Founding Commercial Counsel

About the job

ABOUT THE ROLE

Join an early-stage legal services team combining software and attorney expertise to support startup clients. As the founding commercial counsel, you will lead commercial contracting work and help shape how the practice delivers legal services at scale.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Draft, review, and negotiate commercial agreements, including SaaS contracts, MSAs, NDAs, DPAs, and vendor agreements.

• Advise founders and in-house teams through Slack and calls, applying practical, stage-appropriate judgment to legal and business risks.

• Own client relationships, provide responsive counsel, and build trust by meeting agreed turnaround commitments.

• Turn negotiation positions, fallback terms, and review standards into practical playbooks and AI-powered workflows.

• Help build the commercial practice, support onboarding future attorneys, and contribute to product development.

WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR

• Five to eight years of commercial contracts experience, including in-house counsel experience at a startup or other fast-moving company.

• Hands-on drafting and negotiation experience across SaaS agreements, MSAs, NDAs, DPAs, vendor deals, and partnership or channel agreements.

• Strong knowledge of technology contract terms, including liability caps, indemnity, intellectual property, data, and termination.

• Sound business judgment and the ability to explain legal tradeoffs in clear, practical language.

• Experience using AI tools in legal practice and interest in building legal judgment into workflows.

• A JD and active membership in good standing with a US state bar; California or New York admission is preferred.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Annual salary range: $170,000 to $220,000 USD. Visa sponsorship is not available. Candidates must be US citizens or hold a Green Card.

LOCATION

Remote within the United States, with San Francisco, California as the primary location.