Associate General Counsel

Hornblower Group is a global leader in experience and transportation. Spanning a 100-year history, Hornblower Group’s portfolio of international offerings includes water- and land-based experiences and ferry and transportation services. City Experiences, Hornblower Group’s premier experience division, offers dining and sightseeing cruises and walking and food tours through the City Cruises, Walks, and Devour brands. City Ferry, part of Hornblower Group’s Ferry and Transportation Division, is the largest private operator of high-speed passenger and vehicle ferries in the United States, carrying more than 10 million passengers annually and operating services including NYC Ferry, Puerto Rico Ferry, and other regional ferry systems. Hornblower Group’s subsidiaries include Hornblower Marine, which provides vessel outhaul and maintenance services at Bridgeport Boatworks in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and Seaward Services, Inc., a full-service shipping, waterfront logistics and management company that specializes in the operation and maintenance of government and commercial vessels. Additionally, Anchor Operating System, LLC, a Hornblower Group subsidiary and independent entity, provides reservation, ticketing and website integration services for clients in the transportation, tourism and entertainment industries. Today, Hornblower Group’s global portfolio covers over 10 countries, over 50 U.S. cities and serves more than 20 million guests annually. Headquartered in Orlando, Florida, Hornblower Group’s additional corporate offices reside in San Francisco, California; Boston, Massachusetts; Chicago, Illinois; London, United Kingdom; New York, New York; Dublin, Ireland; and across Ontario, Canada. For more information, visit hornblowercorp.com.

Position Summary

We are seeking an experienced and skilled Associate General Counsel to join our dynamic legal team. The Associate General Counsel will play a critical role in providing legal support and guidance across multiple corporate functions, with a primary focus on matters involving commercial contracting, intellectual property (IP) and branding, real estate, mergers & acquisitions (M&A), employment law, and other matters as assigned. The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of these legal areas, excellent communication skills, and the ability to work collaboratively with various departments to mitigate risks and drive business success. Location is flexible, in a city in which the Company has a major port or operations (NYC area, D.C. area, or Chicago)

Duties And Responsibilities

Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A):

• Assist in the identification, evaluation, and execution of M&A transactions, including due diligence, structuring, drafting, and negotiating transaction documents.
• Work closely with senior management, external counsel, and other stakeholders to facilitate successful M&A transactions, including acquisitions and divestitures.
• Provide post-transaction integration and compliance support.
  
  

Commercial Contracting

• Negotiate, draft, and review a wide variety of commercial contracts, including customer agreements, vendor agreements, operations agreements, NDAs, letters of intent, and other contracts consistent with the operation of a global transportation and tourism business.
• Provide strategic legal advice on contract terms, risk mitigation, and compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
• Develop and implement contract management processes and best practices to streamline contracting and ensure consistency and compliance.
  
  

Real Estate

• Provide legal support for the company’s real estate transactions
• Negotiate, draft and review real estate agreements, including lease agreements, license agreements and related documents.
  
  

Intellectual Property (IP)

• Advise on the protection, enforcement, and commercialization of intellectual property assets, including trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets.
• Oversee IP-related agreements.
• Work closely with internal marketing teams to identify, protect, and manage the company’s intellectual property portfolio.
• Ensure the company’s compliance with IP laws, regulations, and industry standards.
  
  

General Legal Support

• Provide ongoing legal counsel and support to business units across various functions, including sales, marketing, operations, human resources, information technology and finance.
• Monitor and assess legal developments in the above-mentioned areas of responsibility and advise the business on potential impacts.
• Manage and maintain strong relationships with external legal counsel
  
  

Requirements & Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school and admission to the bar in candidate’s state of residence.
• 10+ years of full time legal experience with a focus on mergers & acquisitions commercial contracting, intellectual property and real estate.
• Excellent negotiation, drafting, and communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, managing multiple projects and priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong business acumen and ability to provide practical legal advice in support of business objectives.
• Experience in infrastructure preferred.
• Previous national law firm experience preferred.
  
  

The RESPECT Service System embodies our mission, vision, values and operating principles. By creating a company culture that puts RESPECT at its core, we believe it will drive us to achieve our goal of becoming a Global Experiences and Transportation Leader.

EEO / Disabled / Protected Veteran Employer. Hornblower is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We offer equal employment opportunities to all qualified individuals and prohibit discrimination and/or harassment of any type, including but not limited to discrimination and or harassment based upon race, religion, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, pregnancy or relation medical conditions, childbirth, breastfeeding, parental status, veteran and/or military status, disability (physical or mental), medical condition, genetic information or characteristics, political affiliation, domestic violence survivor status, marital status, or other characteristics prohibited by federal, state, or local law. Additionally, as a federal, state, and local contractor, Hornblower complies with government regulations, including affirmative action responsibilities for qualified individuals, where and as they apply. The company also participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations.