General Counsel

General Counsel

Department: Finance

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Austin

Description

We are seeking a commercially minded, hands‑on legal leader to drive our global legal strategy, lead risk management, and support our rapid growth. In this role, you will serve as a trusted partner to executive leadership while maintaining an active execution role across commercial deals, corporate governance, compliance, and team leadership. The ideal candidate blends law firm rigor with in‑house agility—someone who thrives as an individual contributor while efficiently guiding a small, high‑performing legal team.

Key Responsibilities

Commercial & Transactional

• Draft, review, and negotiate NDAs, customer contracts, channel/reseller agreements, OEM and technology licensing agreements, and vendor/supplier contracts.
• Structure and negotiate complex agreements supporting hardware supply chain, manufacturing, and distribution relationships.
• Serve as the primary legal point of contact for the sales, customer success, and procurement teams—turning around commercial paper quickly without sacrificing risk discipline.

Corporate Governance & Strategic Growth

• Prepare and support board and committee materials, resolutions, corporate records, and board minutes.
• Oversee corporate governance, corporate structure, board operations, disclosure controls, and compliance frameworks.
• Build and maintain governance policies, delegation-of-authority frameworks, and scalable compliance infrastructure.
• Partner with the CFO and finance team on equity administration, corporate financing, and capital structure matters

M&A and Integration

• Lead legal due diligence, deal structuring, and negotiations for an active and ongoing acquisition strategy.
• Manage legal workstreams across carve-outs, entity mergers, and cross-border integrations.

Regulatory & Compliance

• Own the company's regulatory compliance posture across data privacy (CCPA, GDPR, and global frameworks), hardware certifications, and technology-sector regulations.
• Monitor and advise on the evolving regulatory landscape for AI-enabled physical security products.

Employment & HR

• Draft and manage employment agreements, executive compensation arrangements, equity grant documentation, and separation agreements.
• Advise HR and business leadership on employment law compliance across US and international jurisdictions.

Litigation & Disputes

• Manage legal disagreements and disputes end-to-end, engaging outside counsel judiciously.
• Assess and manage legal risk across commercial, employment, and IP matters.

IP & Team Leadership

• Lead a small, high-performing legal team, including a dedicated IP function covering patent strategy, trademark portfolios, and technology protection.
• Establish legal as a fast, embedded business partner rather than an operational bottleneck.
  

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Education & Bar Admission: Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school and an active license to practice law in at least one US state (Maryland bar admission or corporate counsel registration eligible preferred).
• Experience: ~10 years of legal practice, with a strong foundational mix of top-tier law firm training and in‑house leadership at a technology company.
• Industry Expertise: Proven track record within an enterprise SaaS or IoT/hardware manufacturing ecosystem. Understanding the interplay between software licenses, hardware components, and supply chains is required.
• Corporate Governance: Deep experience establishing scalable corporate governance, managing equity administration, and supporting executive/board-level operations in a growth-stage company.
• Regulatory Fluency: Demonstrated mastery over technology regulations, data privacy laws (CCPA, GDPR), and hardware compliance certifications.
• Individual Contributor Mindset: Comfort operating as an individual contributor. You possess the executive presence to counsel the CEO, paired with the drive to review standard NDAs and commercial contracts yourself.
• Negotiation Skills: A collaborative, business-first negotiator who unblocks sales cycles while fiercely protecting the company's liabilities and intellectual property.
• Sustainable Pace: Value efficiency, process automation, and clear prioritization to maintain a healthy work-life balance for yourself and your team while delivering business results.