The General Counsel serves as Merrimak Capital’s senior legal officer, overseeing all legal, regulatory, and risk management matters across the company. This role advises ownership and the executive team on corporate, contractual, compliance, and governance issues while managing both internal and external legal relationships. The General Counsel will lead Merrimak’s equipment leasing legal function, supporting the development and negotiation of customer lease agreements, vendor partnerships, and other key contracts. The role will work closely with all senior leadership, including the C-Suite and the Vice Presidents of Documentation, on lease documentation, customer negotiations, and agreements with partners and vendors. Additional responsibilities include review of vendor contracts (including insurance), oversight of HR legal matters, and legal support for the company’s family office, including trust and entity structuring. This position requires a strategic, business-minded attorney with deep experience in equipment leasing, strong contract and negotiation skills, and the ability to operate as a trusted advisor to ownership and senior leadership.
This role may be performed remotely or in a hybrid capacity from either our Salt Lake City, UT office or our Sidney, OH office.
Equipment Leasing and Corporate Legal Management
Oversee all legal aspects of Merrimak’s equipment leasing operations, including customer and vendor agreements, documentation standards, and portfolio risk management.
Draft, review, and negotiate master lease agreements, customer contracts, vendor and partner agreements, and related commercial documents.
Collaborate with the Vice Presidents of Documentation on customer redlines, customized transactions, and non-standard documentation requests.
Review and advise on international lease documents and ensure compliance with applicable foreign and domestic regulations.
Provide legal guidance on equipment leasing structures, credit and security provisions, and contractual risk.
Manage dispute resolution, litigation, and collections with internal and external counsel as required.
Vendor and Operational Contracts
Lead legal review and negotiation of agreements with Merrimak’s operational and technology vendors, including insurance providers, managed service providers, CRM platforms, and other service partners.
Ensure vendor contracts meet business, operational, and insurance standards while protecting the company’s interests.
Compliance, Governance, and Risk Oversight
Maintain company-wide compliance with equipment leasing laws, data privacy requirements, employment regulations, and other applicable federal, state, and international laws.
Advise on HR legal matters, including employment agreements, compliance policies, investigations, and coordination with outside employment counsel.
Advise the executive team on regulatory developments impacting the equipment leasing and asset management industry.
Oversee corporate governance activities, including entity management, board documentation, and policy development.
Partner with finance and operations to manage insurance coverage, claims, and enterprise risk programs.
Family Office and Ownership Support
Work directly with company ownership on family office matters, including structuring and optimizing trusts, LLCs, and related entities.
Coordinate with external counsel and advisors on tax, estate, and investment matters to ensure legal and organizational alignment.
Provide legal oversight for intercompany agreements and long-term entity governance.
Leadership and Collaboration
Serve as a key legal advisor to the executive leadership team on transactions, partnerships, and strategic initiatives.
Collaborate across departments, including Sales, Finance, Operations, HR, and Account Management, to ensure alignment between legal strategy and business goals.
Manage relationships with outside counsel in specialized areas such as tax, employment, intellectual property, and litigation.
Provide training and guidance to staff on contract best practices, compliance, and risk management.
Education & Experience:
Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited U.S. law school and active bar membership in good standing (Utah or Massachusetts preferred, or ability to obtain).
10 or more years of legal experience, including at least 5 years in-house or advising clients in equipment leasing, asset finance, or related financial services.
Proven ability to negotiate and structure complex equipment lease and financing transactions.
Strong knowledge of equipment leasing law, UCC provisions, and asset management practices.
Experience managing documentation for vendor programs, customer leases, and end-of-term transactions.
Familiarity with cross-border leasing and international compliance matters.
Experience with family office structures, entity management, and trust organization.
Demonstrated ability to balance legal risk with business objectives and provide pragmatic, solution-oriented advice.
Excellent drafting, negotiation, and communication skills with strong executive presence.
High ethical standards, discretion, and sound professional judgment.
Merrimak Capital is a nationally certified woman-owned business and the leading independent leasing and asset resale company serving over 25% of the Fortune 500 and privately held companies. Our dedicated team of professionals is here to bring the best experience providing personalized assistance. We are collaborative, hardworking, and creative people that want to make a difference in the lives of our clients. We pride ourselves on creating innovative lease structures that help our customers grow their businesses. We believe that our customers are the foundation of our successful business, and we enable every employee to have a positive impact on our customer experience. We are agile and move quickly to bring innovation to the market. If you want to be a part of a fun, dynamic, and growth-centered team dedicated to shaping the future, then join us. We look forward to learning more about you and how you might be a good fit for the Merrimak team.