Legal Associate

Pinnacle Group; Chennai; Hybrid; INR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Pinnacle Group is seeking a commercially minded Legal Associate - Commercial Contract to draft, review, and negotiate a broad portfolio of contracts supporting domestic and international operations. The role demands strong drafting, negotiating, and risk assessment skills to balance legal risk with business needs.

The candidate will collaborate with Sales, Delivery, Finance, and other teams to ensure compliant, commercially sound agreements and efficient processes across cross-border

Qualifications

• Experience drafting, reviewing, redlining, and negotiating commercial contracts including MSAs, SOWs, and NDAs.
• Experience in in-house or commercial contracting role.
• Experience with US and international contracting preferred.
• Strong communication and negotiation skills.

Responsibilities

• Draft and negotiate commercial agreements: MSAs, SOWs, NDAs, client/vendor agreements.
• Evaluate contractual risk and provide practical revisions and negotiating positions.
• Advise on indemnification, limitation of liability, IP, termination, and payment terms.
• Support domestic and international contracting and coordinate with internal stakeholders.
• Manage high-volume contract activity with timely, accurate reviews.
• Collaborate with Sales, Delivery, Finance, HR to understand commercial objectives.
• Support contract negotiations and resolve disputes with commercially balanced solutions.
• Maintain contract quality and compliance with policies and applicable laws.

Skills

Contract drafting

Contract negotiation

Contract review

Risk assessment

Stakeholder coordination

Education

LL.B. or equivalent

Tools

MSA templates

SOW templates

NDA templates

Job description

Job Details:

Position: Legal Associate - Commercial Contract

Location: Chennai, India (Hybrid)

Experience Required: 3-7 Years

Summary:

Pinnacle Group is seeking a commercially minded Legal Associate - Commercial Contract to join our legal team and support a broad portfolio of domestic and international commercial agreements. This role will be responsible for drafting, reviewing, negotiating, and managing contracts that support our business operations, client relationships, and strategic partnerships. The ideal candidate brings strong in-house legal or commercial contracting experience, exceptional drafting and negotiation skills, and the ability to balance legal risk with practical business objectives. This opportunity offers meaningful exposure to cross-border commercial transactions, diverse contractual arrangements, and collaboration with business leaders across a global organization.

Job Description:

• Draft and Negotiate Commercial Agreements: Independently draft, review, revise, redline, and negotiate commercial contracts, including Master Services Agreements (MSAs), Statements of Work (SOWs), Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs), client agreements, vendor agreements, supplier contracts, and related commercial documentation.
• Evaluate Contractual Risk: Analyze contractual provisions to identify legal, financial, operational, and commercial risks, recommending practical revisions and negotiating positions that protect organizational interests while supporting business objectives.
• Advise on Key Commercial Terms: Review and negotiate provisions involving indemnification, limitation of liability, confidentiality, intellectual property, termination rights, payment obligations, service commitments, and other material contractual terms.
• Support Domestic and International Contracting: Assist with commercial agreements involving the United States, APAC, and other jurisdictions, coordinating with internal stakeholders to address applicable legal, contractual, and business requirements.
• Manage High-Volume Contract Activity: Handle multiple contracting matters simultaneously, prioritize requests, maintain turnaround expectations, and ensure accurate and timely legal review without compromising quality.
• Partner with Business Stakeholders: Collaborate closely with Sales, Delivery, Finance, HR, and other business functions to understand commercial objectives, resolve contractual issues, respond to business queries, and facilitate successful negotiations.
• Support Contract Negotiations: Engage with internal teams and external counterparties to resolve contractual disagreements and develop commercially reasonable solutions.
• Maintain Contract Quality and Compliance: Ensure agreements accurately reflect negotiated terms, applicable legal requirements, internal policies, and approved commercial positions.

Requirements:

• Law degree (LL.B. or equivalent) from a recognized institution.
• Demonstrated experience in commercial contract drafting, review, redlining, and negotiation, preferably within an in-house legal or commercial contracting function.
• Hands-on experience handling MSAs, SOWs, NDAs, vendor agreements, supplier contracts, and other business-to-business commercial agreements.
• Strong understanding of key contractual provisions, including indemnification, limitation of liability, intellectual property rights, confidentiality, termination, and payment terms.
• Ability to independently identify contractual risks, recommend practical solutions, and negotiate commercially balanced terms.
• Experience reviewing or negotiating US commercial agreements and exposure to international contracting are preferred.
• Ability to manage a high volume of contractual matters while maintaining accuracy, quality, and turnaround commitments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, stakeholder management, analytical thinking, and negotiation skills.