Legal Counsel, Commercial

Upstart; United States; Remote; USD 143,000 - 199,000; Full time

Job summary

This innovative firm is seeking a dynamic junior lawyer to join its nimble Legal team. In this role, you'll handle a diverse range of commercial legal matters, including contract drafting and negotiations, while supporting various business operations. You'll have the opportunity to work cross-functionally, providing legal and strategic guidance that aligns with company goals. If you're a self-starter with a passion for law and a desire to make an impact in a digital-first environment, this position offers a unique chance to grow your expertise and contribute to meaningful projects. Join a team that values diversity and inclusion while enjoying a competitive compensation package and comprehensive benefits.

Benefits

Competitive Compensation

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage

401(k) with company match

Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Life and disability insurance

Generous holiday and vacation leave

Parental and family care leave programs

Annual wellness reimbursement programs

Catered lunches and snacks in offices

Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience in a top-tier law firm.
• Solid academic credentials and a state bar membership in good standing.

Responsibilities

• Draft and negotiate commercial contracts, including service agreements and licenses.
• Provide legal guidance to assess and mitigate legal risks.

Skills

Commercial transactional experience

Strong communication skills

Self-starter

Knowledge of data licensing and privacy issues

Education

J.D. degree

Job description

About Upstart

Upstart is a leading AI lending marketplace partnering with banks and credit unions to expand access to affordable credit. By leveraging Upstart's AI marketplace, Upstart-powered banks and credit unions can have higher approval rates and lower loss rates across races, ages, and genders, while simultaneously delivering the exceptional digital-first lending experience their customers demand. More than two-thirds of Upstart loans are approved instantly and are fully automated.

Upstart is a digital-first company, which means that most Upstarters live and work anywhere in the United States. However, we also have offices in San Mateo, California; Columbus, Ohio; and Austin, Texas.

Most Upstarters join us because they connect with our mission of enabling access to effortless credit based on true risk. If you are energized by the impact you can make at Upstart, we’d love to hear from you!

The Team

Upstart’s Legal team is looking to add a junior lawyer to its Commercial team. We are looking for a high-energy commercial attorney to jump into a lean and nimble team and handle a broad range of commercial legal matters across the entire organization. This team member will help manage contract drafting and negotiating for all Upstart products, marketing efforts, and procurement. You will have an opportunity to gain experience across a breadth of legal matters including consumer protection, data privacy, and other various marketing and vendor related matters. This position is unique because it offers the opportunity to get exposed to unique issues and work on diverse tasks such as contract drafting and negotiation, escalated customer situations, and a number of projects that will arise as we continue to scale. Experience drafting agreements for or against financial institutions and/or software licensing agreements is a plus.

As the Legal Counsel at Upstart, you will be tasked with supporting the Legal Commercial Team with a variety of different contracts, negotiations, and other legal advice to support the day-to-day operations of the company.

Position Location - This role is available in the following locations: Remote

Time Zone Requirements - This team operates on the East/West Coast time zones.

Travel Requirements - As a digital first company, the majority of your work can be accomplished remotely. The majority of our employees can live and work anywhere in the U.S but are encouraged to still spend high quality time in-person collaborating via regular onsites. The in-person sessions’ cadence varies depending on the team and role; most teams meet once or twice per quarter for 2-4 consecutive days at a time.

How you’ll make an impact:

• Work cross-functionally to support Upstart’s initiatives on a wide variety of commercial transactions related to business operations: Business Development, Finance, Growth, Engineering, Human Resources, Product, and IT.
• Provide legal and strategic guidance to assess and mitigate legal risk by building a deep understanding of the business and collaborate with internal clients to support their goals.
• Review, draft, and negotiate commercial contracts, including master service agreements, software licenses, consulting services agreements, marketing agreements, and other purchase agreements.
• Develop processes and templates for commercial transactions to support and drive the business.

What we’re looking for:

• Minimum qualifications:
  • J.D. degree with solid academic credentials and a state bar membership in good standing (CA or NY preferred)
  • 2+ years of experience in a top-tier law firm
  • Commercial transactional experience dealing with complex business issues
  • Knowledge and/or experience with, data licensing and privacy issues encouraged
• Preferred qualifications:
  • Self-starter who thrives under limited direction and excited by challenges
  • Strong communication skills with a demonstrated ability to effectively and proactively provide quick, concise, and practical legal advice that is consistent with any business objectives
  • Eager to develop expertise in new or unfamiliar areas of law

What you'll love:

• Competitive Compensation (base + bonus & equity)
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with Health Savings Account contributions from Upstart
• 401(k) with 100% company match up to $4,500 and immediate vesting and after-tax savings
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)
• Life and disability insurance
• Generous holiday, vacation, sick and safety leave
• Supportive parental, family care, and military leave programs
• Annual wellness, technology & ergonomic reimbursement programs
• Social activities including team events and onsites, all-company updates, employee resource groups (ERGs), and other interest groups such as book clubs, fitness, investing, and volunteering
• Catered lunches + snacks & drinks when working in offices

#LI-REMOTE

#LI-Associate

At Upstart, your base pay is one part of your total compensation package. The anticipated base salary for this position is expected to be within the below range. Your actual base pay will depend on your geographic location–with our “digital first” philosophy, Upstart uses compensation regions that vary depending on location. Individual pay is also determined by job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your preferred location during the hiring process.

In addition, Upstart provides employees with target bonuses, equity compensation, and generous benefits packages (including medical, dental, vision, and 401k).

United States | Remote - Anticipated Base Salary Range $143,400 — $198,500 USD

Upstart is a proud Equal Opportunity Employer. We are dedicated to ensuring that underrepresented classes receive better access to affordable credit, and are just as committed to embracing diversity and inclusion in our hiring practices. We celebrate all cultures, backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences, and know that we can only become better together.

If you require reasonable accommodation in completing an application, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please email [e-mail]

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