About the role
About Athennian
Athennian increases trust in business. Our products help legal, finance, and tax teams be transaction and audit-ready by organizing business entity and corporate structure information. Over a million business entities in almost every country are managed on Athennian to automate workflows for ownership, company secretarial, governance, tax, and compliance.
About the role
We are seeking a commercially-minded Legal Counsel to join our team in Toronto. Reporting to the Sr. Director of Strategic Finance, you will serve as a foundational member of our internal legal function. You will play a critical role in accelerating our sales velocity by managing contract reviews and ensuring our corporate records remain audit-ready as we scale. This role is ideal for a private practicing lawyer who has transitioned into the tech world and thrives on the intersection of law, finance, and operations.
What you'll do
-**Commercial Contract Acceleration:**Lead the end-to-end review, drafting, and negotiation of SaaS master service agreements (MSAs), NDAs, and vendor contracts to ensure alignment with company risk profiles. -**Strategic Finance Integration:**Partner closely with the Finance team to ensure legal terms align with revenue recognition policies, M&A due diligence, and long-term strategic goals. -**Entity Management Oversight:**Utilize the Athennian platform to manage our own corporate structure, ensuring all global entities are in good standing and ready for future investment or audit cycles. -**Product & AI Counsel:**Act as a legal stakeholder for "Athennian Intelligence" initiatives, advising on data privacy, AI ethics, and intellectual property rights related to our automated legal workflows. -**Legal Operations:**Identify opportunities to implement legal technology to reduce contract turnaround time and manage external counsel budgets effectively. -**Risk Mitigation & Governance:**Advise leadership on corporate governance, intellectual property protection, and compliance matters (e.g., Sanctions, AML) as they arise in a fast-paced environment.
Qualifications
-**Experience:**3–5 years of private practice experience, followed by 2+ years working in-house at a high-growth technology company. -**Education & Credentials:**Juris Doctor (JD) or equivalent and a member in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario. -**Commercial Acumen:**Ability to balance legal risk with business objectives—acting as a "facilitator" for Sales rather than a "blocker." -**Cross-Border Expertise:**Strong familiarity with US commercial law and market standards (liability caps, indemnities), given our predominantly US-based customer base. -**Startup Agility:**Proven ability to navigate ambiguity, "put out fires" effectively, and manage a high volume of varied legal tasks autonomously. -**Tech-Forward Mindset:**Demonstrated proficiency with CRM (HubSpot), Contract Management Systems (CMS), and a proactive interest in Legal AI.
Not the right fit? Search for Legal Counsel jobs in Toronto, ON
About Athennian
Athennian is a modern business entity and subsidiary governance platform that powers teams to be transaction, audit, and compliance-ready. Legal, finance, and tax professionals use Athennian to automate workflows for ownership, governance, tax, and corporate compliance.
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About the role
About Athennian
Athennian increases trust in business. Our products help legal, finance, and tax teams be transaction and audit-ready by organizing business entity and corporate structure information. Over a million business entities in almost every country are managed on Athennian to automate workflows for ownership, company secretarial, governance, tax, and compliance.
About the role
We are seeking a commercially-minded Legal Counsel to join our team in Toronto. Reporting to the Sr. Director of Strategic Finance, you will serve as a foundational member of our internal legal function. You will play a critical role in accelerating our sales velocity by managing contract reviews and ensuring our corporate records remain audit-ready as we scale. This role is ideal for a private practicing lawyer who has transitioned into the tech world and thrives on the intersection of law, finance, and operations.
What you'll do
-**Commercial Contract Acceleration:**Lead the end-to-end review, drafting, and negotiation of SaaS master service agreements (MSAs), NDAs, and vendor contracts to ensure alignment with company risk profiles. -**Strategic Finance Integration:**Partner closely with the Finance team to ensure legal terms align with revenue recognition policies, M&A due diligence, and long-term strategic goals. -**Entity Management Oversight:**Utilize the Athennian platform to manage our own corporate structure, ensuring all global entities are in good standing and ready for future investment or audit cycles. -**Product & AI Counsel:**Act as a legal stakeholder for "Athennian Intelligence" initiatives, advising on data privacy, AI ethics, and intellectual property rights related to our automated legal workflows. -**Legal Operations:**Identify opportunities to implement legal technology to reduce contract turnaround time and manage external counsel budgets effectively. -**Risk Mitigation & Governance:**Advise leadership on corporate governance, intellectual property protection, and compliance matters (e.g., Sanctions, AML) as they arise in a fast-paced environment.
Qualifications
-**Experience:**3–5 years of private practice experience, followed by 2+ years working in-house at a high-growth technology company. -**Education & Credentials:**Juris Doctor (JD) or equivalent and a member in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario. -**Commercial Acumen:**Ability to balance legal risk with business objectives—acting as a "facilitator" for Sales rather than a "blocker." -**Cross-Border Expertise:**Strong familiarity with US commercial law and market standards (liability caps, indemnities), given our predominantly US-based customer base. -**Startup Agility:**Proven ability to navigate ambiguity, "put out fires" effectively, and manage a high volume of varied legal tasks autonomously. -**Tech-Forward Mindset:**Demonstrated proficiency with CRM (HubSpot), Contract Management Systems (CMS), and a proactive interest in Legal AI.
Not the right fit? Search for Legal Counsel jobs in Toronto, ON
About Athennian
Athennian is a modern business entity and subsidiary governance platform that powers teams to be transaction, audit, and compliance-ready. Legal, finance, and tax professionals use Athennian to automate workflows for ownership, governance, tax, and corporate compliance.