Lead Counsel, Commercial

Chainguard

13d • $221,000 - $260,000 • Remote

About The Position

Chainguard is seeking a Lead Counsel, Commercial Legal to lead the US commercial legal team, reporting to the Director of Commercial Legal. This is a people leadership role with significant deal ownership. The ideal candidate will manage a team of legal professionals while also acting as a hands-on negotiator and trusted partner to the US Go-To-Market organization. The role requires a seasoned commercial attorney with experience in legal management, leading high-performing teams, and a strong understanding of commercial transactions. Experience with open source licensing, US privacy and data security frameworks, and negotiating with regulated industries is essential. The position offers the opportunity to lead a function, set the tone, build playbooks, develop people, and stay close to the deals driving the business in a high-growth environment.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor (JD) or equivalent legal qualification with active bar or solicitor membership in good standing
• 10+ years of commercial legal experience, ideally combining law firm and in-house technology company experience
• Currently sitting in an in-house, sell-side commercial legal role; candidates whose current focus is procurement, vendor management, or buy-side contracting are not a fit for this role
• Currently managing a team of at least two legal professionals, with a track record of developing and retaining strong legal talent
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage a full commercial deal cycle from negotiation through close, including complex enterprise transactions on customer paper
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to distill complex legal and business issues into clear, actionable guidance for sales leaders and senior stakeholders
• Working knowledge of open source licensing and compliance considerations
• Proven ability to balance legal risk with business objectives while maintaining deal velocity
• Comfort leading a team through pressure, particularly during month-end and quarter-end closing periods

Nice To Haves

• Experience in cybersecurity, cloud infrastructure, or related technology sectors strongly preferred

Responsibilities

• Lead, manage, and develop a team of US-based commercial legal professionals
• Own the overall health, output, and velocity of the US commercial legal function, ensuring the team is well-resourced, well-coordinated, and operating at a high level
• Serve as a hands-on commercial attorney, personally managing a portfolio of complex enterprise deals from negotiation through close
• Draft, review, and negotiate the full range of commercial agreements — SaaS agreements, enterprise customer agreements, MSAs, order forms, DPAs, NDAs, and partner and channel agreements — including on complex customer paper
• Partner with the global Director of Commercial Legal to align the US team's practices, playbooks, and priorities with the broader commercial legal strategy
• Build and iterate on commercial playbooks, escalation frameworks, and template libraries tailored to the US market
• Create and maintain self-serve resources that empower Sales, Customer Success, and other go-to-market teams to move faster with less legal friction
• Negotiate directly with sophisticated customer counsel, including those at financial services, insurance, healthcare, defense, and pharmaceutical organizations
• Ensure commercial agreements align with open source licensing requirements and industry best practices
• Maintain familiarity with applicable US federal and state privacy laws (including CCPA/CPRA, state data breach notification requirements, and sector-specific frameworks) as they relate to commercial contracting
• Partner closely with Product and Security, and other cross-functional teams to align legal guidance with business and technical objectives
• Provide practical, risk-calibrated guidance to senior leadership and go-to-market stakeholders consistent with company policies and risk tolerance
• Own US quarter-end and month-end closing cycles, ensuring the team has what it needs to get deals across the line on time

Benefits

• Work remotely with team meetup opportunities, bi-annual destination summits, and a monthly stipend for coworking spaces, phone and internet costs.
• Receive stock options upon hire and promotion. Plus, you can participate in secondary offerings and have 10 years to exercise your options.
• We cover 100% of your health, vision and dental insurance premiums for you and your dependents. Nothing comes out of your paycheck.
• Take the time you need – to do our best work, we need to recharge and reset.
• 18 weeks for birthing parents and 12 weeks for non-birthing parents, with the option to use it all at once or throughout your child's first year.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree