M&A Counsel

Beacon Holdings • San Francisco, CA

23h

About The Position

Beacon is seeking an ambitious M&A lawyer to join its legal team as the day-to-day legal lead for acquisitions from letter of intent through closing and post-closing. Reporting to the VP, Legal, this hands-on, high-autonomy role owns transaction legal workstreams, conducts in-house diligence, drafts and negotiates documents, and works with Beacon’s M&A, investment, and operations teams to execute multiple deals. The lawyer will manage opposing counsel and specialized outside counsel, provide practical legal guidance to business partners, and address broader legal issues that arise during transactions and across the portfolio. The role also calls for using AI tools to improve efficiency throughout the deal lifecycle.

Beacon acquires, operates, and grows vertical market software companies, investing in their continued growth and holding them permanently. The company describes itself as a technology entrepreneur and operator, backed by investors and having raised more than $550 million.

The role includes responsibility for post-closing obligations across the portfolio, including working capital adjustments, earnouts, indemnification claims, escrow releases, consent and notice requirements, integration-related legal matters, closing conditions, covenants, and transition services agreements. Experience in vertical market software, SaaS, or technology-focused M&A is a plus.

Requirements

• J.D. from an accredited law school.
• Member in good standing of at least one bar; California or Ontario membership preferred.
• 3–5 years of M&A experience at a top-tier law firm or in a transactionally heavy in-house role.
• Direct experience drafting and negotiating purchase agreements and related transaction documents.
• Demonstrated ability to independently run M&A transactions from LOI through closing and post-closing, including internal diligence, opposing-counsel management, and business-stakeholder advice.
• High proficiency with AI tools for legal work, such as AI-assisted contract review, document drafting, and legal research; enthusiasm for integrating AI into daily legal practice is essential.
• Strong knowledge of U.S. and/or Canadian M&A legal frameworks, including asset and share purchase structures, representations and warranties, indemnification, and regulatory considerations.
• Broad familiarity with corporate governance, employment, IP, commercial contracts, and privacy sufficient to identify and triage issues.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, high-volume deal environment with concurrent transactions and shifting priorities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex legal concepts into actionable guidance for non-legal partners.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with vertical market software, SaaS, or technology-focused M&A transactions.
• California or Ontario bar membership.

Responsibilities

• Own and execute the legal aspects of M&A transactions internally from LOI through closing and post-closing.
• Draft, review, and negotiate purchase agreements, ancillary documents, disclosure schedules, and related transaction documents.
• Lead deal execution, manage timelines and workstreams, and coordinate multiple concurrent transactions.
• Partner with investment and operations teams, advising on deal structure, risk allocation, and negotiation strategy; escalate material issues as needed.
• Conduct internal legal due diligence across corporate, commercial contracts, employment, IP, litigation, regulatory, and real property matters.
• Identify and summarize material risks, develop mitigation strategies, and prepare actionable diligence summaries for the investment team.
• Use AI tools for contract review, diligence, drafting, and legal research, and improve AI-assisted legal workflows.
• Manage outside counsel on specialized matters, including tax, employment, IP, and regulatory issues, while aligning work with deal objectives and budgets.
• Manage portfolio post-closing obligations, including working capital adjustments, earnouts, indemnification claims, escrow releases, consent and notice requirements, and integration-related legal matters.
• Track closing conditions, post-closing covenants, and transition services agreements to ensure timely fulfillment.
• Identify and triage broader legal issues arising during transactions and portfolio company operations, resolving them directly or engaging specialized counsel.

Benefits

• Dedicated mentor.
• Opportunity to learn about businesses across diverse industries and directly from entrepreneurs who have scaled businesses from seed to $10B+ IPOs.
• Environment that encourages initiative and rapid development.
• Opportunity to develop interpersonal and presentation skills.
• Work environment combining a high-growth technology startup with a long-term buy-and-hold private equity investment firm.

What This Job Offers

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