Director, Legal at LATICRETE International

Navigating the Global In-House Counsel Role: A Deep Dive into the LATICRETE Director, Legal Opportunity

The legal landscape for corporate professionals is evolving rapidly, moving beyond traditional advisory roles into strategic partnership and business leadership. Opportunities that combine high-level autonomy with global scope are rare and highly sought after. The Director, Legal position at LATICRETE International represents a quintessential example of this evolution—a role that is not merely about risk mitigation but about actively shaping the legal framework of a 65-year-old, family-owned global leader in the construction materials industry. For seasoned legal professionals, this posting is less a job listing and more a case study in what defines a modern, impactful in-house counsel role.

The Strategic Pivot: From Gatekeeper to Growth Enabler

In many corporations, the legal department is perceived as a cost center, a necessary checkpoint for contracts and compliance. The description for the LATICRETE role fundamentally challenges this notion. The core directive is to serve as the sole in-house legal advisor for a company with operations spanning over 100 countries. This immediately elevates the position from a specialized function to a central pillar of corporate strategy.

The ideal candidate will apply common sense, commercial acumen, and disciplined governance to continuously strengthen the company’s legal framework while avoiding unnecessary bureaucracy.

This statement is critical. It signals that LATICRETE is seeking a legal leader who understands that in a fast-paced, global manufacturing environment, excessive bureaucracy can stifle innovation and agility. The role requires a delicate balance: implementing the "very professional governance" befitting a successful global entity while maintaining the entrepreneurial spirit inherent in a family-owned business. This duality is the heart of the challenge and the opportunity. The successful candidate won't just review contracts; they will architect a legal ecosystem that empowers the business to pursue mergers, acquisitions, and new market entries with confidence.

Deconstructing the Role: A Symphony of Legal Disciplines

The breadth of responsibility outlined in the posting is staggering and speaks to the expectation of a true legal polymath. The position is not siloed; it is the central hub for every conceivable legal issue a multinational manufacturer might face.

• Corporate & Business Law: You will be the steward of the company's governance structure, directly overseeing board meetings and shareholder communications. Managing M&A, joint ventures, and partnerships will be a key lever for growth.
• Global Regulatory Compliance: With 100+ countries of operation, this is a complex puzzle. The role requires collaboration with the Enterprise Risk and Audit Director to ensure adherence to a labyrinth of local, state, federal, and international laws, while monitoring regulatory changes that could impact the business.
• Litigation & Dispute Resolution: As the manager of all worldwide litigation, claims, and disputes, this role demands strategic oversight of external counsel. Controlling legal spend while ensuring high-quality representation is a critical business function here.
• Employment & Labor Law: From disciplinary actions to compliance with international workplace safety regulations, the Director will partner closely with HR to navigate the complex human resources landscape across different cultural and legal systems.
• Intellectual Property & Technology: For an innovative company like LATICRETE, protecting patents, trademarks, and trade secrets is paramount. This extends to advising on cybersecurity, data privacy, and the strategic use of AI—a forward-thinking mandate.

This interdisciplinary scope means the Director must be a master integrator, able to switch contexts from negotiating a supplier contract in Asia to advising on a product liability claim in the Americas, all while keeping an eye on the company's IP portfolio.

Decoding the Ideal Candidate: The Entrepreneurial Counsel

The qualifications list is a detailed blueprint for a seasoned and versatile legal executive. The requirement for a Juris Doctorate (JD) and good-standing bar membership is the baseline. The differentiators are experiential:

• The Hybrid Background: The preference for a candidate with at least two years at a law firm followed by significant in-house experience is telling. It suggests the company values the rigorous technical training of a law firm environment but requires the business-oriented pragmatism of in-house practice.
• Global Manufacturing Experience: Specific preference is given to those with backgrounds in global manufacturing, distribution, the chemical industry, or building products. This industry knowledge is invaluable for understanding product liability, supply chain regulations, and the specific operational risks of a company like LATICRETE.
• Proven Leadership in a Sole Counsel Role: The emphasis on experience as a "sole or lead in-house counsel" is perhaps the most telling detail. This isn't a role for someone accustomed to a large, supportive legal department. It is for a self-starter who can build processes, manage budgets, and provide decisive counsel autonomously.

