Legal Counsel in Toronto, Ontario at Athennian

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.