Legal Counsel

SymphonyAI; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 180,000 - 360,000; Full time

Job summary

SymphonyAI is seeking a Legal Counsel to join its Malaysia office, supporting APAC operations in commercial transactions and technology partnerships. You will negotiate and draft complex contracts, assess risk, provide strategic legal advice to sales, product and engineering teams, and monitor data privacy regulations across APAC.

Fluency in English is essential; additional APAC languages are a plus. The role requires initiative, cross-functional collaboration, and the ability to manage multiple

Qualifications

• Qualified lawyer with rights to practice in APAC (e.g., Malaysia, Australia, Singapore) or England & Wales.
• Approximately 5 years PQE in‑house or at a law firm.
• Experience with SaaS and AI product contracts for US-headquartered tech firms is preferred.
• Knowledge of software/SaaS contracting, IP, and APAC data privacy regulations.
• Strong drafting/negotiation of complex commercial agreements.

Responsibilities

• Manage and negotiate a wide range of commercial transactions across APAC (sales, vendor, licensing, distribution).
• Conduct legal risk assessments and align transactions with business objectives.
• Collaborate with sales, product and engineering teams to support initiatives and partnerships.
• Ensure compliance with data privacy laws across APAC and monitor new country regulations.
• Review technology partnership agreements, joint ventures, and collaborations with risk considerations.
• Develop templates and playbooks to improve efficiency and mitigate legal risks.
• Stay informed on APAC laws and regulations and provide internal training materials.

Skills

SaaS contracting

Data privacy regulations

Risk assessment

Negotiation

English fluency

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Law degree (LLB/JD)

Job description

Introduction

Legal Counsel

SymphonyAI Financial Services is a leading provider of advanced AI-driven solutions for financial crime and compliance management. Our cutting-edge technology leverages artificial intelligence to deliver actionable insights, enhance decision-making, and drive operational efficiency.

The Opportunity

Our legal team is the backbone of SymphonyAI's global operations across the Americas, UK, Europe, Middle East & Africa, and APAC regions. Focusing on enterprise Software-as-a-Service agreements, this role offers a unique chance to develop a deep understanding of AI technology and the associated legal issues, with a particular focus on our fast-growing APAC business. You will collaborate closely with internal stakeholders, including senior executives, sales teams, product and engineering organisations, and various departments, to support SymphonyAI's commercial goals while safeguarding its legal interests. This position will be based in our Malaysia office and will report to SymphonyAI's Vice President and General Counsel International.

Job Description

What You'll Do:

• Manage and negotiate a wide range of commercial transactions, including sales contracts, vendor agreements, licensing agreements, and distribution agreements, across the APAC region.
• Conduct legal analysis and risk assessments for commercial relationships, ensuring they align with business objectives.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to provide legal support for business initiatives, product launches, and partnerships across APAC markets.
• Support efforts to ensure compliance with data privacy and protection laws across the region, including Malaysia's Personal Data Protection Act, Singapore's PDPA, Australia's Privacy Act, and other applicable APAC regulations, as well as monitoring new country laws as they emerge.
• Assist in the review and negotiation of technology partnership agreements, joint ventures, and collaborations. Evaluate and address legal risks associated with product development, data usage, and emerging technologies, including AI.
• Help develop and improve legal processes, templates, and playbooks to enhance efficiency and mitigate legal risks.
• Stay informed about changes in laws and regulations, industry trends, best practices, and emerging legal issues across APAC jurisdictions that may impact the organization.
• Conduct internal training and develop educational materials to enhance legal awareness within the organisation.

Qualifications:

• Qualified lawyer in an APAC jurisdiction (e.g. Malaysia, Australia, Singapore) or England and Wales, with rights to practice recognised in the region.
• Approximately 5 years PQE at a law firm or in-house.
• Required: experience gained in-house or advising a US-headquartered technology company, ideally selling SaaS and/or AI products, ideally with exposure to APAC customers or operations.
• Knowledge of, and experience with, software and SaaS contracting, contract law, intellectual property, and data privacy regulations across APAC.
• Experience with financial services clients or regulation is a nice to have, but not required.
• Proven experience in drafting and negotiating complex commercial agreements with a keen attention to detail.
• Fluent in English, written and spoken; additional APAC languages (e.g. Mandarin, Japanese, Bahasa) are a plus.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to assess risks and provide practical solutions, balancing legal considerations with commercial objectives.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to communicate complex legal concepts effectively to a range of stakeholders.
• Ability to collaborate and build strong relationships with internal stakeholders, across different business units, time zones, and at all levels of the organisation.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
• Comfortable working across time zones with colleagues in the Americas, UK, and EMEA.

About Us

SymphonyAI is building the leading enterprise AI SaaS company for digital transformation across the most critical and resilient growth industries, including retail, consumer packaged goods, financial crime prevention, manufacturing, media, and IT service management. Since its founding in 2017, SymphonyAI today serves 1600+ Enterprise customers globally and has grown to 2,300 talented leaders, data scientists, and other professionals across over 30 countries.