$240,000–$260,000 Per Year
Artificial Intelligence (AI), Attorney, Business Development, Business Practices, Business Skills, Business Strategy, Communication Skills, Contract Creation, Contract Negotiation, Contract Requirements, Corporate Law, Customer Relations, Customer Support/Service, Detail Oriented, Establish Priorities, Finance, Information/Data Security (InfoSec), Interpersonal Skills, Legal, Legal Support Skills, License Agreements, Negotiation Skills, New Drug Application, Presentation/Verbal Skills, Problem Solving Skills, Professional Services, Project/Program Management, Regulations, Risk, Risk Analysis, Sales Management, Software as a Service (SaaS), Writing Skills
Cleary Gottlieb is a pioneer in globalizing the legal profession. We have 14 offices in major financial centers around the world, but we operate as a single, integrated global partnership and not as a U.S. firm with a network of overseas locations. The firm employs approximately 1,100 lawyers from more than 50 countries.
Since 1946 our lawyers and staff have worked across practices, industries, jurisdictions, and continents to provide clients with simple, actionable approaches to their most complex legal and business challenges, whether domestic or international. We support every client relationship with intellectual agility, commercial acumen, and a human touch.
Cleary Gottlieb seeks an experienced commercial lawyer to join our in-house global Risk team led by the firm’s General Counsel and Chief Risk Officer in New York and London, with attorneys based in New York, London and Washington, D.C.
In this role, you will be responsible for working across a spectrum of legal, ethical, business and strategic issues to draft and negotiate complex both client-facing and vendor contracts and commercial agreements, advise the firm’s partners on contractual requirements and business-related requests, and collaborate with partners and counsel, as well as business teams across the Firm including Finance, Business Development, Information Security, Inclusion & Culture, and other lawyers and professional staff on the global Risk team.
Responsibilities:
- Work across a spectrum of legal, ethical, business and strategic issues.
- Draft, review, and negotiate a wide variety of commercial contracts (including SaaS subscription agreements, licensing agreements, data protection agreements (DPAs), NDAs, Master Services Agreements and professional/vendor services agreements).
- Ensure all contracts and business practices comply with relevant laws and regulations, including data protection regulations like GDPR and CCPA, as well as new legislation like the EU AI Act.
- Advise and work collaboratively with the firm’s partners on client agreements, requirements and commercial or business-related requests.
- Help ensure that the firm’s client-facing contracts comply with applicable ethical standards and the firm’s internal policy requirements.
- Identify and evaluate business and legal risks in client contracts and find solutions to mitigate them while achieving business goals.
- Draft and manage client and broader commercial contract templates, playbooks and processes.
- Work with the Firm’s Risk team to draft and manage firm responses to client compliance and risk-related audits.
- Increase the efficiency and scalability of the commercial legal support provided by the firm’s in-house global Risk team.
- Supervise and collaborate with the global Risk team’s administrative staff.
- Collaborate with business partners and teams across the firm, including Finance, Business Development, Information Security, and Inclusion & Culture, as well as other lawyers on the global Risk team.
Qualifications:
- A JD and active membership in the New York State Bar in good standing, or qualified and active in England and Wales.
- 5+ years of commercial contract experience in a law firm or corporate legal department environment. A strong focus on technology, IT, and SaaS contracts is a plus.
- Experience working at a top-tier law firm as either a practicing attorney or in an in-house law firm role.
- Enthusiasm for drafting and negotiating contracts, with strong written and verbal communication skills and excellent interpersonal abilities a must.
- Exceptional commercial sensibilities. Keen attention to detail with commitment to high standards of accuracy and efficiency, strong project management capabilities, and ability to effectively prioritize a high-volume portfolio in a fast-paced environment.
- Able to translate complex legal issues into clear, pragmatic advice for non-legal stakeholders.
- Well-honed ability to make risk-based assessments and decisions in the face of ambiguity and imperfect information.
- Willingness to jump in and do whatever needs to be done in an enthusiastic, proactive and resourceful manner, and a strong work ethic with a high degree of accountability and organization.
The estimated base salary range for this position is $240,000 to $260,000 at the time of posting. The actual salary offered will depend on a variety of job-related factors, including skills, education, training, credentials, experience, scope and complexity of role responsibilities, geographic location, and performance. This role is exempt meaning it is not overtime pay eligible.
Cleary provides a comprehensive benefits package, including health care benefits. More information can be found here: Benefits
We are an equal opportunity employer and prohibit discrimination based on any category protected by law. Cleary provides reasonable accommodations to enable otherwise qualified employees to perform the essential functions of their position, provided the accommodation does not pose an undue hardship to the Firm.
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