Job Description

Junior Counsel

Farm Succession & Legacy Preservation

Wright and Moore Law Co. LPA-Delaware, OH

Competitive compensation based on qualifications, benefits offered, non-remote, M-F, overtime pay exempt. Possible equity track available.

Firm Overview

Wright and Moore Law Co., LPA is seeking an experienced, organized, detailed, curious, communicative, and engaging attorney to join its landowner advocacy team. Wright & Moore is a growing boutique law firm located in downtown Delaware and in Celina, with farm and rural clients spanning across the state. The firm focuses on the unique legal needs of farmers and their families, landowners, and other rural businesses. Wright & Moore proudly features a technology-centric, paperless, casual workplace, and personal life-forward culture. However, due to the seasonal nature of agriculture, occasional 40+ hour workweeks may be required for project flow and business goals.

Mission, Vision, Values

Our Mission: At Wright & Moore, we promote thoughtful, educated decision making among Ohio farmers and landowners in order to achieve the succession planning goals of their families and businesses.

Our Vision: To maintain a strong agriculture industry and vibrant rural communities through multi-generational transitions of Ohio family farms and farmland.

Our Core Values:

With our clients, our partners, and our team in mind, Wright & Moore adheres to these core values:

· Knowledgeable: Through various legal education and personal development efforts by our team members, we will provide competent counsel that stays in-tune with the laws and rules impacting our industry.

· Individuality: Recognizing that each family, farm, legal issue, and employee possess unique goals and features, we strive to provide solutions and opportunities that cater to the needs of each client, partner, or team member.

· Empathy: Being accessible to our clients, partners, and team members, staying curious to individual needs, actively listening, and understanding all viewpoints will ensure we are empathetic to each other and to the public.

· Integrity: “Doing the right thing” comprises our moral and ethical core, and building and maintaining trust within our team and our stakeholders is of the utmost importance.

· Family Team: Collaboration, communication, flexibility, and support can lead a family to accomplish great things together, and we seek to espouse those behaviors internally within our team and externally with members of our firm family.

Responsibilities

Farm Succession: Assist with drafting basic trusts including revocable, irrevocable, and others. Lead drafting of will-based plans. Assemble baseline information for asset spreadsheets. Generate attractive plan diagrams showing plan steps. Fluently draft powers of attorney and other plan documents. Observe and learn from senior farm succession counsel. Assemble and understand business planning forms featuring ownership and management restrictions. Draft a variety of real estate instruments and recording documents, and complete recording process.

Legacy Preservation: Execute foundational administration tasks in a timely, efficient, and caring manner. Prepare and file probate documents. Participate in estate administration meetings. Input information into estate administration spreadsheets. Draft real estate instrument and recording documents for administrations. Assist with correspondence among professional partners, clients, fiduciaries, and executors.

Agricultural Law: May receive other tasks as-assigned by team members. Matters may include drainage disputes, agritourism, real property conflicts, demand letters, like-kind exchanges, negotiations, specialized contract drafting, and others. Maintain a “figure it out” approach on unfamiliar subjects.

Teamwork: Participate in client signing and administration meetings alongside co-counsel. Prepare matter directives and action items post-meeting. Actively engage coworkers in office-wide meetings to discuss plan and administrative matters. Discuss questions and concerns with senior counsel. Correctly input entries to timekeeping program. As projects are completed, prepare and approve bills for client matters.

Client Care : With experience, grow into leading client meetings. Professional in-person, phone, and email interactions with clients, accountants, investment, insurance, and lending professionals will be frequent. Assist with set-up of new client files, intake forms, and contact information. Be responsible for reporting client or matter updates to support team, client file management, maintaining correct information, and necessary follow-up with clients. Adhere to firm procedures regarding client file storage, titling, and structure.

Ethics: Exhibit consistent adherence to the Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct for legal practitioners. Display best practices related to organization, attention to detail, timeliness of filings, and client communication. Obtain conflict waivers and engagement letters as needed. In limited instances, manage client trust funds.

Community Relations : Serve as a professional extension of the firm in local and agricultural community. Assist with preparation for community events, Client Advisory Newsletter, presentations, special events, educational seminars, and outreach events for other professionals and industry partners.

Experience and Qualifications

§ Passion for the agriculture industry and rural communities and families

§ Juris doctor degree and graduation from accredited law school

§ Topic interest in estate planning, business planning, asset management, real property, and estate administrations

§ Willingness to learn new points of law and legal practice at all times

§ Commitment to the Ohio Rules of Professional Conduct

§ Advanced competence with various online billing systems, task management platforms, Office Suite programs, document automation programs, and mobile apps

§ Excellent verbal and written communications skills, inquisitive skills, strong interpersonal skills, an eye for organization, timeliness, attention to detail, and a self-starting approach to your work

§ Ability to independently handle multiple tasks and projects simultaneously

Salary and Benefits

Competitive compensation based on qualifications, full-time, non-remote, M-F, overtime pay exempt. Benefits include paid holidays, paid time off, health and dental insurance, life insurance, retirement matching, cell phone, and laptop. Annual bonus possible at discretion of management based on meeting individual goals and firm performance. Possible equity track available. 

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