Founding General Counsel

About the role

Starbridge is on the lookout for its inaugural in-house legal counsel to spearhead the establishment and management of all legal, contractual, and public sector compliance operations. This pivotal position will report directly to the CEO and is essential for facilitating the swift and secure expansion of Starbridge's public sector software distribution. The selected candidate will be responsible for constructing the legal framework from scratch, ensuring robust support for both partner-driven contract vehicles and direct transaction oversight.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Design and implement a comprehensive legal structure for a four-party channel that includes Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), Starbridge, vehicle holders/distributors, and government purchasers, addressing critical components such as payment structures, liability issues, and audit requirements.
• Oversee the management of vital legal documentation, which encompasses OEM authorization, distribution agreements, reseller contracts, referral agreements, public sector order forms, End User License Agreements (EULAs), Data Processing Agreements (DPAs), security terms, and enterprise Software as a Service (SaaS) agreements.
• Develop a government contracts operating system tailored for federal and State, Local, and Education (SLED) transactions, focusing on vehicle eligibility, flow-down requirements, reporting standards, renewal processes, and audit preparedness.
• Create an effective deal desk that includes templates, clause libraries, approval thresholds, and service level agreements to support the sales and finance teams.
• Protect Starbridge's financial interests throughout the supply chain, ensuring proper management of discounts, fees, markups, renewals, refunds, and indemnity provisions.
• Work closely with the engineering team to embed legal logic, vehicle rules, necessary terms, and compliance documentation into the Starbridge platform.
• Provide comprehensive legal counsel across the organization on matters related to commercial contracts, privacy, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, intellectual property, employment law, and corporate governance, while leveraging external experts as necessary.

Requirements

• Must hold an active membership in a U.S. state bar and be in good standing.
• Approximately 7 to 12 years of pertinent legal experience is required, with some flexibility for outstanding candidates.
• Demonstrated experience in managing multi-party public sector technology transactions that involve OEMs, distributors, resellers, contract vehicles, or government clients.
• Strong understanding of SLED procurement processes, along with a foundational knowledge of federal procurement differences and the capacity to quickly adapt to new areas.
• Expertise in negotiating commercial SaaS agreements, channel agreements, data security terms, and intellectual property clauses, as well as government-specific provisions.
• Proven ability to draft and redline contracts, engage in negotiations, make informed decisions, and provide actionable legal guidance to various teams.
• Intellectual honesty regarding areas of limited knowledge, skill in formulating precise inquiries for outside counsel, and a focus on minimizing unnecessary legal expenses.
• A proactive attitude towards ownership, a willingness to build legal frameworks from the ground up, and an interest in leveraging AI technologies to enhance legal processes.

Nice to have

• Experience in the public sector channel, whether from a distributor/reseller working with OEM software or from an OEM managing channel partnerships.
• Familiarity with pricing disclosures, transaction reporting requirements, FAR/DFARS flow-downs, and compliance with the False Claims Act.
• Background in high-volume distribution economics, including aspects related to payments, credit management, collections, insurance, and channel conflict resolution.

Skills & tools

• Legal drafting
• Contract negotiation
• Public sector compliance
• Government procurement
• Commercial law
• SaaS agreements
• Channel agreements
• Data privacy
• Cybersecurity law
• Intellectual property law
• Employment law
• Corporate governance

Practical notes

• The position offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes a competitive salary, equity options, medical, dental, and vision insurance, daily in-office lunch, 75% coverage for Chelsea Piers Fitness membership, unlimited paid time off, and regular team offsite events.
• The interview process is designed to be efficient, with all interviews conducted via Google Meet and in-person at the New York City office.