Corporate Legal Counsel

This entry-level Corporate Legal Counsel role at Morningstar provides legal advice and counsel on strategic transactions, corporate governance, and securities compliance. The position focuses on enhancing Legal team efficiency using AI tools for research, document preparation, and workflow improvement. Based in Chicago, this role involves collaborating with senior team members and corporate stakeholders, ideal for a tech-savvy, detail-oriented attorney interested in in-house corporate law and AI's impact on legal processes.

Must Have

• Provide legal advice and counsel to Morningstar on strategic transactions, corporate governance, securities compliance, entity management, and governance policies.
• Collaborate with other attorneys in the Corporate Legal team and engage with corporate stakeholders in the Chicago office.
• Drive enhanced Legal team performance using AI by identifying opportunities for time-saving and accuracy improvement.
• Support team members in learning and using AI tools effectively.
• Create simple solutions to enhance team performance and productivity.
• Share updates on useful new AI tools relevant to the entire Legal team.
• Collaborate closely with other teams piloting or testing AI tools to share best practices.
• Provide support with maintaining and organizing records and databases, including AI-enhanced retrievability.
• Use tools to monitor and track deadlines and transaction timelines.
• JD degree from an ABA-accredited university.
• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) from an accredited university.
• Member in good standing of a state bar, or working towards qualification.
• Interest in broad areas of corporate and transactional legal matters, including disclosure and reporting, corporate governance, investments, and international expansion.
• Strong interest in legal operations and emerging AI technologies.
• Excellent writing, editing and organizational skills.
• Ability to learn new tools quickly and explain them to others.
• Detail oriented with good judgement about confidentiality and responsible use of AI.
• Excellent work ethic and high degree of professionalism.

Good to Have

• Prior work experience in a corporate setting.

Perks & Benefits

• 75% 401k match up to 7%
• Stock Ownership Potential
• Company provided life insurance - 1x salary + commission
• Comprehensive health benefits (medical/dental/vision) including potential premium discounts and company-provided HSA contributions (up to $500-$2,000 annually)
• Additional medical Wellness Incentives - up to $300-$600 annual
• Company-provided long- and short-term disability insurance
• Trust-Based Time Off
• 6-week Paid Sabbatical Program
• 6-Week Paid Family Caregiving Leave
• Competitive 8-24 Week Paid Parental Bonding Leave
• Adoption Assistance
• Leadership Coaching & Formal Mentorship Opportunities
• Annual Education Stipend
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Charitable Matching Gifts program
• Dollars for Doers volunteer program
• Paid volunteering days
• 15+ Employee Resource & Affinity Groups

The Group:

This Corporate Legal Counsel is an attorney role providing legal advice and counsel to Morningstar. In this regard, the role will work with the rest of the Corporate Legal team in connection with its various coverage areas, including strategic transactions and corporate governance. This role will also lead the charge helping the overall Legal team work more efficiently by using AI tools to assist with research, document preparation, workflow improvement, and daily operations. This is an entry-level attorney role ideal for someone who wants to pursue a career as an in-house corporate attorney and is tech-savvy, detail-oriented, and interested in how AI can improve legal processes.

This role is based in our Chicago office, where we are in-office 4 days/week.

Key Responsibilities:

• Providing legal advice and counsel to Morningstar, in conjunction with the more senior members of the Corporate Legal team, on matters in their coverage areas, including strategic transactions and projects, corporate governance, securities compliance, entity management and maintaining governance policies and procedures.
• Working side-by-side, and collaborating, with the other attorneys in the Corporate Legal team (who are all based in the Chicago office) and engaging with a broad range of corporate stakeholders also based in the Chicago office.
• Driving enhanced Legal team performance using AI by identifying opportunities where AI can save time and improve accuracy, supporting team members in learning and using AI tools effectively, creating simple solutions to enhance team performance and productivity, sharing updates on useful new AI tools relevant to the entire Legal team.
• Collaborating closely with other teams in the Chicago office piloting or testing AI tools to share best practices, learnings and cost-effective solutions.
• Providing support with the maintaining and organization of records and databases (including helping with AI-enhanced retrievability), as well as using tools to monitor and track deadlines and transaction timelines.
• Performing other duties as assigned to support the efficient operation of the Legal team.

Qualifications:

• JD degree from an ABA-accredited university.
• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) from an accredited university.
• Member in good standing of a state bar, or working towards qualification.
• Interest in broad areas of corporate and transactional legal matters, including disclosure and reporting, corporate governance, investments, and international expansion.
• Prior work experience in a corporate setting preferred.
• Strong interest in legal operations and emerging AI technologies.
• Excellent writing, editing and organizational skills.
• Ability to learn new tools quickly and explain them to others.
• Detail oriented with good judgement about confidentiality and responsible use of AI.
• Excellent work ethic and high degree of professionalism.

Compensation and Benefits

At Morningstar we believe people are at their best when they are at their healthiest. That’s why we champion your wellness through a wide-range of programs that support all stages of your personal and professional life. Here are some examples of the offerings we provide:

• Financial Health
• 75% 401k match up to 7%
• Stock Ownership Potential
• Company provided life insurance - 1x salary + commission

• Physical Health
• Comprehensive health benefits (medical/dental/vision) including potential premium discounts and company-provided HSA contributions (up to $500-$2,000 annually) for specific plans and coverages
• Additional medical Wellness Incentives - up to $300-$600 annual
• Company-provided long- and short-term disability insurance

• Emotional Health
• Trust-Based Time Off
• 6-week Paid Sabbatical Program
• 6-Week Paid Family Caregiving Leave
• Competitive 8-24 Week Paid Parental Bonding Leave
• Adoption Assistance
• Leadership Coaching & Formal Mentorship Opportunities
• Annual Education Stipend
• Tuition Reimbursement

• Social Health
• Charitable Matching Gifts program
• Dollars for Doers volunteer program
• Paid volunteering days
• 15+ Employee Resource & Affinity Groups

Total Cash Compensation Range

$147,550.00 - 265,575.00 USD Annual

Inclusive of annual base salary and target incentive

Morningstar's hybrid work environment gives you the opportunity to collaborate in-person each week as we've found that we're at our best when we're purposely together on a regular basis. In most of our locations, our hybrid work model is four days in-office each week. A range of other benefits are also available to enhance flexibility as needs change. No matter where you are, you'll have tools and resources to engage meaningfully with your global colleagues.

001_MstarInc Morningstar Inc. Legal Entity