Overview
A growing legal team is seeking a proactive and resourceful Commercial Counsel to join in a remote-first capacity. This role primarily involves managing a broad portfolio of commercial, vendor, partner, and consulting contracts, with opportunities to develop expertise in privacy, compliance, product counseling, and other legal areas. The position requires a strong understanding of technology and SaaS contracts, the ability to collaborate with various business stakeholders, and a proactive approach to identifying and resolving legal issues. This is an entry-level in-house counsel role with a clear path for growth into senior leadership.
Reporting to the General Counsel, the role works closely with Sales, Customer Success, Security, Compliance, and Product teams to mitigate legal risk while supporting revenue growth and operational efficiency.
Responsibilities
Contract Negotiation & Drafting
- Draft, review, and negotiate SaaS subscription agreements, enterprise license agreements, order forms, partner and reseller agreements, statements of work (SOWs), and amendments.
- Negotiate customer and vendor contracts including master service agreements (MSAs), data processing agreements (DPAs), business associate agreements (BAAs), non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), and professional services agreements.
- Develop and maintain contract templates, playbooks, and clause libraries to improve efficiency and consistency.
- Collaborate with Sales and Customer Success teams to close deals efficiently while managing legal risk.
Risk Management & Compliance
- Gradually take on responsibilities related to privacy and data protection (GDPR, CCPA/CPRA), product counseling, compliance, commercial dispute resolution, and marketing support.
- Assist with global privacy compliance initiatives, including GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, emerging U.S. state privacy laws, and AI regulations such as the EU AI Act.
- Support dispute resolution efforts and provide guidance on contract interpretation, operational compliance, and pre-litigation commercial disputes.
Cross-Functional Collaboration & General Support
- Serve as a strategic legal partner to internal business teams by providing timely, practical legal advice to advance deals and projects.
- Work with IT/Security, Compliance, and Finance teams to ensure commercial and vendor agreements align with corporate risk tolerances and budget requirements.
- Conduct legal research and stay current on legislation, regulatory developments, and case law affecting privacy, data protection, cybersecurity, AI regulation, open source licensing, and SaaS contracting practices.
- Collaborate with external legal counsel as needed.
- Develop and implement internal policies and procedures to manage legal and operational risk.
- Provide training and guidance to internal teams on legal topics including contract processes, data privacy, and compliance.
- Support incident response efforts, including data breach notification obligations and coordination with Security and Compliance teams.
Requirements
Education & Credentials
- Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school.
- Active membership in good standing of at least one State Bar.
Experience
- 3–6 years of legal experience focused on commercial contracts and technology transactions.
- Experience in a corporate in-house legal department or a law firm technology/commercial practice group.
- Deep familiarity with SaaS business models, software licensing, and cloud computing legal issues.
- Working knowledge of global data privacy, AI, and security frameworks (e.g., EU AI Act, GDPR, CCPA, SOC 2).
- Enthusiasm for AI, legal technology, and leveraging new tools to improve legal practice.
Skills & Competencies
- Commercial pragmatism with the ability to balance legal risk and business objectives.
- Strong initiative and problem-solving skills, with the ability to drive solutions to completion.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, capable of explaining complex legal concepts to non-legal stakeholders.
- Strong organizational skills to manage a high volume of contracts under tight deadlines.
- Cultural awareness and ability to work effectively across international teams supporting cross-border agreements (US, EMEA, APAC).
Compensation & Benefits
- Salary range: $143,000 - $165,000 per year, based on skills, experience, and qualifications.
- Potential eligibility for variable pay, equity, bonuses, and other forms of compensation.
- Comprehensive benefits package including health insurance, retirement plans, flexible paid time off, and more.
Additional Information
- This is a remote-first position.
- Employment offers are contingent upon successful background checks.
- The organization participates in E-Verify and maintains a drug-free workplace.
- Employees are responsible for adhering to security and privacy policies, participating in mandatory training, and protecting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information and systems within their scope of responsibility.