Corporate Counsel (19198)

Overview

A professional services firm is seeking a senior Corporate Counsel to establish and scale its legal function. This full-time role reports to the Chief Operating Officer and can be based remotely or at the Scottsdale, Arizona headquarters. The position involves serving as the primary internal legal resource and participating as a member of the Operating Committee, contributing to enterprise-level decisions on risk, governance, and growth.

Responsibilities

Commercial Contracts Strategy and Risk Leadership

• Draft, review, redline, and negotiate Master Client Service Agreements (MCSAs), Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs), SaaS agreements, Statements of Work (SOWs), vendor agreements, engagement letters, and related commercial contracts
• Own positions on liability, indemnification, data use, intellectual property, AI-related provisions, and confidentiality
• Redesign and modernize template agreements, including a full refresh of the firm’s Master Service Agreement (MSA)
• Develop practical risk frameworks balancing protection with commercial velocity

Legal Infrastructure & Operating Protocols

• Build the legal operating model from the ground up, including playbooks, templates, approval frameworks, and escalation paths
• Establish contracting standards, fallback language, and negotiation guardrails
• Implement scalable systems for contract management, exception tracking, and knowledge capture
• Identify and deploy tools, including AI-enabled solutions, to improve review speed and consistency

Enterprise Risk, Data, and Governance

• Lead end-to-end risk assessments across key business activities
• Establish and refine data use policies, privacy considerations, and client-related data practices
• Create structured approaches to risk identification, documentation, and mitigation
• Participate in Operating Committee discussions, advising on enterprise risk, commercial strategy, and governance decisions
• Serve as a trusted advisor to leadership on enterprise risk decisions

Diligence, Transactions, and External Coordination

• Lead legal readiness for client and partner diligence requests, including data rooms, documentation, and response coordination
• Support mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and strategic initiatives in partnership with external counsel
• Act as the central point of coordination with outside law firms and third-party advisors
• Ensure consistent quality, cost discipline, and alignment across external partners

Requirements

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree and active bar membership
• 9 to 15+ years of legal experience, including a mix of law firm and in-house exposure
• Direct experience in or supporting consulting or professional services firms
• Deep experience structuring and negotiating complex commercial agreements
• Proven ability to design and establish legal frameworks, not just operate within them
• Demonstrated credibility partnering with executives and contributing at the operating committee level

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience building or significantly evolving a legal function from scratch or near-scratch
• Strong familiarity with data usage, privacy, and AI-related contractual considerations
• Experience leading diligence processes and supporting transactions
• Ability to operate as a "player-coach" in a fast-moving, non-bureaucratic environment
• Experience modernizing legacy contract frameworks
• Exposure to M&A coordination or acquisition support
• Experience building legal systems from the ground up

Success Metrics (First 6-12 Months)

• Rebuilt and standardized core client agreements, including MSA and NDA frameworks
• Established clear, firm-wide negotiation positions and playbooks
• Developed risk assessment and data governance baselines
• Improved speed, consistency, and confidence in contracting processes
• Achieved trusted advisor status with executive leadership

Compensation & Benefits

Details regarding compensation and benefits will be provided during the interview process.

Location

Remote or Scottsdale, Arizona headquarters

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The employer provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. The organization complies with applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment across all locations. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.