Qualifications
Key Responsibilities
Commercial Contracts: Draft, review, and negotiate SaaS agreements, licensing deals, partnership agreements, and vendor contracts.
Enterprise Sales Support: Review and negotiate customer enterprise agreements to expedite deal closures.
Employment Matters: Manage offer letters, separation agreements, equity grants, and everyday employment inquiries (California and multi-state).
Intellectual Property Coordination: Oversee trademark and patent issues in collaboration with outside counsel.
Privacy & Data Protection: Handle Data Processing Agreements, data subject requests, and cross-border data transfer regulations.
AI & Product Counsel: Advise product and engineering teams on legal considerations for AI/ML features, including model licensing and emerging regulations.
Compliance & Risk Management: Monitor compliance across key frameworks (SOC 2, GDPR, CCPA), track regulatory developments, and manage the compliance calendar for renewals and audits.
Corporate Governance: Assist with board minutes, equity plan management, and consent actions.
Outside Counsel Oversight: Engage with external counsel on complex issues (fundraising, M&A, litigation), managing scope and expenses.
Legal Function Development: Create and implement scalable legal processes from scratch, including contract templates and workflows.
About the job
The Opportunity
Descript is on the lookout for its inaugural in-house attorney, presenting a unique chance to establish the legal function from the ground up. As the Senior Counsel, you will oversee the majority of Descript's daily legal operations, with external counsel available for more intricate matters. This position offers significant autonomy.
In this role, you will serve as the primary legal advisor across the organization, collaborating with sales, product, finance, and engineering teams on diverse issues ranging from commercial contracts to AI product guidance and employment matters. You won't merely manage legal operations; you will shape them by developing scalable processes, templates, and frameworks. If you are a pragmatic generalist who thrives in a fast-paced environment and desires to build a legal function instead of inheriting one, this role is tailored for you.
