Founding Commercial Counsel

Overview

This role is an early legal hire position supporting a venture-backed legal technology organization serving startups. The position owns commercial contracting for a growing client base and helps shape how practical legal support is delivered through a mix of attorney expertise and software.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate commercial agreements, including SaaS contracts, MSAs, NDAs, DPAs, vendor agreements, and partnership deals.
• Advise founders and in-house teams through Slack and calls, providing practical and commercially reasonable guidance.
• Own client relationships, meet turnaround commitments, and build trust as clients’ go-to commercial counsel.
• Apply negotiation judgment, fallback terms, and review standards to create playbooks and AI-powered legal workflows.
• Help develop the commercial practice, onboard future attorneys, and contribute to product development.

Requirements

• 5 to 8 years of commercial contracts experience, including in-house experience at a startup or other fast-moving company.
• JD and active bar membership in good standing in a US jurisdiction; California or New York admission is preferred.
• Hands-on experience across SaaS agreements, MSAs, NDAs, DPAs, vendor deals, and partnership/channel agreements.
• Strong knowledge of market terms for liability, indemnity, intellectual property, data, and termination, with sound judgment about when to hold firm and when to move forward.
• Experience using AI tools in legal practice, along with interest in developing repeatable playbooks and workflows.
• Clear, approachable communication skills and the ability to provide timely, actionable advice to startup clients.

Compensation & Benefits

• Base salary: $170,000 to $220,000 annually
• Equity: 0.2% to 0.5%
• Visa sponsorship is not available.

Location

Remote within the United States, with quarterly travel to San Francisco for team time.