Senior Counsel: Litigation, Regulatory Advocacy & Policy

Job Description

Job Description

Who We Are:

At Rover, pets and their people are at the heart of everything we do. We connect pet parents with trusted pet care across the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Australia.

Headquartered in Seattle and Barcelona, we’re a values driven, fast-growing tech company focused on building safe and personalized experiences tailored to the needs of each unique pet. We’re investing in AI as a business accelerator and provide every team member access to AI tools in service of creating better experiences for our community.

We are proud to be recognized as a great place to work, having been named among the 100 Best Companies to Work For in Seattle Business Magazine and Washington’s Best Workplaces in the Puget Sound Business Journal. At Rover we’re committed to creating an accessible, inclusive, and welcoming community, which starts with our employees.

Want to make an impact? Join our pack and come work (and play!) with us.

his is a hybrid position that has the minimum expectation to work out of our Downtown Seattle Office two days per week on Mondays and Thursdays. For this reason, candidates must be based in the Greater Seattle Area or willing to relocate.

Who We're Looking For:

Rover is looking for a strategic, creative, and trusted Senior Counsel who is passionate about advocating on behalf of Rover and our community of pets and pet lovers. This role sits at a fascinating intersection of law and policy, with responsibility spanning from complex litigation and regulatory disputes to public policy advocacy in partnership with Rover's Government Affairs team.

You’re a seasoned litigator who knows how to own a complex case from start to finish. From shaping pre-litigation strategy to navigating discovery, motions practice, or exploring resolution, you bring both tactical expertise and strategic vision to every matter. You exercise sound judgment under pressure and have a track record of driving outcomes on novel, high-stakes legal issues — all while keeping clients informed and protected. You’re excited to build strong, productive partnerships with outside counsel, educating them about Rover's business and values and holding them to a high standard of quality and efficiency. And when the path forward isn't obvious, you don't just spot the problem — you roll up your sleeves and find creative, practical solutions that actually work for the business, not just on paper.

Apart from litigation, you’ll also partner with Rover’s small, but impactful Government Affairs team to provide legal analysis on legislative and regulatory developments and support key engagements with lawmakers and other policy stakeholders across the United States and internationally. You're energized by the opportunity to build relationships, engage with policymakers, and advocate on behalf of Rover and the community of pet lovers.

This role reports to the Senior Director, Legal, who oversees litigation, regulatory, and government affairs. 

Your Responsibilities:

Litigation, Arbitration, & Regulatory Advocacy 

• Actively manage complex litigation, arbitration, and regulatory matters from inception through resolution, including pre-litigation strategy, pleadings, discovery, motions practice, appeals, mediation, and resolution.

• Propose and drive solutions to novel, complex legal issues of material impact to the business, exercising strong independent judgment and creativity with appropriate escalation of high-risk matters.

• Cultivate long-term partnerships with outside counsel across multiple complex matters, with a focus on educating them about Rover's business, risk profile, and values. Provide constructive direction and feedback to improve quality, efficiency, and outcomes.

Policy Analysis & Government Affairs Advocacy

• Monitor and analyze proposed legislation, regulations, or other policy affecting Rover and the community of pet lovers that use the online marketplace, including forecasting potential impacts and drafting proposed amendments or legal explanations with a high degree of independence.

• Draft persuasive engagement materials with key legal complexities, including advocacy letters, public comments, talking points, and other materials in support of engagements with policymakers and regulators.

• Occasionally help represent Rover in meetings with government officials, policymakers, or other key stakeholders, and participate in public hearings or stakeholder groups.

Strategic Partnership & Communication 

• Serve as a recognized subject matter expert and thought partner on litigation, regulatory, and policy risks for internal clients, delivering clear, structured, and audience-appropriate guidance that enables sound decision-making.

• Partner closely with internal stakeholders to collect information and navigate key moments, such as depositions, hearings, or mediation. 

• Help advise internal stakeholders on select business updates in response to new compliance obligations or other legal considerations.

• Identify and lead opportunities to improve and scale legal processes within your subject matter area.

Your Qualifications:

• At least 12 years of relevant litigation or regulatory legal practice, ideally including some in-house experience. 

• Excellent writing and communication skills, with the ability to prepare and edit polished legal briefs, regulatory submissions, policy memos, talking points, and other advocacy materials. You know how to tailor your messaging for diverse audience, avoid “legalese,” and (humbly) think you’re one of the best writers you know.

• Excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills. You are personable, highly collaborative, and excel at forging positive working relationships, even when addressing topics involving significant disagreement or sensitivity. 

• Strategic vision, with the ability to help position Rover for long-term success and understand the impact of evolving legal trends and public affairs decisions on the business and community. 

• You know that the best legal advice starts with truly understanding the problem and the options available — so you ask questions first and assume nothing, even when it means admitting what you don’t know. 

• Strong work ethic and creative problem solving, with a “failure is not an option” mentality. You’ll need to operate tactically and be willing to dig in on all aspects of litigation, policy engagements, and related work.

• Extremely organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to prioritize and thrive in fast-paced environments. 

• Model of personal and professional integrity, prioritizing kindness and respect. 

Nice to Have:

• Experience working for or advocating on behalf of online marketplaces, technology companies, or highly regulated industries, including familiarity with legal issues affecting e-commerce businesses or independent work. 

• Experience managing outside counsel relationships, including the ability to educate about key business context, manage budgets, and drive toward key outcomes.

• Experience supporting or collaborating with government affairs or public policy functions, including analyzing legislation or engaging with policymakers.

Benefits of Working at Rover.com

• Competitive compensation
• 401k match
• Long-term incentive plan with a company performance-based cash payout
• Flexible PTO
• Competitive benefits package, including medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Commuter benefits
• Bring your dog to work (and unlimited puppy time)
• Pet benefits, including $1000 toward adopting your first dog or cat
• Stocked fridges, coffee, soda, and lots of treats (for humans and dogs) and free catered lunches monthly
• Regular team activities performed in-person and virtually

Compensation:

• In the greater Seattle area the first-year salary range is $182,290-$242,446. Additionally, Rover offers a long-term incentive plan with a company performance-based cash payout and benefits to full-time employees.
• The cash compensation offered for this role will be dependent on the candidate's experience, qualifications, skills, and abilities as demonstrated in the interview and hiring process.

Rover is an equal opportunity employer committed to promoting a diverse, inclusive and inventive environment with the best employees. We’re driven by seeing our people succeed and grow, and we work to ensure everyone contributes to their fullest potential. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to age, race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, disability, protected veteran status, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or any other protected status in accordance with applicable laws, regulations and ordinances.

We are committed to work with you to look for reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

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