Senior Commercial Counsel
Clera · San Francisco
Sales & BusinessEngineeringFullTime
Clera is hiring a Senior Commercial Counsel in San Francisco, California (full-time). Posted 17 October 2026. Apply directly on Clera's own careers site — no account needed.
About the Role
Join a venture-backed legal technology company as its founding commercial counsel. You will advise startup clients on commercial agreements and help shape how commercial legal services are delivered through software and repeatable workflows.
What You'll Do
Draft, review, and negotiate MSAs, SaaS agreements, NDAs, DPAs, vendor contracts, and other commercial agreements.
Advise founders and in-house teams through calls and Slack, providing practical, stage-appropriate guidance on legal risks.
Own client relationships, serve as a trusted commercial counsel, and meet agreed turnaround commitments.
Turn negotiation positions, fallback terms, and review standards into playbooks and AI-supported workflows, with approximately 30 to 40% of the role focused on platform work.
Help develop the commercial practice, support onboarding future attorneys, and contribute to product development.
What We're Looking For
Approximately 5 to 8 years of commercial contracts experience, including meaningful in-house experience at a startup or technology company.
A JD and active bar membership in good standing in a US jurisdiction; California or New York admission is preferred.
Hands-on experience drafting, building templates, and negotiating SaaS agreements, MSAs, NDAs, DPAs, and vendor deals.
Strong knowledge of market terms for liability caps, indemnity, intellectual property, data, and termination, with the judgment to explain tradeoffs clearly.
A client-friendly approach and experience advising founders or in-house teams directly.
Experience using AI tools in legal practice and interest in codifying legal judgment into workflows.
Compensation & Benefits
Base salary is $170,000 to $220,000 USD annually. Visa sponsorship is not available.
Location
Remote within the United States, with San Francisco, California as the primary location.
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