Counsel, Commercial Contracts

Ashurst Perkins Coie; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 158,000 - 249,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

401(k) plan

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Paid time off starting 20 days

Parental leave

Paid holidays

Family care benefits

Job summary

Ashurst Perkins Coie US LLP in Washington, DC area is seeking a Counsel, Commercial Contracts to provide strategic legal counsel across procurement contracting, negotiating a high volume of services, SaaS, licenses, events, HR/benefits, and AI-related contracts.

The role works with Legal, Procurement, Operations, IT, Marketing, and HR to streamline processes, maintain templates, and advise on risk management. A JD and active license, 5–7 years of relevant experience are required.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor with active license in at least one jurisdiction.
• Minimum 5–7 years of experience providing contract legal counseling including drafting and negotiating commercial contracts.
• Experience drafting and negotiating supplier and technology contracts for global organizations.

Responsibilities

• Draft, negotiate, and review a wide variety of commercial and technical contracts with a risk-based approach.
• Partner across Legal, Procurement, Operations, IT, Marketing, and HR to streamline procurement and contracting processes.
• Ensure contract intake is complete and business-ready for review and approval.
• Support procurement with SLAs, training, playbooks, and practical legal guidance.
• Serve as trusted advisor on supplier contracts, risk management, terms, and disputes.

Skills

Contract drafting

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

IT/data management

Project management

Discretion

Education

Juris Doctor

Job description

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-breaking 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.

This position is eligible for an annual discretionary bonus, 401(k) plan, medical, dental, and vision insurance, accrued paid time off plan starting at 20 days annually, personal medical and parental leave, up to 10 paid holidays, and family care benefits. More information regarding benefits and programs may be found here.

This position may be filled in the following locations. 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