Senior Lead Counsel, Commercial

About The Role:

As Senior Lead Counsel, Commercial, you will be a key member of our legal team, responsible for leading and negotiating complex commercial transactions, providing strategic counsel to our internal stakeholders, and driving initiatives that support our business growth. 

We are looking for someone with significant commercial B2B SaaS experience, honed in top-tier legal environments. The ideal candidate thrives in dynamic settings, leverages their creativity and persuasive skills, and has experience with data-rich platforms and regulated technology clients.

As a rapidly scaling company, you will have particular skill and aptitude for operationalizing key processes and building scalable solutions for continued success of Legal initiatives at Apollo, including but not limited to a focus on scaling commercial and partnerships processes alongside our go-to-market teams.  The ideal candidate will be commercially savvy and practical in marking up agreements and advising on go-to-market legal strategy.  Successful candidates will be natural builders, delighting in educating and in building relationships of trust throughout the business. 

This is a 100% remote position (with the likelihood of optional travel to team and/or industry events) and will report to our General Counsel. 

You will:

• Draft, review, and negotiate master services agreements and DPAs with customers and work closely with our Sales, Customer Success and Support teams to close both new and renewal revenue deals.
• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of other commercial agreements, including partnership agreements, reseller agreements, vendor agreements, and other agreements that may come up in the day to day operations of a rapidly scaling technology company. 
• Advise internal stakeholders on commercial strategy, risk mitigation, and regulatory implications, ensuring alignment with our business objectives.
• Provide legal advice on related topics that may come up in connection with commercial needs, included but not limited to marketing, operations, intellectual property, privacy, and regulatory issues.
• Work closely with the other members of the Legal team as it relates to drafting disclosure language, updates to terms of service, and other contractual related needs.
• Identify gaps and provide resources and training to go-to-market teams pertaining to the contracting process, contracting terms, how to speak with customers about frequently asked questions, and other common legal issues in negotiations and commercial strategy.
• Work closely with the Senior Legal Operations Manager to maintain and improve contract templates, contract lifecycle management processes, and associated metrics.
• Apply your legal acumen and innovative thinking to craft solutions that address both legal and business priorities, persuasively advocating for outcomes that drive business growth.
• Drive ongoing enhancements and scalability of templates, forms, policies, and processes to streamline and simplify deals and product/service terms.

Qualifications:

• JD degree and active membership in a U.S. state bar in good standing, with the ability to obtain registered in-house counsel status with the California bar if necessary.
• 8+ years of combined experience in law firms and in-house roles
• Proven experience advising technology commercial teams, particularly in B2B products and services involving significant privacy-related aspects.
• Prior experience managing attorneys and collaborating within teams.
• Strong negotiation skills, including: clear and persuasive communication via email and in contract markups, effective in-person negotiation techniques and ability to balance business risk tolerance with company needs or market standards.
• Passion for partnering with Sales teams and driving revenue deals to closure.
• Ability to bridge business and technical risks and communicate effectively across various constituencies.
• High attention to detail, strong work ethic, and a commitment to delivering results.
• Mindset that no task is too big or too small
• Self-driven with a desire for impact and achievement
• Pragmatic approach to problem-solving and decision-making
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced environment and skilled in prioritizing and communicating effectively with diverse stakeholders
• Positive attitude and sense of humor

Preferred, but not required:

• Interest in privacy and emerging areas of technology law, such as ML and AI.
• Experience in in-house roles, particularly in fast-paced, high-growth environments.
• Familiarity with contracts management software
• Knowledge of intellectual property-related legal issues