Chief Litigation Counsel - HYBRID

BMC Software; Houston (TX); Hybrid; USD 153,000 - 255,000; Full time

Job summary

BMC Software in Houston is seeking a Chief Litigation Counsel to lead the global litigation and disputes portfolio. You will provide strategic legal guidance to executive leadership, align strategies with business objectives, and manage budgets and outside counsel to optimize outcomes.

You will supervise internal teams, oversee document review and governance, and collaborate with HR, Finance, IT, and Operations to address legal risks across jurisdictions.

Qualifications

• You hold a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school and admission to practice in at least one relevant jurisdiction.
• 7+ years of progressive legal experience managing significant litigation in-house or at a major law firm.
• Strong leadership, communication, and negotiation skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead global litigation portfolio including IP, commercial, employment and regulatory matters through the full dispute lifecycle.
• Manage internal attorneys, paralegals, cross-border personnel, and outside counsel with effective delegation.
• Advise senior management on legal risks, regulatory developments, and compliance requirements.
• Oversee eDiscovery, document review, and governance processes across matters and jurisdictions.

Skills

J.D.

Leadership

Negotiation

Strategic thinking

Ethical mindset

Collaboration

Education

J.D. from accredited law school

Job description

Description and Requirements

"At BMC trust is not just a word - it's a way of life!"

CareerArc Code

CA-JY

Hybrid

BMC empowers nearly 80% of the Forbes Global 100 to accelerate business value, faster than humanly possible. Our industry-leading portfolio unlocks human and machine potential to drive business growth, innovation, and sustainable success. BMC does this in a simple and optimized way by connecting people, systems, and data that power the world’s largest organizations so they can seize a competitive advantage.

BMC’s dynamic corporate teams are strategic and trusted advisors to the global organization supporting, enhancing, and driving BMC’s vision, culture, growth, and so much more. Each individual within the corporate teams is a valued partner to the overarching success of BMC’s employees and customers.

Join us as the Chief Litigation Counsel!

We are a tight-knit, high-impact legal team at the heart of a fast-moving tech company. Smart, curious, and highly collaborative, we bring sharp legal minds to the table—without the ego. We are seeking a motivated, detail-oriented, and enthusiastic Chief Litigation Counsel to lead BMC’s global litigation and disputes portfolio. This role provides strategic legal guidance to executive leadership, aligns legal strategies with business objectives, and manages legal budgets and outside counsel relationships to optimize outcomes and cost efficiency across jurisdictions. The ideal candidate will be a creative, business-minded problem solver with broad litigation experience, a strong interest in software technology, and the ability to proactively issue-spot in ambiguous situations. We value curiosity, clear communication, collaboration, and a healthy sense of humor. If you are looking to join a legal team that is both intellectually rigorous and refreshingly down-to-earth, we would love to meet you.

Here is how, through this exciting role, YOU will contribute to BMC's and your own success:

• Global Litigation Leadership:
  • Manage a high-volume global portfolio of complex, high-value intellectual property, commercial, employment, and regulatory matters through the full dispute lifecycle, including participation in or close supervision of early case assessment, legal research, pleadings, motions practice, discovery, depositions, hearings, trials, mediations, arbitrations, post-judgment proceedings, and appeals.
  • Lead internal attorneys, paralegals, cross-border legal personnel, and outside counsel through effective delegation, talent development, and workload coordination.
  • Develop and execute litigation strategies that protect BMC’s interests and support its innovation and business objectives worldwide.
  • Advise on IP enforcement and defense against infringement claims across global markets.
  • Represent BMC in legal proceedings, regulatory hearings, and industry forums.
  • Oversee legal holds, eDiscovery, document review, and defensible information-governance processes across matters and jurisdictions.
• Outside Counsel & Budget Management:
  • Select, retain, and manage outside counsel for litigation matters, including negotiating engagement terms and monitoring performance, outcomes, and cost efficiency.
  • Develop alternative fee arrangements and creative payment structures, and manage legal vendors to improve predictability, performance, and value.
  • Oversee the litigation budget, track spending, and implement cost-saving measures across jurisdictions.
• Legal Risk & Compliance:
  • Advise senior management and the board on legal risks, regulatory developments, and compliance requirements, particularly those affecting litigation and intellectual property.
  • Provide litigation risk assessments for mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and other strategic transactions, including diligence, disclosure, and integration planning.
  • Support enterprise AI governance by evaluating legal and regulatory risks and developing responsible-use policies, review processes, and contract terms for artificial intelligence technologies.
  • Collaborate with Human Resources, Finance, IT, Operations, and other business teams to identify, assess, and address legal risks. Design and deliver targeted training on compliance requirements, risk-mitigation strategies, and evolving legal standards.
• Legal Operations & Enterprise Leadership:
  • Modernize matter management, billing, communications, reporting, and the legal technology stack to improve efficiency, visibility, and decision-making without increasing net cost.
  • Contribute legal insight to company-wide initiatives and present recommendations to the CEO, executive leadership, and the board.
  • Prepare periodic litigation reports for the board and executive leadership addressing strategy, exposure, reserves, contingencies, and material developments. Partner with Finance and auditors to support accurate financial statements and disclosures.

To ensure you are set up for success, you will bring the following skillset and experience:

• You hold a Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school and admission to practice in at least one relevant jurisdiction.
• You have 7+ years of progressive legal experience managing significant litigation in-house or at a major law firm.
• Strong leadership, communication, and negotiation skills.
• You are a highly ethical individual with a strong commitment to compliance.
• You are a strategic thinker with the ability to anticipate legal risks and proactively address emerging issues worldwide.
• You are collaborative, adaptable, and able to work effectively with senior executives and cross-functional teams across cultures.

Preferred Attributes/Skillset

• Proven ability to manage outside counsel and legal budgets effectively.
• Experience with cross-border management of legal teams and outside counsel.
• Experience in the technology or software industry, with a focus on intellectual property protection and enforcement.
• Familiarity with global regulatory environments and cross-border litigation.

Our commitment to you!

BMC’s culture is built around its people. We have 6000+ brilliant minds working together across the globe. You won’t be known just by your employee number, but for your true authentic self. BMC lets you be YOU!

If after reading the above, you are unsure if you meet the qualifications of this role but are deeply excited about BMC and this team, we still encourage you to apply! We want to attract talents from diverse backgrounds and experience to ensure we face the world together with the best ideas!

BMC is committed to equal opportunity employment regardless of race, age, sex, creed, color, religion, citizenship status, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, gender identity, national origin, disability, marital status, pregnancy, disabled veteran or status as a protected veteran. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, visit the accommodation request page.

BMC Software maintains a strict policy of not requesting any form of payment in exchange for employment opportunities, upholding a fair and ethical hiring process.

The annual base salary range represents the low and high end of the BMC salary range for this position. Actual salaries depend on a wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions, including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training, licensure, and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.

The range listed is just one component of BMC's employee compensation package. Other rewards may include a variable plan and country specific benefits.

At BMC, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at /near the top of the range. A reasonable estimate of the current range is $152,850 - $254,750