Counsel, Commercial Contracts

WFB Ashurst Perkins Coie US LLP; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 146,000 - 231,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual discretionary bonus

401(k) plan

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Paid time off

Parental leave

Holidays / family care

Job summary

Ashurst Perkins Coie US LLP is seeking a Counselor, Commercial Contracts to provide strategic legal counsel across procurement contracting, reviewing and negotiating high-volume agreements, including services, SaaS, licenses, HR, and AI-related contracts. This hybrid role partners with Legal, Procurement, IT, Marketing, and HR, requiring 5–7 years of relevant experience, a J.D.

with an active license, and strong communication skills to advise on risk and drive efficient contracting processes

Qualifications

• J.D. with active license in at least one jurisdiction.
• 5–7 years of contract counseling experience.
• Experience drafting and negotiating supplier and technology contracts.
• Strong knowledge of contract terms, IT, and data management.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.

Responsibilities

• Draft, negotiate, and review a wide variety of contracts with a risk-based approach.
• Partner across the firm to streamline procurement and contracting processes.
• Ensure contract intake is complete and business-ready for review.
• Support Procurement with SLAs, training, playbooks, and guidance.
• Advise on supplier contracts, risk management, terms, and disputes.
• Escalate complex legal matters to appropriate firm counsel.
• Develop and maintain supplier contracting policies and standards.
• Monitor developments and propose proactive updates.
• Contribute to firm-wide supplier contract templates and training.

Skills

Contract drafting

Negotiation

Regulatory knowledge

IT & data management

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

J.D. licensure

Experience 5–7 years

Education

Juris Doctor (J.D.)

Job description

Job Description

Counsel, Commercial Contracts Drive Operational Excellence At Ashurst Perkins Coie US LLP, our people are our greatest asset. We're looking for a collaborative, detail-oriented Counsel, Commercial Contracts to join our team and help deliver an exceptional employee experience. In this role, the successful candidate will provide strategic legal counsel across the procurement contracting pipeline, balancing business opportunity with legal risk. Working with the Director and Counsel, Commercial Contracts, this role partners across Legal, Procurement, Operations, IT, Marketing, and HR to efficiently review and negotiate a high volume of diverse agreements—from services, confidentiality, and SaaS agreements to licenses, events, HR/benefits, technical, and AI-related contracts. This position is hybrid.

What You'll Do

• Draft, negotiate, and review a wide variety of commercial and technical contracts, using a consistent, risk-based approach that is aligned with the firm's established legal standards.
• Partner across the firm to streamline the procurement and contracting process and build strong stakeholder relationships.
• Ensure contract intake is complete, accurate, and business-ready for efficient legal review.
• Support Procurement with SLAs, training, playbooks, and practical legal guidance.
• Serve as a trusted advisor on supplier contracts, risk management, terms, and disputes.
• Escalate complex legal and risk matters to appropriate firm counsel.
• Partner with stakeholders to develop and maintain supplier contracting policies, standards, and compliance practices.
• Monitor legal and regulatory developments and recommend proactive updates.
• Help develop and maintain firm-wide supplier contract templates.
• Support contracting training and knowledge-sharing across the firm.
• Foster a collaborative, respectful, and high-performing team environment.

What You'll Bring

• Proven expertise drafting and negotiating supplier and technology contracts for global organizations.
• Strong command of contract terms, regulatory requirements, IT, and data management.
• Exceptional communication and relationship-building skills across all organizational levels.
• Strong project, time, and change management skills, with the ability to prioritize and meet competing deadlines.
• Collaborative, solutions-oriented mindset with sound judgment, discretion, and decision-making.
• Trusted to handle confidential and sensitive information with professionalism and care.
• Juris doctor with active license in at least one jurisdiction.
• Minimum 5-7 years of relevant experience providing contract legal counseling, including drafting and negotiating commercial contracts.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience developing contract negotiation playbooks, processes, and training.
• Proven experience drafting and negotiating AI-related agreements.

Why Join Ashurst Perkins Coie?

Join a collaborative, high-performing Commercial Contracts team where your expertise will help shape the employee experience across our global organization. In this role, if you are passionate about delivering exceptional service and making a lasting impact, you will find meaningful opportunities to grow your career while helping create an outstanding experience for our people.

Compensation

The listed compensation range reflects the typical pay for this role, though it is rare for new hires to receive an offer at the top of the range. Actual compensation may vary depending on experience, skills, market conditions, and internal equity.

• Colorado compensation range: $138,450 to $218,880 annually
• Illinois compensation range: $146,110 to $231,010 annually
• Washington state compensation range: $146,040 to $230, 890 annually
• Washington, D.C. compensation range: $157,720 to $249,360 annually

Benefits

• Annual discretionary bonus
• 401(k) plan
• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Accrued paid time off plan starting at 20 days annually
• Personal medical and parental leave
• Up to 10 paid holidays
• Family care benefits

Equal Opportunity Statement

Ashurst Perkins Coie US LLP and/or its affiliates are Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or any other category prohibited by local, state or federal law. This policy applies to all aspects of employment, including recruitment, placement, promotion, transfer, demotion, compensation, benefits, social and recreational activities and termination.

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