Counsel, Clinical Research Job Listing at SutterHealth in San Francisco, CA

The Counsel, Clinical Research position will assist the Deputy General Counsel, General Counsel, other more senior attorneys, and members of Sutter Health and Affiliate management by providing legal advice and counsel (including legal research, identifying new or emerging areas of risk, etc.), on a range of topics within his or her general practice area.

The Counsel is a member of the Legal Services Division in the Office of the General Counsel.  This position will perform a wide variety of legal services including reviewing and negotiating clinical trial agreements proposed by sponsors of clinical research, preparing research physician investigator agreements and professional services agreements, identifying new or emerging areas of risk, and managing or providing support on specific legal projects related to biomedical research operations.  

This Counsel role will have subject matter expertise in laws affecting biomedical research operations, vendor and physician contracting and general healthcare law.  The Counsel may have the responsibility for managing outside counsel's work and associated expenses, as appropriate.  The Counsel often works independently with general supervision and direction of more senior lawyers within the Office of the General Counsel.

This position may be based out of either our San Francisco or Sacramento offices.

Education:

The candidate must possess a Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school.

Licensure:

The candidate must be a member in good standing with a state bar. A member in good standing with the State Bar of California is preferred.

Experience:

The candidate must have demonstrated at least three to five (3-5) years of significant business and/or healthcare law experience, including primary and independent responsibility interacting with clients in contract negotiations and/or other business transactions. Experience should include reviewing, drafting, and negotiating contractual arrangements, including research related agreements and/or physician service agreements.  Expertise in one or more of the following areas of law is desired: the physician anti-referral (“Stark”) law, anti-kickback and other healthcare fraud and abuse laws, OHRP/human subject protections laws, FDA law, research billing laws/Medicare coverage rules relating to clinical trials and laws relating to not-for-profit healthcare operations. 

Substantial experience providing legal advice to corporate clients is required, preferably in the field of healthcare and research operations.  Experience working with or for an integrated healthcare delivery system or other in-house legal department experience is desired. 

Special Skills:

Candidate must demonstrate excellent written and verbal communication skills, as well as the ability to translate legal complexities into terms readily understood by management and line personnel. The candidate must have demonstrated initiative, an ability to work in a fast-paced, complex organization and an ability to manage competing priorities. The candidate must also be able to demonstrate strong client relations and project management skills, and work successfully both independently and within a team.

Other:

Attorneys in the Office of the General Counsel are not allowed a private law practice with the exception of pro bono activities performed outside the scope of the attorney’s position and subject to the approval of the General Counsel.