Legal Associate

Pinnacle Group Inc; Chennai; On-site; INR 1,200,000 - 2,400,000; Full time

Job summary

Pinnacle Group in Chennai, Tamil Nadu seeks an experienced in-house commercial contracts lawyer to independently draft, review and negotiate MSAs, SOWs, NDAs, and vendor agreements, ensuring alignment with business objectives.

You will advise on indemnification, liability limits, confidentiality, IP, termination rights, and payment terms, support domestic and international contracting, manage high-volume matters, and collaborate with Sales, Delivery, Finance and HR.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Laws degree; masters preferred but not mandatory.
• 3–7 years in commercial contracting in-house or corporate counsel.
• Experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating MSAs, SOWs, NDAs, vendor contracts.
• Strong understanding of contract principles and risk allocation.
• Excellent drafting, interpretation, negotiation, and communication skills.
• Ability to handle high volumes and work with cross-functional teams.
• Experience with US/UK contracts and employment-related matters is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Draft and negotiate MSAs, SOWs, NDAs, and vendor/supplier contracts.
• Evaluate contractual risk and propose practical revisions.
• Advise on indemnification, liability limits, confidentiality, IP, termination, and payment terms.
• Support domestic and international contracting with stakeholders.
• Manage high-volume contracting matters with timely reviews.
• Collaborate with Sales, Delivery, Finance, HR and other teams.
• Support contract lifecycle management and standard documentation.
• Provide clear legal guidance for routine inquiries and matters.

Skills

Contract drafting

Negotiation

Risk analysis

Stakeholder management

Legal research

Education

Bachelor of Laws (LLB)

LLM (preferred)

Job description

Pinnacle Group exists to connect people with opportunity. For the last 25 years, weve done exactly that by living our core values of putting people first, delivering excellence in all we do, and giving back to the communities in which we live and work. We are a leading workforce solutions company supporting the talent needs of global leaders in financial services, technology, communications, utilities, and transportation and we are one of the largest women and minority-owned companies in our industry. Our team of service-driven, energetic, and diverse professionals is well-respected in our industry and our leadership team is aligned and focused on taking the company to the next level. If youre looking for a new opportunity where you can truly make a difference, we hope youll apply for a position with us.

Job Summary

• Draft and Negotiate Commercial Agreements: Independently draft, review, revise, and negotiate a variety of commercial contracts, including Master Services Agreements (MSAs), Statements of Work (SOWs), Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs), client, 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 U.S, APAC and other jurisdictions as required , coordinating with internal stakeholders to address applicable legal, contractual and business requirements. Prior experience reviewing or negotiating US commercial contracts is preferred.
• Manage High-Volume Contract Activity: Handle multiple contracting matters simultaneously, prioritizing requests, maintaining turnaround expectations, and ensuring 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 contract issues, respond to business queries in a timely manner and facilitate successful negotiations.
• Support Contract Lifecycle Management: Coordinate internal reviews, approval processes, execution requirements, contract tracking, and ongoing contractual administration in partnership with legal operations personnel.
• Provide Practical Legal Guidance: Respond to routine commercial and operational legal inquiries, support employment-related or departmental legal matters as needed, coordinate with external legal counsels as needed and communicate legal considerations in a clear, business-oriented manner.
• Strengthen Contracting Standards: Maintain and improve contract templates, standard clauses, negotiation guidance, and related documentation to promote consistency, efficiency, and appropriate risk management.
• Collaborate on Legal Initiatives: Work with legal leadership and legal operations teams to streamline contracting processes, support continuous improvement initiatives, and elevate complex or high-risk matters appropriately.

Qualifications

• Required: Bachelor of Laws degree (LLB or equivalent recognized law degree). A masters degree in law (LLM or equivalent is preferred but not mandatory.
• 3-7 years of relevant experience in commercial contracting, in an in-house legal department, corporate counsel position, commercial contracts practice, or comparable legal role.
• Demonstrated experience independently drafting, reviewing, and negotiating commercial agreements, particularly MSAs, SOWs, NDAs, and vendor or supplier contracts.
• Strong understanding of commercial contract principles, contractual risk allocation, and key legal provisions, with the ability to develop practical, business-focused recommendations.
• Excellent legal drafting, contract interpretation, negotiation, analytical, and communication skills, with exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to manage a high volume of contractual matters, exercise sound independent judgment, prioritize competing deadlines, and collaborate effectively with cross-functional stakeholders.
• Experience handling U.S. or U.K. commercial contracts is preferred; exposure to international contracting environments is an advantage.
• Prior experience in staffing, workforce solutions, technology, professional services, or similar corporate environments is preferred. Exposure to employment-related legal matters is an additional advantage.