Commercial Counsel

Overview

A venture-backed legal technology organization is hiring a Founding Commercial Counsel to lead commercial contracting for startup clients. The role provides practical legal advice while helping shape how commercial legal services are delivered through software and repeatable workflows.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate commercial agreements, including MSAs, SaaS contracts, NDAs, DPAs, and vendor agreements.
• Advise founders and in-house teams through calls and Slack, providing practical, risk-calibrated guidance.
• Manage client relationships, meet turnaround commitments, and serve as trusted commercial counsel.
• Convert negotiation positions, fallback terms, and review standards into playbooks and AI-enabled workflows.
• Help develop the commercial practice, onboard future attorneys, and contribute to product development.

Requirements

• At least 4 to 5 years of commercial contracts experience (5 to 8 years preferred).
• JD and active bar membership in a US jurisdiction.
• California or New York admission is preferred.
• In-house commercial counsel experience at a startup or technology company.
• Hands-on experience drafting, negotiating, and building templates for SaaS agreements, MSAs, NDAs, DPAs, and vendor deals.
• Strong knowledge of SaaS and technology contract terms, including liability caps, indemnity, intellectual property, data, and termination.
• Sound business judgment and ability to explain legal tradeoffs in plain language while working directly with founders.
• Experience using AI tools in legal practice, with interest in codifying legal judgment into workflows; substantial platform and workflow development is included.
• Comfort using Slack for client communication.

Preferred Qualifications

• Admission in California or New York.
• Additional experience contributing to practice development and product-oriented workflow improvements.

Compensation & Benefits

• Base salary: $170,000 to $220,000 annually.
• Visa sponsorship is not available.
• Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.

Location

• Remote within the United States.
• Primary location: San Francisco, California.