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Commercial Counsel

Commercial Counsel
Organization: Abbott
Location: Lake Forest, IL
Date Posted: 04/29/2026

## Abbott

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life‑changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals, and branded generic medicines. Our 115,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

## Working at Abbott

At Abbott, you can do work that matters, grow and learn, care for yourself and your family, be your true self, and live a full life. You’ll also have access to:

– Career development with an international company where you can grow the career you dream of.
– Employees can qualify for free medical coverage in our Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO medical plan in the next calendar year.
– An excellent retirement savings plan with high employer contribution.
– Tuition reimbursement, the Freedom 2 Save student debt program, and FreeU education benefit — an affordable and convenient path to getting a bachelor’s degree.
– A company recognized as a great place to work in dozens of countries around the world and named one of the most admired companies in the world by *Fortune*.
– A company recognized as one of the best big companies to work for, as well as a best place to work for diversity, working mothers, female executives, and scientists.

## The Opportunity

This position works out of our Lake Forest, IL location in the Legal division supporting Abbott’s Core Diagnostics division. The Core Diagnostics division offers a range of diagnostics platforms to empower smarter medical and economic decision‑making to help transform the way people manage their health at all stages of life.

Every day, more than 10 million tests are run on Abbott’s diagnostics instruments, providing lab results for millions of people. Our diagnostic solutions are used in hospitals, laboratories, and clinics around the globe. The crucial information derived from our tests, instruments, and informatics systems is often the first step in patient care decision‑making for hundreds of health conditions, from heart attacks to blood disorders to infectious diseases and cancers.

The attorney will be expected to identify and resolve complex legal issues to support the operations of this business. The attorney will be responsible for acting as day‑to‑day legal advisor, working closely with the business on a broad range of legal and commercial issues.

## What You’ll Work On

The successful candidate must possess strong knowledge of corporate and commercial/transactional law and demonstrated expertise in drafting and negotiating complex commercial agreements and advising and counseling clients on a range of business transactions and operational matters. Experience with general corporate law matters, commercial agreements for traditional and digital products, and the healthcare industry is preferred.

Core job responsibilities include:

– Advising and ensuring that internal stakeholders receive sound, practical, and timely legal advice on a wide variety of legal matters related to operation of a commercial business that markets and sells to healthcare institutions, government entities, healthcare professionals, and distributors.
– Drafting, negotiating, and reviewing a wide range of agreements, including complex matters relating to sales, distribution, and marketing of assays, instruments, and digital health products.
– Advising multidisciplinary teams on marketing strategies and approval of promotional materials.
– Resolving legal issues using negotiation skills and legal expertise, including pre‑litigation dispute resolution and settlements.
– Assisting in the creation of new template agreements, playbooks, guidance documents, and training to support efficient contracting processes for various business functions.
– Maintaining familiarity with laws that affect the business and providing basic counseling on those laws, including those relevant to sales and marketing of products to healthcare professionals and reimbursement by government programs (e.g., Anti‑Kickback Statute, False Claims Act, Food, Drug & Cosmetic Act, HIPAA, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, intellectual property, and regulations pertaining to research and development).
– Representing Abbott externally to suppliers and customers.
– Supervising and directing outside counsel as needed.
– Working in close cooperation with the compliance organization to coordinate and streamline efforts.
– Identifying training needs and assisting in development and presentation of training and education regarding legal requirements and developments.
– Developing a thorough understanding of and familiarity with Abbott’s businesses, its people, products, markets, facilities, customers, and competitors, and using this knowledge in providing guidance and counsel to the business team.
– Infrequent and minimal travel may be required (>10%).

This position will interact with the Legal, Compliance, Regulatory, Quality, Scientific and Medical Affairs, Finance, Marketing, and Commercial/Sales Departments.

## Critical Success Factors

**Good Judgment:** Demonstrate expertise and sound judgment, understand how assigned responsibilities support Abbott’s business objectives, and provide practical, risk‑balanced advice based on a thorough understanding of the scope of an issue, taking full advantage of internal networks and external intelligence.

**Collaboration:** Firm understanding of available legal, functional, and business resources and ability to integrate information from a number of sources to achieve business results, including breaking down boundaries to create alignment as necessary in a complex, global, matrixed environment.

**Anticipation:** Holistic, big‑picture thinker who anticipates changes in law, enforcement, and/or business objectives and adapts approach as necessary to manage risks effectively and mitigate issues before they arise.

**Influencing Skills:** Build strong relationships with business partners to tactfully influence and gain their support to drive desired outcomes. Represent Abbott externally to customers, suppliers, competitors, or government agencies; and resolve legal issues using negotiation skills and legal expertise.

## Required Qualifications

– Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school, strong academic background, and appropriate licensure to practice law in Illinois (or ability to obtain).
– 5+ years of experience as a commercial attorney at a top law firm or in‑house.

## Preferred Qualifications

– Healthcare industry or other relevant industry experience strongly preferred.
– Ability to handle multiple projects in a fast‑paced environment and exercise sound commercial and legal judgment.
– Ability to independently handle complex matters with minimal supervision and understand which issues to elevate to senior management and when.
– Excellent interpersonal, strategic thinking, communication, and organizational skills.

Learn more about our health and wellness benefits, which provide the security to help you and your family live full lives: [www.abbottbenefits.com]

Follow your career aspirations to Abbott for diverse opportunities with a company that can help you build your future and live your best life. Abbott is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to employee diversity.

Connect with us at [www.abbott.com], on Facebook at [www.facebook.com/Abbott], and on X (formerly Twitter) @AbbottNews and @AbbottGlobal.

## Compensation

The base pay for this position is $129,300.00 – $258,700.00. In specific locations, the pay range may vary from the range posted.

Apply here

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