Lead - Finserv Intelligence/Senior Lead - Finserv Intelligence

We are looking for an exceptional investment lawyer who has spent a significant portion of their career executing venture capital, private equity and strategic technology investments, particularly in software, SaaS, AI, cybersecurity and deep-tech startups.

This is not a conventional legal counsel role.

This role is specifically designed for professionals who have acted as lead legal counsel on startup investments and have managed investment transactions from sourcing support through due diligence, negotiation, execution, portfolio governance, follow-ons, secondary transactions and exits.

Candidates whose experience is primarily litigation, compliance, labour law, disputes, general corporate law, commercial contracting or traditional in-house legal work without substantial PE/VC transaction execution experience will not be considered.

• End-to-End Venture Investment Transaction Execution - Lead all legal aspects of venture and strategic investment transactions from inception to closing. Responsibilities include: Structuring venture investment transactions; Advising investment teams on transaction mechanics; Reviewing investment memorandums; Supporting Investment Committee processes; Developing transaction structures; Advising on risk allocation; Managing transaction timelines; Coordinating external counsel; Coordinating founders and investors; Driving signing and closing processes; Managing post-closing and exits obligations.
• Venture Capital Deal Documentation - Lead drafting, review and negotiation of all transaction documents including: Preliminary Documents, NDAs, MNDAs, Confidentiality Agreements, Information Access Protocols, Data Room Protocols, Exclusivity Arrangements, No-Shop Agreements, LOIs, Term Sheets, Indicative Offers, Investment Proposals, Definitive Agreements, Share Subscription Agreements (SSA), Share Purchase Agreements (SPA), Shareholders Agreements (SHA), Investor Rights Agreements, Voting Agreements, Founders Agreements, Convertible Instruments Documentation, SAFE Agreements, CCPS Documentation, CCD Documentation, ESOP-related investment documentation, Joint Venture Agreements, Strategic Alliance Agreements, Closing Documentation, Disclosure Letters, Closing Checklists, Conditions Precedent Tracking, Conditions Subsequent Tracking, Board Resolutions, Shareholder Resolutions, Closing Deliverables, Regulatory Filings.
• Technology-Focused Legal Due Diligence - Lead legal due diligence efforts on emerging technology startups, particular focus areas include: Corporate Due Diligence; Cap table verification; Historical funding rounds; ESOP structures; Founder agreements; Governance review; Shareholding validation; Technology Due Diligence; Software ownership; Source code ownership; Open-source compliance; Product licensing structures; Third-party software dependencies; SaaS architecture risks; AI model ownership; AI-Specific Due Diligence; Foundation model licensing; Training data ownership; Data provenance; Data usage rights; AI model IP ownership; Synthetic data rights; Copyright risks; AI governance risks; Regulatory exposure; AI explainability risks; Cybersecurity Due Diligence; Security certifications; Security compliance; Breach history; Vulnerability disclosure programs; Security liability exposures; Data security controls; Cyber insurance coverage; Quantum and Deep-Tech Due Diligence; Patent portfolio review; Research commercialization rights; University IP agreements; Technology transfer agreements; Government grants restrictions; Cross-border technology transfer controls
• Intellectual Property Leadership - Act as subject matter expert for all technology IP matters. Key responsibilities: Technology IP; Software ownership validation; Source code ownership; Contributor agreements; Work-for-hire structures; Contractor IP assignments; Customer ownership clauses; Patent Strategy; Patent portfolio review; Patentability assessment support; Freedom-to-operate reviews; Patent enforcement risks; Patent licensing reviews; Emerging Technology Rights; AI rights framework; Model ownership frameworks; Algorithm ownership; Data ownership rights; Trade secret protection; Quantum IP protections; Commercialization Rights; Licensing models; Revenue-sharing structures; White-label rights; Distribution rights; Commercialization restrictions.
• Investment Negotiation Leadership - Lead negotiations directly with: Founders, Founder counsels, Venture Capital funds, Private Equity funds, Strategic investors, Corporate investors, International investors, Law firms. Negotiate key provisions including: Liquidation preferences; Anti-dilution mechanisms; Pro-rata rights; Information rights; Board rights; Observer rights; Reserved matters; Protective provisions; Tag-along rights; Drag-along rights; Exit rights; Founder vesting; Lock-in provisions; ROFR/ROFO rights; MFN provisions.
• Fund Deployment and Closing Management - Own legal readiness for capital deployment. Responsibilities include: Closing readiness assessment; Funding conditions validation; Regulatory readiness checks; Signatory verification; Funds release legal clearance; Closing documentation management; Investment completion certifications.
• Portfolio Company Legal Governance - Provide ongoing legal support across portfolio companies. Including: Board governance; Shareholder governance; Reserved matter approvals; Follow-on investments; Down rounds; Internal restructurings; Founder transitions; ESOP modifications; Strategic partnerships; MA opportunities.
• Exit and Liquidity Transactions - Lead legal workstreams across Strategic Exits (Mergers; Acquisitions; Asset sales; Business transfers); Investor Liquidity (Secondary transactions; Share transfers; Structured exits; Tender processes); Public Markets (Pre-IPO readiness; IPO participation; Regulatory preparedness).
• Cross-Border Investment Transactions - Advise on: Foreign investments; Cross-border capital flows; International structures; Holding company structures; Delaware structures; Singapore structures; UAE structures; FEMA compliance; ODI regulations; International regulatory matters.