three years of meaningful legal experience, preferably involving business contracts, intellectual property, commercial transactions or closely related work.
• Demonstrated ability to draft and analyze commercial agreements.
• Working knowledge of trademark, copyright, trade-secret, licensing, and intellectual-property ownership principles.
• Excellent legal research, analysis and writing skills.
• Ability to distinguish confidently between established conclusions, preliminary assessments and issues requiring additional authority or specialized counsel.
• Strong organizational and deadline-management skills.
• Professional experience communicating directly with clients.
• Established professional, business or community relationships.
• Demonstrated interest and ability in client development and professional networking.
• Ability to work independently while accepting supervision and substantive feedback.
• High standards of honesty, confidentiality, reliability and professional responsibility.
• Competence with legal technology, document-management systems, remote meetings and timekeeping software.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with international transactions, international trade, import/export matters or foreign-market entry.
• Experience drafting licensing, distribution, technology-transfer or cross-border commercial agreements.
• Trademark prosecution or intellectual-property enforcement experience.
• Existing relationships with entrepreneurs, business owners, accountants, consultants, chambers of commerce, trade organizations or other potential referral sources.
• Foreign-language capability or meaningful international professional or educational experience.
• Experience handling commercial disputes or supporting business litigation.
• Demonstrated speaking, teaching, publishing, or professional-content experience.

Schedule and Work Arrangement

• Part-time W-2 employment.
• Approximately 20–25 hours per week.
• A regular and predictable weekly schedule will be established.
• Some in-office work in Hillside, Illinois, will be required.
• Hybrid work may be available after the attorney demonstrates reliability, responsiveness and compliance with TEIL’s confidentiality and technology requirements.
• Work exceeding the approved weekly schedule requires advance authorization.
• The associate must be available during agreed business hours for client needs, meetings and assignments.

Compensation

• Starting compensation: $35 per hour.
• Additional business-development and origination compensation may be available based on fees actually collected from qualifying matters originated by the associate, subject to TEIL’s written compensation policy.
• Compensation will be reviewed after six months based on legal competence, work quality, reliability, productivity, client service, collected revenue and business-development performance.
• This position includes Illinois-compliant paid leave, professional-liability coverage for authorized TEIL work, and support for approved continuing legal education.
• The position may expand in hours, compensation and responsibility based on performance and the firm’s needs.

Performance Expectations

The associate will be evaluated on:

• Accuracy and quality of legal work;
• Contract-drafting and issue-spotting ability;
• Intellectual-property knowledge;
• Quality of legal research and written analysis;
• Honesty about experience, competence and limitations;
• Timeliness and reliability;
• Client communication and professional judgment;
• File, deadline and time-management compliance;
• Ability to work independently after appropriate orientation;
• Contribution to collected revenue; and
• Development of appropriate clients and referral relationships.

Application Requirements

Applicants should submit:

• A résumé;
• A cover letter explaining their relevant contracts, intellectual-property and business-law experience;
• A description of the applicant’s business-development and professional-networking experience, without disclosing confidential client information;
• A redacted legal writing or contract-drafting sample substantially prepared by the applicant;
• Three professional references; and
• Compensation acknowledgment confirming that the applicant understands the position begins at $35 per hour plus potential business-development incentives.

Finalists may be asked to complete a short, paid hypothetical legal assessment and participate in a live discussion of their analysis. TEIL will verify licensure, disciplinary history, references and material representations concerning the candidate’s experience.

The Evans International Law Firms, LLC is an equal-opportunity employer.

Pay: $32.00 - $40.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Flexible schedule
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Professional development assistance
• Tuition reimbursement

Work Location: In person