General Counsel, New Entity
United States
Legal – Legal /
Full-time /
Remote
Job Summary:
Toptal is looking to hire a General Counsel for a new entity. The successful candidate will be a smart, experienced, and trustworthy attorney who has experience with international, cross-border business and financial transactions and can be relied upon to provide sage legal counsel and act in accordance with client directives in reviewing and negotiating contracts in connection with various business and financial opportunities and execute agreements and transfer client money pursuant to limited powers of attorney.
This is a remote position. However, we require applicants and the person in this position to reside in-market. Applicants must be authorized to work in the US at the time of hire. Resumes and communication must be submitted in English.
Responsibilities:
· Negotiate contract terms pursuant to and consistent with client direction and objectives.
· Provide sage and timely business-practical legal advice, opinions, and solutions regarding issues and risks relating to the evolving business and financial opportunities.
· Impeccable integrity and ability to strictly maintain client confidentiality in connection with opportunities involving material non-public information or tied to personally identifying information.
· Manage and interface with outside legal counsel, as deemed appropriate by the client.
· Anticipate and counsel clients regarding potential disputes and conflict resolution.
· Provide strategic insight and clear communication (written and verbal) to clients.
· Be in constant communication with client team members via Zoom and Slack.
In the first week, expect to:
· Onboard and integrate into the organization and the team.
· Obtain an understanding of organizational tools and processes.
In the first month, expect to:
· Start gaining familiarity with client contract standards and negotiation practices, including how to align terms with specific client directives and business goals.
· Begin to provide thoughtful, business oriented legal guidance.
In the first three months, expect to:
· Begin leading negotiations under client direction with increasing autonomy, ensuring terms reflect client strategy while maintaining associated legal risk.
· Establish effective working relationships with internal client teams and any engaged outside counsel, collaborating to support ongoing legal needs.
In the first six months, expect to:
· Successfully negotiate and close on investment opportunities, including receiving and forwarding client money to fund deals.
· Confidently lead negotiations on a broad range of commercial and financial transactions, adapting to complexity and business dynamics.
· Provide reliable, ongoing legal support on day-to-day matters, exercising sound judgement and discretion.
In the first year, expect to:
· Be a trusted legal partner to the CEO and leadership, driving fast, thoughtful contract execution aligned with business goals.
· Take full ownership of commercial and financing negotiations, especially in high-stakes, time-sensitive environments.
· Consistently demonstrate sound legal judgment when acting under limited powers of attorney, including executing agreements and coordinating fund transfers.
· Lead coordination with external counsel and internal stakeholders, ensuring alignment with evolving client goals.
Qualifications and Job Requirements:
· Admission to a U.S. State or the District of Columbia bar.
· A minimum of 5 years of experience across both law firm and corporate settings.
· Relevant experience as in-house General Counsel for venture-backed technology companies, including at early-stage, scrappy start-ups; partnering closely with founders and leadership to drive business goals.
· Experience structuring and advising clients on various business and financial transactions, including in international, cross-border contexts, such as partnership or joint venture agreements, and venture-backed equity, debt, and convertible financing agreements.
· Strong experience structuring, negotiating, and closing commercial and financing deals.
· Experience acting in accordance with client direction and guidance pursuant to limited powers of attorney to negotiate and execute client agreements and arrange transfer of client funds.
· Experience dealing with global employment law issues (including independent contracting, stock options, compensation plans, and HR issues) and global finance legal matters (including AML, KYC, and UBO).
· Excellent customer service (internal and external), interpersonal, and organizational skills.
· The ability to quickly master and integrate legal, business, technical, and practical analysis.
· An extremely sharp eye for detail with exceptional business judgment and a knack for coming up with creative solutions.
· The ability to support and scale in a fast-moving environment focused on execution.
· Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
· You must be a world-class individual contributor to thrive in this role. You will not be here just to tell other people what to do.
Essential Job Functions
· Regularly and reliably attend scheduled virtual team meetings on camera.
· Work independently with minimal supervision.
· Use all required digital collaboration tools.
· Prioritize and self-manage workflows and deadlines.
US FLSA Classification: Full-Time/Exempt
