Corporate Counsel

David Protein; New York (NY); On-site; USD 195,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, Vision, Dental Insurance

Company equity opportunity

401(k) with 4% match

Gym expenses

Job summary

David Protein in New York City is building its legal foundation as a fast-growing, early-stage CPG company. We are hiring a Corporate Counsel to be the second in-house lawyer, reporting to the General Counsel and partnering with Finance, Supply Chain, Quality, Retail, R&D and Marketing to advise on contracts, compliance and scalable processes.

You will manage outside counsel, drive risk assessment, and help shape commercial strategy while wearing many hats in a dynamic, high‑ownership

Qualifications

• JD from an accredited law school.
• 3–5 years of experience, ideally mix of top-tier firm and in-house.
• Analytical and creative mindset.
• Strong work ethic and ability to manage multiple deadlines.
• Detail oriented with organizational skills.
• Strength in commercial contract negotiation.
• FDA labeling, food compliance and marketing law familiarity is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Partner with GC and support marketing-driven consumer business.
• Own legal operations, including AI-enabled tools, templates, and processes.
• Manage day-to-day legal needs across commercial, corporate, marketing, employment, IP, and regulatory matters.
• Draft and negotiate contracts with suppliers, manufacturers, retailers, and partners.
• Coordinate with outside counsel on litigation, regulatory, IP, corporate, privacy, and employment law.
• Support legal review for claims, packaging, website compliance and marketing.
• Manage patent, trademark, and IP portfolio with outside counsel.
• Support People Ops on offer letters, equity grants, compensation plans, and employee relations.
• Support M&A, equity/debt financings, due diligence, and integration.

Skills

Analytical mindset

Creative mindset

Strong communication

Detail oriented

High integrity

Education

JD from an accredited law school

Job description

Company

David creates tools to increase muscle and decrease fat. Our first product is a protein bar. More broadly, David is a platform to develop high-protein, low-calorie, blood‑sugar‑friendly foods that are craveable.

This is a compelling opportunity to be a part of an exciting new food brand as we operate within a critical growth stage. David is led by CEO Peter Rahal, the Cofounder and Former CEO of RXBAR ($600M exit to Kellogg in 2017). We have strong aspirations to become the most popular high‑protein bar in North America and beyond.

Role

We’re hiring a Corporate Counsel to support building the legal foundation of the company. You’ll be the second in‑house legal hire, responsible for supporting David’s growth by managing risk, navigating complex regulatory environments, and establishing scalable legal processes. You’ll report to the General Counsel and work closely with Finance, Supply Chain, Quality, Retail, R&D and Marketing to advise on commercial strategy, contracts, compliance, and more.

This is a cross‑functional, high‑ownership role where you’ll need to prioritize what matters most, communicate clearly, and solve problems quickly. You’ll be the General Counsel’s right hand, working side by side to own legal execution across the company, managing outside counsel and internal workflows, and using sharp judgment to know when to run with something yourself versus when to loop in the GC. We’re a young, fast‑moving company, so you’ll wear many hats and build a lot from scratch.

Responsibilities

• Partnering closely with the General Counsel and supporting a highly marketing‑driven, consumer‑facing business with a strong brand presence.
• Owning legal operations, including leveraging AI to build and scale the tools, templates, and processes that let a lean team punch above its weight.
• Managing day‑to‑day legal needs across commercial, corporate, marketing, employment, IP, and regulatory matters.
• Drafting and negotiating contracts with suppliers, manufacturers, retailers, and partners.
• Partnering with outside counsel across litigation, regulatory, IP, corporate, privacy, and employment law.
• Supporting the legal review process for claims, packaging, website compliance and marketing.
• Managing our portfolio of patents, trademarks and other IP with support of outside counsel.
• Supporting the People Ops team on offer letters, equity grants, compensation plans, and employee relations.
• Supporting M&A transactions, equity and debt financings, commercial due diligence, and integration efforts.
• Collaborating with Systems and Data team on AI issues, including vendor onboarding, internal policies and other risk mitigation efforts.
• Building internal tools, templates, policies, and systems for legal documentation and risk.

Qualifications

• JD from an accredited law school and licensed to practice in New York.
• 3‑5 years of experience, ideally a mix of top‑tier firm and in‑house (CPG experience strongly preferred).
• Analytical and creative mindset.
• Strong work ethic and ability to simultaneously manage multiple tasks and deadlines.
• Detail oriented with exceptional organizational skills.
• Strength in commercial contract negotiation.
• Familiarity with FDA labeling, food compliance, and marketing law is a nice to have.
• Experience supporting legal work for a growth‑stage company (either at a top‑tier firm or in‑house).
• Strong communication skills and a practical approach to legal risk.
• High integrity, sound judgment, and a low‑ego, get‑it‑done attitude.
• Comfort working independently, but willing to jump into the weeds when needed.
• Excitement about building an early‑stage CPG company.
• An entrepreneurial, roll‑up‑your‑sleeves builder’s mindset — no task too big or too small, and energized by creating structure where none exists yet.
• AI‑savvy, with a track record of using modern tools to work faster and smarter.

Benefits

• This is a full‑time, in‑office role based in New York City. We work onsite five days a week – when the culture fits, it is fun to be in the office together.
• Salary: $195‑225k per year, inclusive of cash bonus based on attainment of company targets.
• Company equity opportunity on top of cash compensation.
• 100% covered Health, Vision, Dental Insurance.
• 401(k) with 4% match.
• Additional perks, such as covered gym expenses.
• Substantial and required PTO.