Opportunity Snapshot

Combine your top-notch legal talent--with a corporate transactional focus--and strong business acumen to become the #2 person within a high-performing legal department at a leader in the online automotive marketplace.

It is an exciting time of transformation in the online automotive industry and Autobytel is a model illustration of these dynamic changes in action, providing innovative products and services to consumers and the automotive industry as whole. We not only pioneered the "automotive Internet" in 1995, contributing to the transformation of the world's largest industry, but our new flagship web site, MyRide.com is set to usher in the next phase of the automotive Internet.

As a corporate counsel, you will enjoy a dynamic mix of legal challenges as you lend your expertise to everything from transactional contracting issues, intellectual property licensing and securities compliance matters. This multifaceted role will allow you to interact with all departments and divisions of the organization -- including our Sales, Operations, Finance, HR and more -- from the executive level down and enjoy a great deal of visibility.

Our Requirements

• Law degree from ABA accredited law school
• Licensed to practice law in the State of California
• 6-10 years of transactional experience gained at a nationally recognized law firm and/or in-house experience
• A service-oriented approach to providing counsel
• A bias for a collaborative team environment
• Automotive Internet or Internet advertising/leads referral background is a plus

More About Your Role

Based in our corporate headquarters located in Irvine, you'll report to the Chief Legal Officer and join a team of five that includes two Attorneys and administrative/paralegal staff. You'll manage multiple concurrent projects, which will be split among:

• Operational business support -- you'll provide proactive legal counsel and advice on a variety of operational initiatives
• General legal advice & more -- the remainder of your time will spent handling an interesting mix of work which will include:
  • Drafting, reviewing and editing contracts
  • Supporting business relationships
  • Handling intellectual property queries
  • Providing general legal advice to our managers and associates
  • Performing litigation management
  • Implementing best practices in legal policies and procedures

Keys to Success

As a company we are undergoing dynamic change, planning and executing a variety of initiatives as we continue to focus on providing leadership in this rapidly evolving industry. Pivotal to your success in this role is your ability to manage change and thrive in an unstructured environment where an entrepreneurial spirit, creativity and self-motivation are highly regarded. You will be capable of not only managing, but embracing, these challenges and transitions, understanding that this is also your chance to help mold these transformations and play a significant role in our long-term success. Further qualities and skills that will assist you in this role include:

• A business partner mentality -- more than simply providing legal resources, you'll contribute to the business outcome by maximizing the benefits for the organization and limiting our liability. As a service department, we never dictate to our associates, nor quote the law to them; you'll listen carefully as you provide consultative counsel to a variety of issues, and provide answers that both interpret the law and are applicable to specific business needs.
• Breakthrough negotiation -- harnessing the power of superior negotiation skills, you'll provide us with an aggressive edge when it comes to positioning contracts and transactional terms in support of our business goals. Unlike most negotiators who see the signed contract as the final destination, you'll go beyond the deal-maker mind set as you set the stage for healthy working relationships long after the ink has dried.
• Ability to work well both independently & as a team -- you'll take ownership of your function and show that you can effectively and efficiently handle a medley of requests (and a variable workload) with appropriate oversight and support; at the same time, you'll display a willingness to collaborate with the team, take advantage of others' expertise, and "pitch in" as needed to achieve our collective goals.
• Grace under pressure -- you'll need to be "firing on all cylinders" every day as you tackle a diverse array of transactions and manage multiple concurrent projects; you'll exude a calm, confident demeanor even in the stickiest of legal situations and keep your sense of humor handy as you drive to results.

If this sounds like the right mix of challenge and opportunity, and you meet the required qualifications, we look forward to hearing from you

Who We Are

Since launching the first car-buying website in 1995, Autobytel Inc.'s mission has been to empower automotive consumers with the tools and information they need to make smart, well-informed vehicle purchasing and ownership decisions. The company has helped millions of car shoppers and generated billions of dollars in car sales for dealers. Today, the company's innovative, consumer-driven flagship site, MyRide.com, expands the company's mission across the automotive purchase and ownership life cycle. As the first vertical search experience for the automotive marketplace, MyRide.com is designed to help Internet-savvy consumers FIND, SEE, BUY and LEARN anything automotive and BELONG to a diverse community of people who have similar automotive interests.

By providing a convenient and comprehensive automotive consumer experience across the purchase and ownership lifecycle, Autobytel provides new value and touch-points for automotive marketers. Through MyRide.com and Autobytel's marketing network, the company connects dealerships with a steady, diverse stream of motivated, serious shoppers, while providing both dealers and manufacturers with precision-targeted brand and product marketing opportunities. The company's advanced web-based advertising and marketing programs also help dealers and manufacturers build relationships with customers, as well as help them to efficiently manage and convert online business.