In-House Counsel

CScale is building the interconnect for gigawatt-scale AI. As AI scale-up moves toward deployments spanning thousands of accelerators and dozens of racks, the network needs to deliver high bandwidth, predictable low latency, and continuous communication. CScale is building integrated optical interconnect designed for this new scale, enabling accelerators to work together like a single, much larger computer. But at this scale, performance is only part of the challenge. Optical failures are inevitable, and the system needs to keep running. CScale is designing the interconnect for continuity. Lasers will fail. Compute shouldn’t. The ambition is simple: Build AI interconnect you can take for granted. CScale came out of stealth in September 2026 with $145 million in Series C funding, bringing total funding to $188 million.

About the role

CScale Inc. is hiring its first In-House Counsel to lead the legal function. You'll be a hands-on business partner to the CEO and leadership team, owning everything from commercial contracts to corporate governance — with technology and hardware transactions at the core. As a startup, we need a hands-on lawyer and strong negotiator who does the work directly.

This role reports to the CEO and sits on the executive team. You'll help the company procure, develop and bring CScale's hardware products to market, and you'll handle inbound licensing of software and other tools. The company is pre-revenue, so you'll design and implement the contractual go-to-market strategy with the executive team.

What you'll do

• Hardware and supply chain: Negotiate supply, manufacturing, NRE and component agreements with contract manufacturers, foundry and component partners; own warranty, RMA, quality and product liability terms.
• Technology transactions: Lead drafting and negotiation of software, service and development agreements, joint development and evaluation agreements with hyperscaler and design partners, enterprise MSAs, SOWs, DPAs, SLAs, partnership and technology licensing agreements.
• Commercial enablement: Build contract templates, a negotiation playbook and an approval matrix so Procurement, and eventually Sales, can close deals quickly without unmanaged risk.
• Export controls and trade compliance: Own CScale's export compliance program, including export classification and licensing for CScale products and technology, deemed exports for foreign-national employees, and customs.
• Intellectual property: Protect and license CScale's IP. Work with engineering and outside counsel on patent strategy, and manage open-source compliance, inbound and outbound licensing, invention assignment, trademarks and standards-body IP policies.
• AI and emerging tech: Advise on AI data rights, AI-specific terms with customers and partners, and evolving AI regulation.
• Corporate and governance: Manage board and stockholder matters, equity administration, financings, and support for M&A or strategic transactions.
• Employment and compliance: Advise on California and international employment law, policies and investigations alongside People Ops; oversee anti-corruption, data privacy and regulatory compliance.
• Disputes and risk: Manage litigation, claims and insurance; select and manage outside counsel within budget.

What success looks like

• First 90 days: Review and triage existing contracts and inbound licenses; put NDA, evaluation and supplier templates in place; complete export classification of CScale products and a deemed-export review; build an outside counsel panel and budget; audit board records and the cap table.
• By 6 months: The negotiation playbook and approval matrix are live; key manufacturing and supply agreements are signed; patent and open-source policies are running; customer-facing terms are ready for design partners.
• By 12 months: First design-partner and customer agreements close on CScale paper; contract management and legal intake are in place; a plan for the next legal hire is ready; legal is prepared for the next financing or strategic transaction.

What you bring

• J.D. from an accredited U.S. law school and active membership in good standing with the State Bar of California (required).
• 10+ years of legal experience, including 5+ years in-house at a technology company; hardware or semiconductor experience strongly preferred.
• Deep transactions expertise: you have personally negotiated complex hardware, supply, software, licensing and enterprise agreements and can explain the trade-offs in plain business terms.
• Working knowledge of IP, export controls, privacy and data security law, and the judgment to know when to bring in specialists.
• Experience as the senior or sole lawyer, or a leader of a small team, at a growth-stage company.
• Commercial judgment: you calibrate risk to the business, give clear recommendations, move at the speed of the company and meet your timing commitments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with executives, the board, customers and counterparties.
• High integrity, sound discretion and a hands-on, low-ego approach.

Nice to have

• Experience with AI hardware product counseling and AI-specific contract terms.
• Prior work on a venture financing, IPO readiness or M&A exit.
• Experience in AI infrastructure, semiconductor or photonics industries.
• Familiarity with CLM tools and building scalable legal operations.

Location, compensation and benefits

Location: Palo Alto, California — in office four days a week, with one remote day.

Base salary: $310,000 – $350,000 per year. The final offer depends on experience, skills and location.

Benefits: [Medical, dental and vision; 401(k); paid time off; parental leave; learning budget; bar dues and CLE covered.]