Contracts Associate Jobs in Chicago, IL (NOW HIRING)

Founded in 1967, ImageFIRST® is the largest and only national linen rental and laundry service specializing in the healthcare market. Acquired by private equity firm Calera Capital in 2018, ImageFIRST serves medical facilities nationwide, providing linen, patient gowns, scrubs, and more while managing our clients' linen inventory for cost efficiency. As leaders in infection prevention, we own and operate the most HLAC-accredited facilities in the industry. With one of the highest customer retention rates in our field, ImageFIRST is dedicated to improving patient satisfaction and creating a great experience for the staff we serve through our white-glove service.

Learn more at: https://www.imagefirst.com/company/

ImageFIRST is seeking a Corporate Paralegal to provide comprehensive support to the Legal Department, with a primary focus on contract lifecycle management and litigation discovery support. Working closely with the General Counsel and business partners, the Paralegal will draft and manage commercial agreements, own and optimize our contract management system, and serve as the operational backbone of the department's litigation matters — including document collection and litigation hold administration. The ideal candidate is highly organized, detail-oriented, discreet with confidential information, and comfortable balancing transactional and litigation workstreams in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

• Draft, review, redline, and assist in negotiating commercial agreements — including non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), service agreements, and vendor agreements — under attorney supervision, ensuring compliance with ImageFIRST policies and applicable law.
• Own the contract lifecycle management (CLM) process, including intake, routing for review and approval, execution, storage, renewal/expiration tracking, and reporting.
• Maintain and update contract templates, playbooks, and standard clause libraries; flag deviations from standard terms for attorney review.

• Manage litigation discovery, including collaborating with external counsel to facilitate the collection, organization and production of documents in response to discovery requests, subpoenas, and regulatory inquiries.
• Coordinate with document custodians and IT to preserve and collect electronically stored information (ESI) — including emails, files, and chat data — in accordance with defensible collection practices.
• Draft, issue, track, and release litigation hold notices; maintain a litigation hold register and periodically re-confirm custodian compliance.
• Support outside counsel with document productions, privilege logs, deposition preparation, exhibit management, and pre-trial logistics.
• Serve as the intake point for all legal process — including lawsuits, subpoenas, garnishments, and demand letters — ensuring timely acknowledgment, assignment, and calendaring.

• Maintain a matter management system tracking all open, settled, dismissed, and closed matters, including attorney assignment, matter description, and insurance/coverage details.
• Maintain dashboards reporting on outside legal spend, matter status, and other key legal department metrics.
• Manage financial workflows for the Legal Department, including settlement check requests, vendor onboarding, invoice review, and payment tracking.
• Maintain the department's master deadline calendar and provide weekly updates on upcoming deadlines and material case developments.
• Lead and support special projects impacting the Legal Department, including reporting initiatives, process improvements, and business logistics.

• Serve as a first point of contact for internal business partners on routine legal inquiries, escalating to attorneys as appropriate.
• Draft business communications, memoranda, and correspondence in support of the responsibilities above.
• Foster effective working relationships with employees at all levels of the organization, as well as with external vendors, customers, and outside counsel.

• Associate's or bachelor's degree.
• Minimum of five (5) years of paralegal experience in a law firm or corporate legal department, including hands-on experience with both contract review and litigation discovery.
• Demonstrated ability to draft, review, redline, proofread, and manage complex legal documents, particularly commercial contracts.
• Strong working knowledge of the discovery process, including document collection, review, and production.
• Exceptional attention to detail, organizational skills, and the ability to manage multiple competing priorities under tight deadlines.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, OneNote), Adobe Acrobat, and DocuSign.
• Demonstrated ability to handle highly confidential and privileged information with discretion.
• Strong interpersonal and written communication skills.
• Proactive self-starter capable of planning, organizing, and executing work with minimal oversight.

• Paralegal certificate from an ABA-approved program.
• Experience with a contract lifecycle management (CLM) platform (e.g., Ironclad, Agiloft, ContractWorks, SirionLabs, etc.).
• Experience with e-discovery platforms (e.g., Relativity, Everlaw, Logikcull).
• Prior experience in the healthcare, hospitality, or regulated industry sectors.
• Experience supporting litigation matters through active discovery and trial preparation.

• A fully organized, well-maintained contract repository with active tracking of renewals and obligations.
• A defensible, well-documented litigation hold and discovery process, with clear workflows and audit trails.
• Reliable, timely dashboards and reporting on outside legal spend and matter status delivered to the General Counsel.
• Trusted go-to resource for business partners on routine legal operational questions.

• Be Respectful: Value all we encounter.
• Be Remarkable: Create a positive moment with every interaction.
• Be Safe: Keep ourselves and those around us safe.
• Be Honest: Be guided by truthfulness in all we do.

• Competitive pay
• Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
• Pet, Legal, and Hospital Indemnity Insurance
• 401(k) with company match
• Paid Time Off package
• Collaborative team environment and strong company culture

ImageFIRST is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and maintains a drug-free workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We are fueled by the talent, passion, and diversity of our associates.

Base Salary Range:$90,000 - $110,000 annually