Senior Legal Director, Strategy and M&A

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Milwaukee, WI, USA
In-Office
184K-276K Annually
Senior level
Other • Security
The Role
Provides legal guidance for global mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, and equity investments. Leads complex cross-border transactions, advises on deal structure and documentation, negotiates with stakeholders, manages external counsel and legal expenses, and translates legal risks into practical business recommendations. The role requires collaboration across regions and functions, strong judgment, effective communication, and the ability to manage multiple transactions and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Summary Generated by Built In

This position will join the legal team reporting to the Chief M&A Counsel and provide legal support for Johnson Controls’ global M&A activities.  In this role you will advise senior leadership and the Strategy and Acquisition Office on all aspects of mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures and equity investments.  The transactions that you work on will have significant strategic value to the company.  The ideal candidate will have strong technical skills and the ability to provide efficient and effective representation using a practical business-minded approach to risk assessment. 


The candidate will need the ability to:

  • lead multiple, complex M&A transactions in a fast paced, energetic department of experienced M&A professionals
  • ability to operate in a global environment and collaborate among functions, regions, business units, and internal and external counsel. 
  • advise on legal issues related to deal structure and documentation
  • lead negotiations on complex M&A transactions spanning multiple jurisdictions
  • draft and/or review with external counsel all relevant transaction documentation
  • think creatively, provide practical and pragmatic advice, and drive improvements in transaction processes and execution
  • manage external legal expenses and providing regular reports to management on deal status
  • work independently, be a self-starter and be proactive
  • be a team player with exceptional interpersonal skills, a sense of humor, unquestionable ethics and integrity, and sound judgment
  • work well laterally both with other attorneys and with clients.  
  • be organized and hard-working, ability to maintain focus while managing complex projects simultaneously in a fast-paced work environment, and manage people and tasks to deadline.  
  • communicate professionally and effectively, write clearly and concisely, translate legal implications of contract terms into identifiable business risks and make recommendations based on a considered risk-benefit analysis

Key requirements are:

·         Law degree and member of US state bar  

·         Minimum of 10+ years legal experience   

·         Substantial M&A transactional experience at a large law firm, including cross-border M&A experience

·         In-house experience preferred, particularly with a large multinational publicly-traded company  

·         knowledge of antitrust and competition law

·         experience with venture capital a plus

·         Located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin or Washington, DC area


Hiring Salary Range:

$184,000-276,000 (Salary to be determined by the education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities of the applicant, internal equity, and alignment with market data.) This role offers a competitive Bonus plan that will take into account individual, group, and corporate performance. This position includes a competitive benefits package. The posted salary range reflects the target compensation for this role. However, we recognize that exceptional candidates may bring unique skills and experiences that exceed the typical profile. If you believe your background warrants consideration beyond the stated range, we encourage you to apply. To support an efficient and fair hiring process, we may use technology assisted tools, including artificial intelligence (AI), to help identify and evaluate candidates. All hiring decisions are ultimately made by human reviewers. For details, please visit the About Us tab on the Johnson Controls Careers site at https://jobs.johnsoncontrols.com/about-us

Johnson Controls International plc. is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, protected veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a qualified individual with a disability or any other characteristic protected by law. To view more information about your equal opportunity and non-discrimination rights as a candidate, visit EEO is the Law. If you are an individual with a disability and you require an accommodation during the application process, please visit here.

Skills Required

  • Law degree
  • Membership in a United States state bar
  • Minimum 10 years of legal experience
  • Substantial M&A transactional experience at a large law firm
  • Cross-border M&A experience
  • Knowledge of antitrust and competition law
  • In-house legal experience, particularly with a large multinational publicly traded company
  • Venture capital experience
  • Located in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin or Washington, DC area

Johnson Controls Compensation & Benefits Highlights

The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Johnson Controls and has not been reviewed or approved by Johnson Controls.

  • Retirement Support — Retirement support is positioned as a meaningful part of the package through employer 401(k) matching, repeatedly framed as a strong pillar of the overall rewards mix. The matching contribution is described with specific match levels in multiple places, reinforcing perceived value for long-term saving.
  • Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time off is presented as comparatively robust, with multiple paid holiday categories, vacation time, and sick time described as generous or “amazing” in places. Paid time off breadth appears to be a consistent contributor to total rewards attractiveness beyond base pay.
  • Flexible Benefits — Benefits are described as broad and customizable, spanning standard medical/dental/vision plus optional add-ons like pet insurance, identity protection, and legal support. Tuition reimbursement is repeatedly highlighted as a high-value option supporting professional development.

Johnson Controls Insights

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The Company
HQ: Chennai
100,000 Employees
Year Founded: 1885

What We Do

At Johnson Controls, we transform the environments where people live, work, learn and play. From optimizing building performance to improving safety and enhancing comfort, we drive the outcomes that matter most. Dedicated to protecting the environment, we deliver our promise in industries such as healthcare, education, data centers and manufacturing. With a global team of 100,000 experts in more than 150 countries and over 130 years of innovation, we are the power behind our customers’ mission. Our leading portfolio of building technology and solutions includes some of the most trusted names in the industry, such as Tyco®, York®, Metasys®, Ruskin®, Titus®, Frick®, Penn®, Sabroe®, Simplex®, Ansul® and Grinnell®.

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