Commercial Counsel

Canto

2d•Remote

About The Position

Canto is hiring its first in-house legal leader to build and scale a modern legal function. Focused on commercial contracting as a strategic driver of growth, the role will design and operate an AI-enabled contracting function to accelerate deal velocity, reduce friction, and support efficient scaling. Reporting to the CFO, the Commercial Counsel will own end-to-end contracting operations, implement foundational systems and playbooks, and serve as the primary legal partner across Sales, Finance, and the executive team. The role owns negotiation and execution of commercial SaaS agreements, contracting operations for customer and vendor agreements, vendor and procurement legal processes, and legal matters involving privacy, governance, disputes, and corporate entity compliance. It partners with Security, Product, and executive leadership on emerging legal and regulatory requirements, including AI, data governance, automated decision-making, intellectual property, and responsible AI. The position is remote in the US, with EST and CST time zones preferred, and is available to candidates residing in or willing to relocate to one of the listed eligible states.

Requirements

JD and active bar membership in good standing.
5–8 years of legal experience in SaaS or technology, in-house or a mix of law firm and in-house experience.
Strong experience negotiating commercial SaaS agreements, including MSAs, subscription agreements, DPAs, and NDAs.
Working knowledge of data privacy frameworks, including GDPR, CCPA, and related regulations.
Ability to operate independently, build processes from scratch, and establish legal infrastructure in a scaling environment.
Experience partnering with Sales and go-to-market teams in a high-velocity commercial environment.
Interest in legal technology and AI-driven workflows, and commitment to building a modern, tech-enabled legal function.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex legal concepts into clear, actionable guidance for non-legal stakeholders.
Commercial judgment and pragmatism, balancing legal risk with business velocity and acting as a trusted partner.
Comfort with ambiguity and a builder's mindset, with the ability to create structure, systems, and processes.
Ability to leverage AI tools for contract review, workflow automation, and legal operations, and proactively identify technology-enabled efficiencies.
Cross-functional collaboration skills and a track record of building trust with Sales, Finance, and executive stakeholders.
Must reside in or be willing to relocate to an eligible state at the time of employment.

Nice To Haves

Hands-on experience with CLM systems and AI-enabled legal review or drafting tools.
Background in multi-entity, multi-jurisdiction SaaS businesses with US and EU exposure.
Prior experience as an early or first in-house legal hire.
Familiarity with vendor, partner, or channel contracting models.
EST or CST time zone location preferred.

Responsibilities

Negotiate and execute commercial SaaS agreements, including MSAs, subscription agreements, DPAs, and NDAs, while enabling fast business operations within defined guardrails.
Enforce company positions on non-standard contract terms and manage escalation paths to improve time-to-signature without increasing legal or commercial risk.
Train and enable Sales to handle routine negotiations independently.
Lead end-to-end contracting for customer and vendor agreements and build a scalable, AI-enabled operation.
Implement and manage a Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) system, including templates, negotiation playbooks, approval workflows, and delegation-of-authority controls.
Use AI-driven legal tools for contract review, risk flagging, and workflow automation, and identify ways to reduce reliance on outside counsel.
Own vendor contracting and procurement legal processes, maintain a contract repository, and proactively track key terms and obligations.
Lead legal aspects of data privacy, including DPA negotiation and alignment with GDPR, CCPA, and related frameworks; monitor evolving requirements across operating and customer geographies.
Partner with Security, Product, and executive leadership on legal and regulatory matters related to AI, data governance, automated decision-making, intellectual property, and responsible AI practices.
Serve as primary legal advisor on commercial and operational matters and manage outside counsel relationships in the US and Europe with a focus on cost efficiency and minimizing routine escalations.
Handle disputes and pre-litigation matters pragmatically and advise on the corporate entity compliance program.
Partner with Security during privacy and security events, coordinating notification obligations, contractual commitments, regulatory requirements, and privilege preservation.