Director, Senior Legal Counsel

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Date: Jul 28, 2026

Location: Chicago, IL, US, 60607

Company: McDonald's Corporation

Company Description: 

McDonald’s is proud to be one of the most recognized brands in the world, with restaurants in over 100 countries that serve 70 million customers daily. We continue to operate from a position of strength. Our updated growth strategy is focused on staying ahead of what our customers want and realizing further growth potential. Our relentless ambition is why McDonald’s remains one of the world’s leading corporations after almost 70 years. Joining McDonald's means thinking big and preparing for a career that can have influence around the world. 

At McDonald’s, we see every day as a chance to create positive impact. We lead through our values centered on inclusivity, service, integrity, community and family. From support of Ronald McDonald House to our Youth Opportunity project and sustainability initiatives, our values keep us dedicated to using our scale for good: good for our customers, people, industry and planet. We also offer a broad range of outstanding benefits including a sabbatical program, tuition assistance and flexible work arrangements. 

Department Overview

McDonald’s is seeking a highly skilled, business-minded attorney to join our Tort Litigation Practice Group (TLPG) as Senior Counsel. This role is far more than managing litigation. We are seeking a strategic legal advisor who can translate legal and claims insights into business solutions that protect our customers, strengthen our brand, and help the business make informed decisions.

As Senior Counsel, you will partner closely with internal clients across Operations, Supply Chain,  Safety, Insurance, Risk Management, Communications, Security, and other functions to proactively identify risks, develop mitigation strategies, and support enterprise priorities. You will lead brand-sensitive, high-exposure tort litigation while serving as a trusted advisor who helps drive continuous improvement across the McDonald’s System.

The ideal candidate combines strong litigation expertise with business acumen, customer focus, sound judgment, and a commitment to developing strong relationships across the enterprise. This individual understands that effective legal support means not only managing risk but enabling business success while protecting customer trust and the McDonald’s brand. This role aligns closely with McDonald’s BEST leadership expectations around strategic thinking, system alignment, collaboration, customer focus, coaching and growth, and inclusion.

Duties

Lead Complex Tort Litigation and Claims

  • Manage high-exposure tort claims and litigation matters, including premises liability, food safety, beverage burns, negligent security, and other brand-sensitive issues.
  • Develop litigation strategies and oversee outside counsel to achieve efficient, business-aligned outcomes.
  • Assess legal, operational, reputational, and customer impacts when advising on case strategy and resolution.
  • Provide practical, risk-based legal guidance that protects customer trust and brand integrity.

Serve as a Strategic Business Partner

  • Partner with business leaders to identify risks, opportunities, and practical solutions.
  • Translate litigation trends into actionable recommendations that improve operations, training, policies, and safety initiatives.
  • Support cross-functional initiatives focused on customer safety, operational effectiveness, and risk mitigation.
  • Build trusted relationships across Legal and business teams to support enterprise objectives.

Support Customer Safety and Brand Protection

  • Advise on customer safety matters, food safety issues, product recovery events, and other sensitive incidents.
  • Support responses to emerging risks and crisis situations.
  • Assess legal and reputational implications of significant events and recommend appropriate strategies.
  • Identify trends and help drive long-term risk mitigation efforts.

Drive Strategic and Operational Excellence

  • Improve legal processes, reporting, governance, and operational efficiency.
  • Develop training, guidance materials, and best practices for stakeholders.
  • Use data and litigation insights to support business decisions.
  • Anticipate emerging legal risks and help the organization prepare proactively.

Develop Talent and Team Performance

  • Mentor and coach legal professionals, paralegals, and legal assistants.
  • Foster a culture of accountability, inclusion, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
  • Support employee development through feedback, knowledge sharing, and growth opportunities.

What Makes Someone Successful in This Role

  • Business-Minded and Strategic: Connects legal advice to business objectives and provides practical, actionable recommendations.
  • Customer and Brand Focused: Prioritizes customer safety, trust, and brand protection in decision-making.
  • Collaborative and Influential: Builds strong relationships and effectively partners across functions.
  • Innovative and Forward-Looking: Identifies opportunities for improvement and proactively addresses emerging risks.
  • Inclusive and People-Oriented: Leads with empathy, respect, and a commitment to developing others.

Qualifications

  • Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school.
  • Active license to practice law and good standing with at least one U.S. state bar.
  • Minimum of 8 years of legal experience, including substantial experience managing tort litigation matters.
  • Experience directing outside counsel and managing litigation budgets is a plus.
  • Demonstrated ability to provide strategic legal advice in a fast-paced business and litigation environment.
  • Strong analytical, negotiation, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
  • Proven ability to influence decisions and build trusted partnerships at all levels of an organization.
  • Experience supporting high-profile, brand sensitive matters is strongly preferred.
  • In-house experience at a retail, hospitality, franchise, or consumer-facing businesses preferred.

Salary Range

The expected salary range for this role is $195,371.00 - $244,214.00 per hour.
 
The above represents the expected salary range for this job requisition. Ultimately, in determining your pay, we may also consider your experience, and other job-related factors.

 

The position, upon meeting time eligibility requirements, offers health and welfare benefits, including but not limited to comprehensive health insurance, which includes medical, prescription drug, mental health, dental and vision coverage, as well as, life insurance.

Additional Information: 

Benefits eligible: This position offers health and welfare benefits, including but not limited to comprehensive health insurance, which includes medical, prescription drug, mental health, dental and vision coverage, as well as, life insurance.

Bonus eligible: This position is eligible for a bonus, calculated based on individual and company performance. 

Long term Incentive eligible: This position is eligible for stock or other equity grants pursuant to McDonald’s long-term incentive plan. 

McDonald’s is an equal opportunity employer committed to the diversity of our workforce. We promote an inclusive work environment that creates feel-good moments for everyone. McDonald’s provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities as part of the application or hiring process or to perform the essential functions of their job. If you need assistance accessing or reading this job posting or otherwise feel you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process, please contact mcdhrbenefits@us.mcd.com. Reasonable accommodations will be determined on a case-by-case basis. 

McDonald’s provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to sex, sex stereotyping, pregnancy (including pregnancy, childbirth, and medical conditions related to pregnancy, childbirth, or breastfeeding), race, color, religion, ancestry or national origin, age, disability status, medical condition, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, protected military or veteran status, citizenship status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training. 

Nothing in this job posting or description should be construed as an offer or guarantee of employment. 


Nearest Major Market: Chicago