Commercial Counsel

About the role

Antithesis is seeking a highly skilled transactional lawyer to serve as a key legal partner supporting the company's growth initiatives. In this role, you will be responsible for leading negotiations and providing legal counsel on a wide range of customer and revenue-related transactions. Your expertise will help assess and mitigate commercial risks, maintain and improve contract templates and playbooks, and develop pragmatic legal strategies that align with the company's goals. This position offers an exciting opportunity for someone who enjoys working closely with sales and cross-functional teams in a fast-paced environment where immediate impact is possible. You will be instrumental in shaping the legal framework that supports the company's expansion into new markets and services, ensuring compliance and risk management while facilitating business objectives.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Draft, review, and negotiate a broad spectrum of commercial agreements, including SaaS agreements, partnership contracts, and vendor arrangements, ensuring they meet business needs and legal standards.
• Provide strategic advice to internal teams on contract structures, key commercial terms, risk allocation, and negotiation tactics to optimize deal outcomes.
• Collaborate closely with sales, finance, product, security, and leadership teams on large transactions, complex customer legal issues, and strategic deals to ensure legal compliance and business objectives are met.
• Develop, update, and maintain contract templates, playbooks, approval workflows, and internal policies to streamline processes, improve consistency, and accelerate deal cycles.
• Support escalations involving high-impact deals, providing guidance and resolution strategies for difficult contractual issues that could affect the company's revenue or reputation.
• Monitor negotiation trends and friction points, analyze patterns, and recommend improvements to processes, standard terms, and positioning to enhance efficiency and reduce legal bottlenecks.
• Offer business-focused legal advice that enables decision-makers to evaluate risks and opportunities effectively, fostering a proactive legal culture across the organization.
• Conduct internal training sessions and workshops to educate business partners on legal best practices, contract management, and compliance considerations.
• Assist in the creation and refinement of legal policies and procedures to support rapid growth and ensure alignment with industry standards and regulations.
• Support the legal team in managing compliance with relevant regulations, including ITAR if applicable, and stay informed about evolving legal issues affecting technology and SaaS industries.
• Participate in cross-departmental projects to embed legal considerations into product development, sales strategies, and operational workflows, ensuring legal risk is minimized at every stage.
• Maintain a thorough understanding of the company's products, services, and strategic objectives to provide relevant and timely legal support that aligns with business priorities.

Requirements

• J.D. degree from an accredited law school and active bar membership in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• Between 5 and 8 years of experience in technology-focused contracting, gained through law firm practice or in-house legal roles.
• At least 3 years of supporting sales teams in negotiating commercial transactions, with a proven track record of handling customer-facing SaaS agreements and vendor contracts.
• Significant experience negotiating complex agreements such as Master Service Agreements, Data Processing Agreements, marketing agreements, and partnership contracts with sophisticated counterparties.
• Demonstrated ability to take ownership of deals, with a client-focused attitude that supports a rapidly growing sales organization.
• Strong judgment and analytical skills to balance risk and opportunity, especially in a fast-moving environment.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with cross-functional teams across the company.
• Excellent attention to detail, with the capacity to see the broader business context and advise accordingly.
• Experience with legal negotiations involving technology, security, SaaS, and related fields is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with legal issues related to ITAR regulations is a plus, especially for companies dealing with international or defense-related products.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, to clearly articulate legal positions and negotiate effectively.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and work under tight deadlines in a dynamic environment.

Nice to have

• Experience working with startups or high-growth technology companies.
• Knowledge of legal issues related to AI, security, SaaS, and other emerging technologies.
• Prior involvement in drafting or negotiating agreements under ITAR or other export control regulations.
• Familiarity with contract lifecycle management tools and legal tech platforms to streamline contract processes.
• Multilingual capabilities or experience working in international legal environments to support global expansion.
• Background in compliance, data privacy, or cybersecurity law to enhance legal support in these critical areas.

Skills & tools

• Contract negotiation and drafting expertise.
• Risk assessment and mitigation strategies.
• Cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management.
• Legal advising, training, and policy development.
• Process improvement and implementation of best practices.
• Familiarity with legal tech tools and contract management software.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

Practical notes

• This is an on-site role based in Vienna, VA, USA, with the team working daily in the office environment.
• The position requires active bar membership in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• The company is well-funded, deeply technical, and headquartered in Northern Virginia, with satellite offices in London and San Francisco.
• The legal team supports a company focused on building a platform that enhances software reliability and security, especially in the context of AI and SaaS.
• The role involves handling complex commercial legal matters, supporting a fast-growing sales team, and working closely with cross-functional partners to enable business success.
• Candidates should be comfortable navigating high-stakes negotiations, developing scalable legal processes, and advising on compliance issues relevant to the company's product offerings.
• The company values a pragmatic, business-oriented legal approach that balances risk with growth opportunities.
• The role offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to a pioneering company at the intersection of software reliability, security, and AI.