Senior Commercial Counsel

Clera

San Francisco, CA

On-site

Who this role is best for

Best suited to candidates with in-house startup experience working in legal tech and commercial contracts.

Best fit for

Candidates with in-house startup experience and a background in commercial contracts and SaaS agreements
— “5 to 8 years of commercial contracts experience, including meaningful in-house experience at a startup or technology company.”
Individuals who have experience advising founders directly and using AI tools in legal work
— “Experience using AI tools in legal practice and interest in codifying legal judgment into workflows.”

Things to consider

The role requires active bar membership in a US jurisdiction, with preference for California or New York admission
— “A JD and active bar membership in good standing in a US jurisdiction; California or New York admission is preferred.”
The position demands a significant portion of time focused on AI-supported platform development
— “approximately 30 to 40% of the role focused on platform work.”

How to stand out

Highlight experience in creating templates and workflows for commercial agreements
— “building templates, and negotiating SaaS agreements, MSAs, NDAs, DPAs, and vendor deals.”
Emphasize your ability to explain legal trade-offs clearly to non-legal stakeholders
— “Strong knowledge of market terms for liability caps, indemnity, intellectual property, data, and termination, with the judgment to explain tradeoffs clearly.”
Demonstrate your capacity to manage client relationships and meet strict turnaround commitments
— “Own client relationships, serve as a trusted commercial counsel, and meet agreed turnaround commitments.”

Pace · SteadyCollaboration · MediumAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · Team

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

drafted and negotiated complex commercial agreements
managed client relationships effectively
developed legal workflows

Typical background

5-8 years of commercial contracts experienceJD and active bar membership

Skills & requirements

Required

Commercial ContractsDraftingNegotiationLegal Risk AssessmentClient Relationship Management

Preferred

AI Tools In Legal Practice

Stack & domain

Commercial ContractsSaas AgreementsMsasNdasDpasVendor ContractsAI ToolsClient-friendly ApproachJudgmentCommunicationLegalTechnology

About the role

Original posting from Clera via Ashby

ABOUT THE ROLE
Join a venture-backed legal technology company as its founding commercial counsel. You will advise startup clients on commercial agreements and help shape how commercial legal services are delivered through software and repeatable workflows.
WHAT YOU'LL DO
Draft, review, and negotiate MSAs, SaaS agreements, NDAs, DPAs, vendor contracts, and other commercial agreements.
Advise founders and in-house teams through calls and Slack, providing practical, stage-appropriate guidance on legal risks.
Own client relationships, serve as a trusted commercial counsel, and meet agreed turnaround commitments.
Turn negotiation positions, fallback terms, and review standards into playbooks and AI-supported workflows, with approximately 30 to 40% of the role focused on platform work.
Help develop the commercial practice, support onboarding future attorneys, and contribute to product development.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
Approximately 5 to 8 years of commercial contracts experience, including meaningful in-house experience at a startup or technology company.
A JD and active bar membership in good standing in a US jurisdiction; California or New York admission is preferred.
Hands-on experience drafting, building templates, and negotiating SaaS agreements, MSAs, NDAs, DPAs, and vendor deals.
Strong knowledge of market terms for liability caps, indemnity, intellectual property, data, and termination, with the judgment to explain tradeoffs clearly.
A client-friendly approach and experience advising founders or in-house teams directly.
Experience using AI tools in legal practice and interest in codifying legal judgment into workflows.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
Base salary is $170,000 to $220,000 USD annually. Visa sponsorship is not available.
LOCATION
Remote within the United States, with San Francisco, California as the primary location.

Source: Clera careers (Ashby)