General Counsel at Weekday AI (YC W21) in Bengaluru, Karnataka, IN

This role is for one of the Weekday's clients

Salary range: Rs 9000000 - Rs 18000000 (ie INR 90 - 180 LPA)

Min Experience: 10+ years

Location: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India JobType: full-time

We are seeking an experienced and strategic General Counsel to lead our legal function and serve as a trusted advisor to the executive leadership team. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience handling complex legal matters, corporate governance, regulatory compliance, commercial transactions, and risk management, with a strong understanding of US legal frameworks and data compliance regulations. This role requires a business-oriented legal leader who can balance legal risk with organizational growth while establishing scalable legal processes across the company.

As the company's primary legal advisor, you will oversee all legal operations, ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations, negotiate high-value commercial agreements, and provide strategic guidance on corporate initiatives, mergers and acquisitions, employment law, intellectual property, privacy, and litigation management.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as the principal legal advisor to the executive leadership team and board on all legal and regulatory matters.
• Develop and execute the organization's legal strategy aligned with business objectives.
• Draft, review, negotiate, and manage a wide range of commercial contracts, partnership agreements, vendor contracts, customer agreements, and licensing arrangements.
• Ensure compliance with US legal requirements and advise business stakeholders on evolving regulatory landscapes.
• Lead the company's data compliance initiatives, including privacy regulations, information governance, and risk mitigation frameworks.
• Establish and maintain corporate governance policies and oversee board documentation and regulatory filings.
• Manage employment-related legal matters, intellectual property protection, litigation, dispute resolution, and external legal counsel.
• Identify legal risks across business functions and implement proactive mitigation strategies.
• Partner closely with HR, Finance, Product, Engineering, Security, and Sales teams to provide timely legal guidance on strategic initiatives.
• Create standardized legal templates, contract workflows, and compliance processes to improve operational efficiency.
• Monitor legislative and regulatory developments affecting the business and recommend appropriate actions.
• Build and mentor the legal team while managing external law firms and legal budgets effectively.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Law (LLB) with a Juris Doctor (JD), LLM, or equivalent legal qualification preferred.
• 10–20 years of progressive legal experience, including significant in-house counsel experience or leadership within a reputable law firm.
• Strong expertise in Legal, US Legal, corporate law, commercial contracts, regulatory compliance, and corporate governance.
• Demonstrated experience managing data compliance, privacy laws, and information security regulations.
• Excellent understanding of contract law, employment law, intellectual property, and dispute resolution.
• Proven ability to advise executive leadership on strategic business decisions while managing legal risk.
• Exceptional negotiation, communication, analytical, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience supporting global or multinational organizations is highly desirable.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience as a General Counsel, Head of Legal, or Chief Legal Officer in a fast-growing technology, SaaS, fintech, healthcare, or multinational organization.
• Familiarity with international privacy regulations and cross-border legal matters.
• Experience supporting fundraising, mergers & acquisitions, corporate restructuring, or IPO readiness.
• Strong leadership skills with experience building and scaling legal operations.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-growth environment while managing multiple priorities.

Must-Have Skills

• Legal
• Data Compliance
• US Legal

Good-to-Have Skills

• General Counsel
• Head of Legal
• Chief Legal Officer