Clinical Trial, Commercial & R&D Counsel (Pharma / Life Sciences)

Join Our Team as Clinical Trial, Commercial & R&D Counsel at Axiom

We are seeking experienced attorneys to support legal teams within the pharma and health systems space. This role focuses on drafting, reviewing, and negotiating a broad range of commercial and research-related agreements, with an emphasis on global work, clinical research organizations (CROs), and research & development (R&D) transactions. Both full-time and part-time opportunities are available.

Key Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of agreements, including:
  • Master Services Agreements (MSAs)
  • Statements of Work (SOWs)
  • Clinical Trial Agreements (CTAs)
  • Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) and Confidential Disclosure Agreements (CDAs)
  • Consulting Agreements
• Provide legal support for global transactions and cross-border collaborations
• Advise on and support engagements with Clinical Research Organizations (CROs)
• Handle R&D-related legal work, including:
  • Pre-clinical research agreements
  • Sponsored research agreements (e.g., industry–academic collaborations)
  • Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs)
• Support licensing and collaboration agreements within the life sciences space
• Partner with business stakeholders, including business development and licensing (BD&L) teams, on strategic and operational initiatives
• Contribute to structuring and negotiating research collaborations and related transactions

Qualifications

• J.D. and active bar membership in good standing
• Experience in the pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device, or health system sectors (a blend is preferred)
• Demonstrated experience in at least one of the following priority areas:
  • Global transactional experience
  • Working with Clinical Research Organizations (CROs)
  • R&D legal work, including pre-clinical and sponsored research
• Familiarity with intellectual property transactions in the life sciences space
• Experience supporting licensing, collaboration, and research agreements
• Strong drafting, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills

Compensation:

The estimated total compensation for full-time Axiom attorney roles is $104,500-325,000 per year and for non-attorney roles is $71,250-309,750 per year.Compensation decisions are based on various factors, including, but not limited to, experience, skills, certifications, location, and business needs. Employees may be eligible for additional benefits, including health, dental, and vision insurance; paid holidays and PTO; flexible work arrangements; and professional development opportunities and tools.

About Axiom:

For over 25 years, Axiom has pioneered the alternative legal services industry, now serving more than 1,500 legal departments globally with our unique blend of world-class legal talent and advanced AI tools, delivering innovative solutions ranging from that combine top-tier talent with cutting-edge technology. We tackle complex legal matters across 12 practice areas for clients ranging from Fortune 100 to SMBs, empowering our legal professionals to engage in meaningful work that advances their careers. Our Talent NPS score of +71% and our Client NPS score of +64% highlight our commitment to excellence ( Reported scores were Axiom’s average for 2025 – the legal industry average NPS score is +35%). Join our forward-thinking community where you’ll keep your career dynamic and multi-faceted, be part of a company that values agility, collaboration, and excellence, and love both the law and your life.

Learn more about life at Axiom .

Axiom is the global leader in high-caliber, on-demand legal talent. Covering North America, the UK, Europe, and APAC, we enable legal departments to drive efficiency and growth and meet the demands of today’s business landscape with best in class alterative legal services.

Diversity is core to our values and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Axiom ensures equal employment opportunity in recruitment and employment, without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, nationality, national or ethnic origin, religious creed or belief, political opinion, sex, gender, gender identity, gender identity status, pregnancy or maternity, age, disability, alienage or citizenship status, marital (or civil or other partnership recognized by law) status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, sexual orientation, military service, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Axiom prohibits and will not tolerate any such discrimination or harassment.

Upon request and consistent with applicable laws, Axiom will provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities who require accommodations to participate in each stage of the recruitment process. To request an accommodation, please contact View email address on aiapply.co.

Axiom respects your privacy. For an explanation of the kind of information we collect about you and how it is used, our full data privacy notice is available here.

Employment with Axiom may be contingent upon successful completion of a background check, providing proof of identity, and possessing the necessary legal authorization to work. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, NY Fair Chance Act, and Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

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