Senior Corporate Counsel

Automattic; San Francisco (CA); Remote; USD 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, Jetpack, Tumblr, and WooCommerce, is seeking a talented attorney to lead our corporate, securities, M&A, and governance work on a global scale. You’ll be US-qualified with 5+ years’ experience, advising on securities law compliance, corporate governance, international subsidiaries, and equity programs while partnering with operations teams.

This fully-remote role offers a broad, high-impact scope and compensation ranging from $180,000 to $300,000

Qualifications

• US JD with 5+ years of legal practice.
• Securities law compliance and corporate governance expertise; international M&A, equity and debt transactions.

Responsibilities

• Lead all areas related to the company’s global securities laws matters and related compliance.
• Manage our network of global subsidiaries, including subsidiary board meetings, entity-structure changes, inter-company agreements, and local compliance requirements.
• Assist with board agendas and materials, and keep records of all meetings and corporate actions.
• Oversee our stock plan and negotiate/execute stock sale transactions.
• Lead deal execution for fundraising and M&A transactions.
• Manage investment portfolio and lead venture deal execution.
• Design legal and business processes to enable Automattic to scale internationally.

Skills

Securities law

Corporate governance

M&A

International subsidiaries

Stock plan administration

Negotiation

Project management

Education

J.D. from a US-accredited law school

Job description

Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, Jetpack, Tumblr, and WooCommerce, is seeking a talented attorney to lead our corporate, securities, M&A, and governance work. You’ll be an integral partner to our operations teams, giving strategic advice to help us run smoothly around the globe.

We’re looking for a US-qualified attorney who is well versed in issues relevant to our late-stage private business, including advising on securities law compliance and corporate governance; handling complex international M&A, equity, and debt transactions; establishing and managing international subsidiaries; and running employee equity programs.

We’re a team that works hard, enjoys a challenge, and has an optimistic approach, and we’re looking for someone with the same mindset.

In this role, you will:

• Lead all areas related to the company’s global securities laws matters and related compliance.
• Manage our network of global subsidiaries, including managing all subsidiary board meetings, advising on and executing changes to our entity structure, implementing inter-company agreements, and assisting with local compliance requirements.
• Assist with board agendas and materials, and keep records of all meetings and corporate actions.
• Oversee our innovative stock plan for Automatticians, and structure, negotiate and execute stock sale transactions.
• Lead deal execution for fundraising and M&A transactions.
• Manage our investment portfolio and lead deal execution for venture investments.
• Design legal and business processes that enable Automattic to scale internationally.

We’d love to hear from you if you:

• Have a JD from a US-accredited law school and 5+ years’ experience in legal practice.
• Are well versed in issues relevant to our business, including advising on securities law compliance and corporate governance; managing international subsidiaries; structuring and negotiating financing, M&A, and other strategic transactions; software integrations; licensing (especially open source licenses); and intellectual property. Everything at Automattic is done on a global scale and in an international context; bonus points for breadth of experience outside the US.
• Thrive in a fast-paced environment, and have experience working on multiple complex transactions simultaneously, such as tender offers, fund formations, public offerings, etc.
• Possess an agile and curious mind. You’re not afraid to ask questions or admit when you are wrong.
• Are business-minded and practical in addressing legal issues. We don’t write a lot of memos at Automattic; we solve problems and get things done.
• Can write clear, concise, and informative documentation.
• Operate independently.
• Excel at understanding complex topics and explaining them to others in clear, concise terms, as well as finding streamlined solutions to complex issues.
• Love the open web and all it stands for.

Compensation And Benefits

Salary range: $180,000-$300,000 USD.

Please note that salary ranges are global, regardless of location, and we pay in local currency.

We are searching for high-caliber candidates with the skills and qualities to have a net positive for Automattic. Pay will reflect the potential contribution and the impact you can bring, which may, in some cases, go beyond the range stated.

This isn’t your typical work-from-home job- we are a fully-remote company with an open vacation policy.

ABOUT AUTOMATTIC

Now in our 20th year, we’re the people behind WordPress.com, WooCommerce, Beeper, Tumblr, Simplenote, Jetpack, Longreads, Day One, PocketCasts, and more. We believe in making the web a better place.

We’re a distributed company with more than 1500 Automatticians in nearly every corner of the globe, speaking over a hundred different languages. Enriched by this diversity, we’re united by a singular mission: to democratize publishing, commerce, and messaging so anyone with a story can tell it, anyone with a product can sell it, and everyone can manage their communications from a single source. In short, we help maintain a balance in society, creating and continually refining powerful tools people can use to compete fairly - regardless of income, gender, politics, language, or where they live in the world.

We believe in Open Source, and the vast majority of our work is available under the GPL. Automattic is a Most Loved Company, an Equal Opportunity employer, and Disability Confident Committed. (Here’s what that might mean for you.) If you need accommodations during the application or interview process, please fill out this form. We are committed to ensuring an accessible hiring process for all candidates. Learn more about our Employee Resource Groups.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. View the "Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal" poster here. Automattic participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations, as required by law.