Commercial Counsel - North America Retail

General Mills seeks an attorney to serve as a strategic legal partner to its North America Retail segment - home to iconic brands like Cheerios, Pillsbury, and Nature Valley. This attorney will advise clients on all areas of commercial law, with a particular focus on marketing, advertising, and sales.

Key Accountabilities

• Strategic Business Partnership: Serve as trusted legal advisor to business teams, translating complex legal requirements into practical guidance that enables growth while appropriately managing risk
• Marketing & Advertising Counsel: Review and approve advertising, packaging, and omnichannel marketing campaigns, advising on regulatory requirements and litigation risk
• Product Innovation Support: Collaborate with a variety of legal department colleagues, for example in our Intellectual Property, Food Law, and Contracts teams to bring products to market, navigating regulatory frameworks and competitive claim strategies
• Problem Solving: Analyze complex commercial legal questions independently, spot issues, and deliver actionable recommendations that balance legal protection with business objectives in a fast-paced environment
• Technology-Enhanced Legal Practice: Leverage AI and legal technology tools to increase efficiency and scale legal support

Minimum Qualifications

• Education & Bar Admission: Juris Doctor (J.D.) from ABA-accredited law school; admitted to practice law in any U.S. jurisdiction (Minnesota bar admission required within 12 months of hire, or eligible for in-house registration)
• Professional Experience: Minimum 3-5 years of legal experience in commercial law, marketing/advertising law, or food regulatory matters; in-house experience at a consumer products company strongly preferred; additional experience beyond minimum qualifications welcomed
• Business Judgment: Exceptional analytical and strategic thinking skills with ability to balance legal risk against business objectives; proven track record of providing practical, commercially minded counsel in fast-paced environments
• Communication Excellence: Outstanding written and oral communication skills with ability to translate complex legal concepts into clear, actionable business guidance for diverse audiences from junior marketers to senior executives
• Relationship Building: Demonstrated ability to build trust and credibility with business clients, influence decision-making through persuasion rather than authority, and serve as collaborative partner rather than gatekeeper
• Adaptability & Autonomy: Self-directed work style with ability to manage multiple competing priorities, exercise sound independent judgment, adapt to evolving business needs, and operate effectively with ambiguity
• Growth Mindset: Commitment to continuous learning in a rapidly changing legal and regulatory landscape; intellectual curiosity about emerging technologies, regulatory developments, and business innovation

Salary Range

The salary range for this position is $126700.00 - $211200.00 / Annually. At General Mills we strive for each employee's pay at any point in their career to reflect their experiences performance and skills for their current role. The salary range for this role represents the numerous factors considered in the hiring decisions including, but not limited to, educations, skills, work experience, certifications, etc. As such, pay for the successful candidate(s) could fall anywhere within the stated range. Beyond base salary, General Mills offers a competitive Total Rewards package focusing on your overall well-being. We are proud to offer a foundation of health benefits, retirement and financial wellbeing, time off programs, wellbeing support and perks. Benefits may vary by role, country, region, union status, and other employment status factors. You may also be eligible to participate in an annual incentive program. An incentive award, if any, depends on various factors, including, individual and organizational performance.

We exist to make food the world loves. But we do more than that. Our company is a place that prioritizes being a force for good, a place to expand learning, explore new perspectives and reimagine new possibilities, every day. We look for people who want to bring their best - bold thinkers with big hearts who challenge one other and grow together. Because becoming the undisputed leader in food means surrounding ourselves with people who are hungry for what's next.