Emerging Companies Counsel
- Toronto, ON, Canada
Full-time
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Job details
- Job type
- Full-time
- Apply by
- Experience
- Experience: 4 to 15 years at a leading law firm or in-house, advising emerging and venture-backed technology companies.
- Posting language
- English
- Posted
Original job description
About Us
Blackletter is reinventing legal services from first principles.
We pair frontier automation with top-tier lawyers. This allows our firm to deliver elite legal services with a transformed experience for our clients and for the lawyers doing the work. Early traction has been strong. We are serving a growing roster of clients across venture financing, commercial, corporate, and employment, and we are backed by leading venture investors.
Our founding team brings experience from frontier AI labs, leading law firms, and some of the top law schools in North America. The most impactful firm in the world ten years from now will not be one founded in the 1900s, or the 1800s. It was founded in 2026.
We are a small team making our earliest hires, with a significant opportunity to shape not only our company, but the entire legal profession.
The Role
You will be the day-to-day legal partner for venture-backed technology companies, handling the work that emerging companies face as they form, grow, and scale. You will also work closely with the team to help shape the technology that the firm uses to make legal work more efficient.
What You Will Do
- Advise founders on incorporation and ongoing governance
- Lead venture financings, from SAFEs and convertible notes through priced rounds
- Represent companies in mergers and acquisitions
- Draft, review, and negotiate commercial agreements
- Serve as the primary contact for a roster of clients, running matters end to end, spotting issues before clients raise them, and bringing in specialist support when a matter calls for it
- Work directly with founders, investors, and counterparties to move deals forward
- Shape how our AI-driven workflows are built
Who We Are Looking For
Experience: 4 to 15 years at a leading law firm or in-house, advising emerging and venture-backed technology companies.
Judgment: Strong commercial instincts and the ability to give clear, practical advice across a wide range of issues.
Orientation: You notice when the same issue comes up repeatedly and look for a way to handle it better the next time. You are frustrated by how long routine legal work takes and are open to changing how it gets done.
Compensation and Structure
Competitive salary plus equity. Compensation is commensurate with experience.
Why Us
You will spend more of your time on negotiating, advising, and making judgment calls, and less on work that should already be automated. As one of our first legal hires, you will have a direct hand in shaping the future practice of law.
We value and celebrate diversity and strive to create an inclusive work environment for all. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and are committed to providing equal opportunities. Should you require any accommodations during the recruitment process, please reach out to contact@blackletterfirm.com.
More about this job
Responsibilities
Advise venture-backed technology companies on incorporation, governance, financings, mergers and acquisitions, and commercial agreements, managing client matters from start to finish. Work with founders, investors, and counterparties to advance deals and help shape the firm’s AI-driven legal workflows.
Requirements
Requires 4 to 15 years of experience at a leading law firm or in-house advising emerging and venture-backed technology companies. Candidates should demonstrate strong commercial judgment, provide clear and practical advice, and be open to improving routine legal work and workflows.
Skills
- Corporate Governance
- Company Incorporation
- Venture Financing
- SAFE Agreements
- Convertible Notes
- Priced Equity Rounds
- Mergers And Acquisitions
- Commercial Agreements
- Contract Drafting And Negotiation
- Legal Advisory
- Deal Negotiation
- Commercial Judgment
- AI-Driven Workflows
Benefits
- Equity
Visa sponsorship
Not detected in the job text
Categories
- Legal
Keywords
- Legal Services
- Emerging Companies
- Venture-Backed Technology Companies
- Company Incorporation
- Corporate Governance
- Venture Financing
- SAFE Agreements
- Convertible Notes
- Priced Rounds
- Mergers And Acquisitions
- Commercial Agreements
- Contract Drafting
- Contract Review
- Contract Negotiation
- Client Advisory
- Matter Management
- Founder Relations
- Investor Relations
- Deal Execution
- Commercial Judgment
- Artificial Intelligence
- Legal Automation
- AI-Driven Workflows