Commercial Counsel, Colo & Networks

Anthropic•San Francisco, NY

4d•$265,000 - $320,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Anthropic’s mission is to create reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems. We want AI to be safe and beneficial for our users and for society as a whole. Our team is a quickly growing group of committed researchers, engineers, policy experts, and business leaders working together to build beneficial AI systems. As a Commercial Counsel for Colo and Networks at Anthropic, you'll lead legal execution for the distributed component of Anthropic's compute strategy (colocation agreements, network connectivity / infrastructure, and datacenter services). You'll work closely with Anthropic’s compute transaction managers to secure capacity through third-party facilities and emerging providers, complementing our hyperscaler relationships and direct datacenter development workstreams.

Requirements

JD and active membership in at least one U.S. state bar
At least 8 years of relevant legal experience meaningful exposure to colocation, interconnection, or telecommunications agreements
Experience negotiating colocation MSAs, interconnection agreements, or fiber/transit contracts; you understand how power requirements, security levels, network connectivity, and expansion options drive contract terms
Demonstrated ability to handle transaction volume at quality while recognizing when non-standard terms require escalation
Technical fluency sufficient to engage intelligently with infrastructure stakeholders about capacity requirements, connectivity specifications, facility standards, and sustainability requirements
Comfort with emerging provider relationships where counterparty sophistication and financial stability vary significantly; strong judgment about when to push for favorable terms versus when to accept market-standard positions
Ability to work effectively with outside counsel, providing clear direction while leveraging their specialized expertise
Strong communication skills that translate technical infrastructure concepts into clear risk assessments for our business
Genuine interest in compute infrastructure and appreciation for why capacity access is mission-critical for frontier AI development

Nice To Haves

In-house experience at datacenter providers or network infrastructure companies
Background at large technology companies with significant datacenter or colocation footprints supporting facilities and network procurement
Law firm experience at practices with infrastructure or telecom specialization, or regional firms with strong utilities/telecom work
Experience on the buy-side of connectivity and colo relationships at telecom or cloud provider legal teams; familiarity with procuring connectivity linking data centers to terrestrial fiber, subsea cables, and satellite networks
Familiarity with emerging neocloud provider business models and the unique commercial structures they require
Prior involvement in capacity procurement transactions where speed-to-signature was critical to securing supply

Responsibilities

Negotiate colocation and services agreements for distributed capacity across multiple facilities, supporting initiatives requiring rapid capacity deployment
Structure neocloud capacity arrangements with emerging providers, and deals that often involve novel commercial structures including capacity reservation, utilization commitments, and hybrid provider-customer service relationships
Manage network and interconnection agreements including fiber, transit contracts, IP peering arrangements, and related infrastructure; negotiate large load electric power contracts and utility interconnection agreements where applicable
Build relationships and oversee outside counsel teams on high-volume transactions or matters requiring specialized expertise
Develop and maintain term sheet templates, runbooks, and precedent documents for recurring colo and network transaction types
Work closely with compute team’s transaction managers (who handle operational project management) to provide legal support and assessments
Manage novel commercial structures, high-risk terms, or precedent-setting provisions to managers for strategic direction, escalating where necessary
Support cross-functional coordination with finance, corporate development, and other legal workstreams where the transactions intersect with broader compute strategy