Torchora
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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Legal Manager

💰 $140,000 - $190,000

LegalCorporateManagement

🎯 Role Definition

As a Legal Manager, you will serve as a cornerstone of our legal department, blending deep legal expertise with sharp business acumen. You are not just a lawyer; you are a strategic partner to the business, responsible for safeguarding the company's interests while enabling its growth. This role requires a proactive and commercially-minded individual to manage a broad range of legal matters, from complex contract negotiations and corporate governance to compliance and risk management. You will be the go-to legal expert for various departments, providing practical, actionable advice that drives business objectives forward.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Corporate Counsel
  • Senior Associate (Law Firm)
  • In-House Counsel

Advancement To:

  • Senior Legal Manager / Head of Legal
  • Director of Legal Affairs
  • General Counsel / Chief Legal Officer

Lateral Moves:

  • Senior Contracts Manager
  • Director of Compliance
  • Chief Privacy Officer

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Draft, review, and negotiate a wide variety of complex commercial agreements, including SaaS, master services, partnership, vendor, technology licensing, and non-disclosure agreements.
  • Provide strategic, pragmatic, and timely legal advice to cross-functional teams, including Sales, Product, Marketing, and HR, on a diverse range of legal issues.
  • Manage the company's corporate governance framework, including preparing board materials, drafting minutes and resolutions, and ensuring compliance with all corporate formalities and statutory requirements.
  • Develop, implement, and continuously improve company policies, procedures, and training programs to ensure robust compliance with applicable laws and regulations (e.g., GDPR, CCPA, anti-bribery).
  • Oversee and manage the company's litigation portfolio and pre-litigation disputes, including supervising outside counsel, developing case strategy, and controlling litigation costs.
  • Advise on intellectual property matters, including trademark and copyright portfolio management, and assist in developing and executing strategies for IP protection and enforcement.
  • Conduct thorough legal research and analysis on complex or novel legal issues, and effectively communicate findings and recommendations to business stakeholders.
  • Manage and optimize the contract lifecycle management (CLM) system to ensure efficiency, consistency, and visibility across all company agreements.
  • Lead and support legal due diligence efforts for corporate transactions, such as mergers, acquisitions, and financing rounds, and assist with post-closing integration activities.
  • Act as a key advisor on risk management, proactively identifying potential legal and regulatory liabilities and developing practical strategies to mitigate them.
  • Manage corporate entity structures, including the formation, maintenance, and dissolution of domestic and international subsidiaries to ensure they remain in good standing.
  • Develop and refine standard contract templates, legal playbooks, and self-service tools to streamline the contracting process and empower business teams.
  • Manage relationships with external legal partners and vendors, ensuring high-quality service delivery and cost-effective support for specialized legal matters.
  • Support the Human Resources department with employment law matters, including drafting employment agreements, advising on employee relations issues, and ensuring policy compliance.
  • Provide legal review and guidance for marketing and advertising materials, press releases, and other external communications to ensure compliance with consumer protection laws.
  • Monitor legislative and regulatory developments relevant to the company and its industry, and proactively counsel the business on potential impacts.
  • Serve as a primary point of contact and escalation for complex legal inquiries from business units, providing clear, decisive, and commercially-sensible guidance.
  • Handle a variety of other legal matters, including real estate leases, insurance, and other operational legal needs as they arise.
  • Lead special legal projects as assigned by the General Counsel, contributing to the overall strategic goals of the legal department.
  • Manage the legal department's budget, including forecasting and tracking expenses for outside counsel, legal technology, and other departmental costs.

Secondary Functions

  • Support the continuous improvement of departmental processes and knowledge management practices.
  • Foster a culture of compliance and integrity throughout the organization through effective communication and training.
  • Participate in cross-functional strategic initiatives, providing the legal perspective to guide business decisions.
  • Mentor junior legal team members and contribute to their professional development.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Expert Contract Drafting & Negotiation: Demonstrated expertise in structuring, drafting, and negotiating a wide range of complex commercial contracts, particularly in the tech/SaaS sector.
  • Corporate Governance: Strong knowledge of corporate law, entity management, and best practices for board and shareholder matters.
  • Regulatory & Compliance: In-depth understanding of relevant regulatory frameworks, including data privacy laws (GDPR, CCPA), anti-corruption laws, and consumer protection.
  • Litigation Management: Proven experience overseeing litigation, managing outside counsel, and developing effective case strategies.
  • Intellectual Property Law: Solid understanding of trademark, copyright, and trade secret law and strategies for protection.
  • Legal Research & Analysis: Proficiency with legal research platforms (e.g., Westlaw, LexisNexis) and the ability to analyze complex legal issues.
  • Legal Technology: Familiarity with legal operations tools, especially Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) software and entity management systems.

Soft Skills

  • Business Acumen: Ability to understand business objectives and provide practical, risk-balanced legal advice that advances commercial goals.
  • Exceptional Communication: Superior ability to communicate complex legal concepts clearly and concisely to non-legal stakeholders, both verbally and in writing.
  • Stakeholder Management: Proven skill in building trust and collaborating effectively with internal clients at all levels of the organization.
  • Problem-Solving & Judgment: Strong analytical skills and the ability to exercise sound, independent judgment in a fast-paced environment.
  • Negotiation & Influence: Powerful negotiation skills with the ability to influence outcomes and find creative, win-win solutions.
  • Project Management: Excellent organizational skills with the capacity to manage multiple projects, prioritize effectively, and meet tight deadlines.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school.
  • Active license to practice law and in good standing with at least one U.S. state bar.

Preferred Education:

  • Top-tier law school credentials.
  • CIPP certification (Certified Information Privacy Professional) is a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Law
  • Business Administration

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 5-10 years of relevant legal experience.

Preferred: A combination of experience at a reputable law firm and in an in-house legal department is highly desirable. Direct experience in the technology, software, or a related industry is a significant advantage.

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