The RoleAs we continue to scale, we are looking for a highly experienced, business-minded Deputy General Counsel to join our leadership team and serve as a strategic legal partner to the company. The Deputy General Counsel will report directly to the CFO and will be responsible for a broad range of commercial, corporate, intellectual property, compliance, international, and strategic legal matters.
This is a highly hands-on role for an attorney who enjoys working in a fast-paced, high-growth technology company. You will partner closely with executive leadership and cross-functional teams to provide practical legal guidance, manage risk, enable business growth, and support Sanas's continued expansion.
The ideal candidate has significant experience working with technology companies and can operate comfortably across commercial contracts, corporate matters, IP, compliance, litigation, financing, M&A, and international expansion.
What You'll DoCommercial Legal- Lead negotiation and management of complex commercial agreements with customers, suppliers, strategic partners, and other third parties.
- Draft and negotiate SaaS, licensing, services, partnership, vendor, customer, and technology agreements.
- Partner with Sales, Finance, Product, Engineering, Security, and other teams to identify and resolve legal and commercial issues.
- Provide practical, business-oriented advice that supports revenue growth while appropriately managing risk.
Corporate & Compliance- Advise the company and executive leadership on corporate governance and general corporate matters.
- Support corporate compliance programs, policies, and processes.
- Advise on legal and regulatory requirements as Sanas expands into new markets and jurisdictions.
- Manage corporate due diligence and support strategic corporate initiatives.
Intellectual Property- Oversee legal matters related to Sanas's intellectual property portfolio, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, licensing, and IP protection.
- Partner with Product, Engineering, and AI/ML teams to protect and commercialize Sanas's technology and intellectual property.
- Manage relationships with external IP counsel.
Litigation & Risk Management- Manage litigation, disputes, claims, and other legal proceedings.
- Work with outside counsel on litigation strategy, case management, and resolution.
- Identify emerging legal risks and develop practical mitigation strategies.
Financing & Strategic Transactions- Support fundraising activities, including equity financings, investor due diligence, and related corporate matters.
- Support M&A activities, including legal due diligence, transaction structuring, negotiation, and execution.
- Assist with debt financing transactions and related legal matters.
- Partner with the CFO and executive leadership on strategic transactions and corporate development initiatives.
International Expansion- Provide legal guidance on international expansion and operations.
- Advise on jurisdiction-specific corporate, commercial, employment, regulatory, and compliance considerations in partnership with internal teams and external counsel.
- Help establish scalable legal processes as Sanas expands globally.
Outside Counsel Management- Manage relationships with external law firms and specialized legal advisors.
- Oversee outside counsel strategy, budgets, and legal spend.
- Determine when matters should be handled internally versus through external counsel.
- Build a scalable and efficient legal function as the company grows.
What We're Looking For- JD from an accredited law school and admission to at least one U.S. state bar.
- 8+ years of relevant legal experience, including meaningful in-house experience at a high-growth technology company and/or experience at a leading law firm.
- Significant experience negotiating complex commercial agreements.
- Strong experience across corporate law, compliance, intellectual property, and litigation.
- Experience advising executive leadership and partnering with business leaders.
- Experience managing outside counsel and multiple complex legal workstreams.
- Strong business judgment and the ability to balance legal risk with commercial objectives.
- Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
- Ability to work independently and thrive in a fast-paced, highly collaborative environment.
- Experience in AI, SaaS, software, or other technology businesses strongly preferred.
- Ability to work from Sanas's Palo Alto office.
Preferred Experience- Experience supporting venture-backed technology companies.
- Experience with fundraising and equity financing transactions.
- M&A experience, including due diligence and transaction execution.
- Experience with debt financing.
- Experience supporting international expansion and multi-jurisdictional compliance.
- Experience working with emerging technologies, particularly AI, Speech AI, SaaS, or enterprise software.