The soft skills—exceptional judgment, discretion, the ability to translate complex legalese into practical advice, and a strong executive presence—are the glue that makes the hard skills effective. This person must be a trusted advisor to the CFO and the senior leadership team.

The Allure of the Opportunity: Why This Role Matters for Your Career

For a legal professional considering their next career move, the benefits of a role like this extend far beyond the substantial compensation package ($230,000 - $290,000 base salary).

Career Impact: Serving as the chief legal architect for a global, family-owned company with professional governance is a rare pedigree. The experience of managing M&A from inception to completion, building a global IP strategy, and navigating multi-jurisdictional compliance is the kind of transformative work that defines careers and opens doors to C-suite positions, including General Counsel or Chief Legal Officer roles at larger enterprises.

Professional Autonomy: The remote nature of the position, coupled with the expectation of global travel, offers a unique blend of flexibility and engagement. You are not confined to a single office; your workspace is the world, dealing directly with the cultural and legal nuances of the markets where LATICRETE operates. This autonomy fosters immense personal and professional growth.

Family-Owned Culture: Working within a successful, multi-generational family business often provides a more stable, long-term perspective compared to publicly traded companies driven by quarterly results. The emphasis on integrity, teamwork, and loyalty suggests a corporate culture that values deep relationships and sustainable growth—qualities that can make for a more fulfilling professional environment.

Preparing the Application: Crafting a Narrative of Value

To stand out for a role of this magnitude, an application must transcend a standard resume. Candidates should prepare to articulate a compelling narrative that aligns with LATICRETE's needs.

• Demonstrate Business Acumen: Provide concrete examples from your career where you didn't just identify a legal risk, but partnered with the business to find a commercially viable solution that facilitated a goal.
• Showcase Global Experience: Highlight specific instances of navigating legal issues across multiple jurisdictions. Discuss how you adapted your approach to different cultural and legal systems.
• Prove Your M&A Mettle: Detail your involvement in M&A transactions, from due diligence and deal structuring to post-merger integration from a legal perspective. This is a high-priority area for the company's growth strategy.
• Emphasize Independence: If you have served as a sole or lead counsel, underscore how you built legal infrastructure, managed budgets, and served as the sole point of contact for all legal matters. Show how you thrived with limited direct support.

This position must interact and collaborate with US and International teams, recognizing the specificities of the culture and legal systems of the many countries where LATICRETE is operating.

This line from the job description should be your guiding star. Every aspect of your application should demonstrate that you are not just a lawyer, but a culturally intelligent business partner ready for the complexities of the global stage.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Given that this is a remote role, how is collaboration managed with the corporate team and international offices?

While the core position is remote, the role is inherently collaborative and requires approximately 25% travel, including multi-day and international trips. This travel is essential for key meetings, board presentations, integrating with teams during transactions, and managing complex matters that require an in-person presence. The successful candidate must be adept at using digital collaboration tools to maintain strong relationships and provide timely counsel between travel periods.

2. What does "managing external counsel" entail in this role, and what is the budgetary responsibility?

As the sole in-house lawyer, the Director will be responsible for selecting, onboarding, and managing relationships with law firms worldwide. This includes defining the scope of work, reviewing and negotiating fee arrangements, monitoring work product for quality and value, and ultimately controlling the company's legal spend. The role involves developing litigation strategy in coordination with senior leadership while ensuring external representation is both high-quality and cost-effective.

3. How significant is the M&A component of this role?

The job description explicitly states that experience managing mergers and acquisitions is "highly preferred." Supporting the company's "continued fast globalization" and advising on "strategic business transactions" are central to the position's summary. The Director will likely play a leading role in identifying legal risks during due diligence, negotiating deal terms, managing the transaction process, and handling post-closing legal integration. This is a core growth function, not an ancillary duty.

4. What is the expectation for handling intellectual property (IP) matters?

The responsibility for IP is comprehensive and strategic. The Director must oversee the entire lifecycle of IP protection—development, registration, enforcement, and monetization of patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. This involves coordinating with R&D to align IP strategy with product development, advising on technology and data privacy agreements (including AI usage), and managing global IP portfolios through external counsel. It is a proactive, business-driving function crucial to protecting the company's innovations and competitive advantage.