Commercial Counsel
Commercial Counsel roles at AI companies involve drafting, reviewing, and negotiating a high volume of commercial agreements—from enterprise SaaS and licensing deals to vendor and partnership contracts—while serving as a trusted advisor to sales, product, and leadership teams. These positions distinguish themselves by requiring fluency in AI-specific legal considerations like data governance, security compliance, and responsible AI frameworks, alongside traditional technology transaction expertise. Commercial Counsel typically sit within rapidly scaling legal teams embedded in hypergrowth companies, working closely with go-to-market functions to balance legal risk with business velocity, establishing scalable contracting processes, and providing pragmatic guidance that translates complex legal concepts for non-lawyer stakeholders.
Skills
What companies are looking for in this role.
Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating complex commercial agreements across multiple jurisdictions and contract types
Managing enterprise customer contracts and Master Services Agreements for SaaS and technology products
Partnering with sales, business development, and go-to-market teams to accelerate deal velocity while managing legal risk
Developing and maintaining standardized contract templates, playbooks, and negotiation frameworks
Advising on risk allocation, liability caps, indemnification, and contractual protections in commercial transactions
Identifying and managing legal, commercial, and regulatory risks arising from business transactions
Building and improving contract lifecycle management processes and legal infrastructure
Advising on data protection compliance, including GDPR and data processing agreements
Triaging and prioritizing contract requests to manage high-volume deal pipelines
Managing vendor and supplier contracts including procurement, procurement strategy, and supply chain agreements
Negotiating partnership, channel, reseller, and ecosystem agreements including ISV integrations and strategic alliances
Advising on intellectual property rights, licensing terms, and open source software licensing considerations
Advising on infrastructure, construction, and facility-related commercial agreements
Advising on artificial intelligence-specific legal considerations, including IP ownership, model licensing, and training data rights
Navigating evolving AI regulatory frameworks and emerging technology compliance requirements
Supporting international market expansion by providing regulatory and compliance guidance across multiple jurisdictions
Adopting and implementing AI-powered legal tools and technologies to improve contract review and legal function efficiency
Managing security, compliance, and vendor risk requirements in supply chain and infrastructure contexts
Supporting public sector deals, government contracting, and tender processes
Providing clear, pragmatic legal advice to non-legal stakeholders in business-friendly language
Collaborating effectively across cross-functional teams including product, engineering, finance, and operations
Operating independently with high autonomy while managing complex, multi-stakeholder negotiations
Managing ambiguity and making sound decisions in fast-paced, high-growth environments
Building trust and relationships with business stakeholders as a strategic partner
Demonstrating intellectual curiosity and proactive problem-solving mindset
Leading and scaling commercial legal teams, including hiring and developing legal talent
Technology
The tools and technologies that define this role.
Open Jobs
59 open Commercial Counsel jobs across 28 companies.
Other Legal & Compliance roles
Provides broad legal advice on corporate governance, M&A, securities, and strategic transactions.
Advises on employment law matters including hiring, termination, workplace policies, and labor relations.
Manages patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret matters.
Advises on data privacy regulations, AI governance, and responsible technology deployment.
Manages regulatory compliance programs, government contracting requirements, and trade controls.