Plave Koch PLC – Franchise Paralegal
Who we are - Plave Koch PLC is a small law firm based in Falls Church, Virginia with a focus on franchise, trademark, and motor vehicle mobility law. We seek to provide superior, cost effective and personalized legal services to our clients, while maintaining a professional and informal work-place environment. We support equal employment opportunity for all persons without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law, and we are committed to building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable working environment for all.
Summary of Position: The paralegal reports to the partners in the firm to whom they are assigned as a team member, any associates working on projects for the team, and the Firm Administrator. The paralegal is responsible for supporting attorneys in franchise registration, transactional and litigation matters. Flexibility is important and priorities in work may vary often based on our needs at any given time.
This is a full time position and the scheduled hours will generally be 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. with an hour lunch break, but are negotiable.
Hybrid Office / Telework: We offer a telework program for our paralegals where they can request to work from home up to two days a week after they have been employed by us for at least six months. Factors we will consider include the level of job knowledge attained and the productivity the paralegal has demonstrated. A decision to permit telework is subject to continuing productivity and performance.
Experience Required – College degree and at least three years of experience as a paralegal with a private law firm or with a corporation’s legal department required; no prior experience as a franchise paralegal is necessary, although the ideal candidate will have such experience. Paralegal certificate not required, but preferred.
Annual Salary and Benefits – Base salary as agreed upon, commensurate with experience level, plus benefits described in the Plave Koch Employee Manual.
Key Responsibilities: The following describes the key responsibilities.
Support franchise regulatory attorneys and other paralegals in the preparation, reviewing, filing, and management of franchise agreements, registrations, renewals, and amendments, including communicating with state regulators
Manage the full contract lifecycle, including organization, tracking, and timely execution of franchise and business contracts
Assist with the state and federal franchise registrations
Partner Cross-functionally to address contract-related questions and resolve issues efficiently
Track key deadlines and ensure proactive follow-up
Help refine and strengthen contract management policies, procedures, and systems
Organize and maintain a comprehensive contract management system and renewals, including Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDDs)
Assist with corporate filings, resolutions, and governance documentation
Transactional work including preparing franchise agreements, default and termination notices, merger and acquisition transactions, franchise transfers, due diligence, preparing closing binders and related tasks
Litigation support including drafting pleadings and discovery requests/responses; electronic filing of court papers; document review and management for discovery; exhibit preparation for depositions, motions, and hearings/trials; cite checking briefs; and maintenance of litigation files
Computer Skills: Must be proficient with MS Word, MS Excel, MS Outlook, MS PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat, Westlaw, CM-ECF/PACER (US Courts electronic docket and filing system), and Internet search engines and research tools. We may require testing of certain key skills prior to employment.
Please send resumes to Jean Demarest, Firm Administrator, Plave Koch PLC, 3120 Fairview Park Drive, Suite 420, Falls Church, Virginia 22042 or jdemarest@plavekoch.com.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $65,000.00 - $85,000.00 per year
Benefits
401(k)
AD&D insurance
Disability insurance
Free parking
Health insurance
Health savings account
Life insurance
Opportunities for advancement
Paid time off
Professional development assistance
Profit sharing
Experience:
Paralegal: 3 years (Required)
Work Location: In person