Canonical is a leading provider of open source software and operating systems to the global enterprise and technology markets. Our platform, Ubuntu, is very widely used in breakthrough enterprise initiatives such as public cloud, data science, AI, engineering innovation and IoT. Our customers include the world's leading public cloud and silicon providers, and industry leaders in many sectors. The company is a pioneer of global distributed collaboration, with 1000+ colleagues in 70+ countries and very few roles based in offices. Teams meet two to four times yearly in person, in interesting locations around the world, to align on strategy and execution.

The company is founder led, profitable and growing. We have created an additional position for a Legal Counsel based in either EMEA or Americas time zones to expand our legal team, focused on customer, partner, supplier, contractor and employee contracts. If they are based in London they would have the option to work in our London office at Tower Bridge, otherwise the position can be held from a home office. We predominantly deal with US and English law agreements.

This is an opportunity to work in an exciting and dynamic technology company in the software sector. The successful candidate will have exposure to a variety of commercial contracts, customers and jurisdictions. The ideal candidate must be able to demonstrate good commercial acumen, be organised and efficient and provide high quality legal and commercial advice and assistance.

The role entails

Draft, review and negotiate commercial contracts, including complex agreements with large global customers
Engage with legal issues relating to commercial contracts with customers, suppliers, partners and employees
Expertise in some combination of software licensing, technology services, commercial contracts, real estate, IP, tax or employment matters
Coordination and communication with legal counsel, executives, managers, specialists and the open source or Ubuntu Community
Legal research and independent work to produce industry- or jurisdiction-specific analysis or position statements

Required skills & experience

An exceptional academic track record from both high school and university
An undergraduate degree in law, JD or equivalent, and active license to practice law
Able to organise, prioritise and coordinate projects with end-to-end responsibility
Confidence to respectfully speak up, exchange feedback, and share ideas without hesitation
Track record of going above-and-beyond expectations to achieve outstanding results
Passion for technology evidenced by personal projects and initiatives
Professional written and spoken English with excellent presentation and interpersonal skills
Appreciative of diversity, polite and effective in a multi-cultural multi-national organisation
Curiosity, flexibility, and accountability
Thoughtfulness and self-motivation
Result-oriented, with a personal drive to meet commitments
Ability to travel twice a year, for company events up to two weeks long

Nice to have

Understanding of free and open source software legal and philosophical principles
Technical experience preferred, including experience of open source software
Experience in corporate, commercial, or intellectual property law with a software focus
Previous experience of in-house legal work
Private practice legal experience

What we offer you

We consider geographical location, experience, and performance in shaping compensation worldwide. We revisit compensation annually (and more often for graduates and associates) to ensure we recognise outstanding performance. In addition to base pay, we offer a performance-driven annual bonus or commission. We provide all team members with additional benefits, which reflect our values and ideals. We balance our programs to meet local needs and ensure fairness globally.

Distributed work environment with twice-yearly team sprints in person
Personal learning and development budget of USD 2,000 per year
Annual compensation review
Recognition rewards
Annual holiday leave
Maternity and paternity leave
Employee Assistance Programme
Opportunity to travel to new locations to meet colleagues
Priority Pass, and travel upgrades for long haul company events

About Canonical

Canonical is a pioneering tech firm at the forefront of the global move to open source. As the company that publishes Ubuntu, one of the most important open source projects and the platform for AI, IoT and the cloud, we are changing the world of software. We recruit on a global basis and set a very high standard for people joining the company. We expect excellence - in order to succeed, we need to be the best at what we do. Most colleagues at Canonical have worked from home since its inception in 2004. Working here is a step into the future, and will challenge you to think differently, work smarter, learn new skills, and raise your game.

Canonical is an equal opportunity employer

We are proud to foster a workplace free from discrimination. Diversity of experience, perspectives, and background create a better work environment and better products. Whatever your identity, we will give your application fair consideration.

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Legal Counsel - tech sector, global company