Join the World's Top Legal Talent Network

Description of position: Costco Wholesale is seeking an experienced commercial attorney to join the legal team at its corporate headquarters in Issaquah, Washington. Costco is one of the world’s top retailers, with over 129 million cardholders and 890 warehouses in 14 countries, and continues to expand globally. The Commercial Corporate Counsel will handle a broad range of commercial matters, providing legal advice and counsel to a variety of business units throughout Costco. This attorney will supervise outside counsel and other advisors on a variety of non-litigation matters. This individual must be adept at identifying legal risks and developing a mitigation strategy by understanding legal issues and translating them into easily understood and practical legal advice and counsel to the applicable business group. Individuals who thrive at Costco are service-oriented, and are able to drive results through collaboration, critical thinking, willingness to grow in their career, pragmatism, and strong communication skills. This position is an “in the office” (not remote work) position. Responsibilities: Draft and negotiate a wide variety of complex commercial contracts and manage the lifecycle of the transactions, including attention to compliance matters. Subject matters of these contracts may include non-merchandise procurement, operations, and sustainability.Deliver advice on a wide range of legal topics, including commercial contracts, foundational intellectual property, pricing compliance, and merchandise and marketing compliance issues. Support Costco’s domestic and international e-commerce efforts by identifying and addressing legal, contractual, intellectual property and regulatory issues, including user experiences, technology tools and integrations, third-party relationships, and compliance with Internet and technology law.Support lead in-house Privacy and Information Security attorneys on issues related to global privacy and information security. Duties may include: (1) help track and understand global privacy legislation, evolving regulations, and enforcement; (2) draft, advise on, and negotiate data privacy and information security provisions in supplier and business contracts; and (3) help with information security compliance efforts, including managing information security incidents in accordance with Costco’s incident response plans and playbooks. Support Costco warehouse and internal operations teams, including retail operations regulatory compliance, member service, loss prevention and vendor contract negotiation and interpretation. Collaborate with other members of the Legal Department to facilitate the deployment and adoption of Costco’s enterprise contract lifecycle management system throughout the organization.Identify opportunities for and offer training to business clients on various legal, regulatory, and compliance topics.For all substantive areas of responsibility, track and interpret existing and emerging regulations; advise on regulatory changes and enforcement trends; support the continuous improvement and updating of form agreements, legal processes and compliance practices; and collaborate with outside counsel, consultants, and cross-functional stakeholders.Perform special projects and such other functions as directed.Monitor, manage, and review work and expenditures by outside counsel to ensure quality, value, and efficacy of legal services. Qualifications:J.D. degree from an accredited law school.Admission in good standing to practice law in at least one U.S. state, and eligible to practice as in-house counsel in the State of Washington.At least six years of general corporate and transactional experience acquired in a law firm, with some in-house experience preferred.Experience with compliance with laws governing retail operations and regulatory matters. Experience with privacy and information security matters preferred. Experience with contract lifecycle management systems preferred but not essential.Demonstrated ability to independently manage a diverse and complex workload while maintaining priorities and proactively anticipating issues.Exceptional communication, drafting and analytical skills for working with lawyers and non-lawyers, including training experience. Strong execution and project management skills and ability to develop consensus among stakeholders from across the organization.Demonstrated experience in building and leading an inclusive culture.Ability to operate successfully in a culture that values consultation and collaboration. Salary and Benefits: The annual base salary range for this position is $150,000 to $170,000, depending upon years of legal experience. In addition to annual base salary, the total compensation package includes an annual grant of restricted stock units ("RSUs") and an annual bonus (based on company and individual performance). The combined value of the bonus and the RSUs is expected to exceed the base salary if the RSUs vest at a share price at or above the grant price. Attorneys are also eligible to participate in the executive deferred compensation plan with a matching contribution from Costco, and receive other executive benefits. We also offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off, health benefits (medical, dental, vision, hearing aid, pharmacy, behavioral health, employee assistance), health care reimbursement account, dependent care assistance plan, commuter benefits, short-term and long-term disability insurance, AD&D insurance, life insurance, and 401(k). At Costco we are committed to doing the right thing. That means fostering a culture of inclusiveness, collaboration and ethical decision making. At Costco, you will have the opportunity to work on complex legal issues while growing as a leader. You will also build a long-lasting career in a renowned culture where the company is committed to taking care of its employees, members, and suppliers. You will be empowered to independently drive results within your areas of responsibility, and you will feel good about what you are helping to build. To apply, please send a cover letter and resume. Costco Wholesale is an equal-opportunity employer and strives to provide a workplace free from harassment and discrimination. We are also committed to recruiting, hiring, training and promoting qualified people of all backgrounds and make all employment decisions without regard to any protected status.