Senior M&A Counsel

Avalara, Inc.; Colorado; Remote; USD 153,000 - 253,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus eligibility

Paid time off

Paid parental leave

Medical insurance

Life and disability insurance

Job summary

Avalara, Inc. is seeking an experienced M&A Counsel to be the primary legal partner for corporate development and strategic growth initiatives.

You will guide transactions from creation through closing and post-transaction integration, partnering with Finance, Tax, People and Culture, and executive leadership. You will leverage AI tools to enhance diligence, risk assessment, and knowledge management while keeping a sharp eye on regulatory and cross-border considerations.

Qualifications

• J.D. and active bar membership in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
• 5+ years of M&A attorney experience (top law firm or in-house).
• Experience drafting, negotiating, structuring and advising on M&A.
• Experience coordinating diligence through closing across multiple jurisdictions.
• Experience using modern legal-tech tools, including AI.

Responsibilities

• Lead domestic and international M&A transactions, including acquisitions and divestitures.
• Provide business‑oriented legal advice through deal lifecycle from structuring to integration.
• Draft stock and asset purchase documents and ancillary agreements.
• Manage due diligence and summarize findings into risk assessments.
• Advise on deal structuring and main legal risks across jurisdictions.
• Coordinate with privacy, IP, security, product, and employment teams.
• Manage outside counsel to ensure high-quality, cost-efficient support.
• Coordinate integration planning, governance and employee matters.
• Improve deal processes and develop scalable M&A playbooks.
• Stay current on M&A trends; leverage AI tools to enhance diligence and knowledge management.

Skills

M&A experience

Drafting and negotiating

External counsel management

AI / Legal tech

Cross-border deals

Education

J.D. degree

Job description

What You'll Do

As our M&A Counsel you will be the primary legal partner supporting our corporate development and strategic growth initiatives, guiding transactions from creation through closing and post-transaction integration. You will partner with Corporate Development, Finance, Tax, People and Culture, and executive leadership. This partnership will deliver practical, risk-adjusted legal advice that enables the business to move quickly while managing legal and regulatory risk. You will be part of a global legal team that is reimagining how we serve our clients. You will guide the integration of AI across the M&A lifecycle, deploying innovative solutions and benchmarking against leading practices. You will report to the VP and AGC, Corporate. This is a remote position within the United States.

#LI-Remote

What Your Responsibilities Will Be

• Lead a steady pipeline of domestic and international M&A transactions, including acquisitions, divestitures and strategic transactions
• Provide clear business-oriented legal advice throughout the deal lifecycle, from initial structuring through closing and integration
• Draft stock and asset purchase documents and ancillary agreements
• Manage and conduct legal due diligence and summarize findings into applicable risk assessments
• Advise on deal structuring, main legal risks, and mitigation strategies across multiple jurisdictions
• Coordinate with internal subject matter experts (e.g., privacy, IP, security, product, and employment) to assess transaction-related risks
• Manage outside counsel, ensuring high-quality legal support while driving cost-efficient use of external resources
• Coordinate integration planning and execution, including governance, contractual obligations, employee matters and operational agreement
• Improve deal processes and implement scalable best practices, including playbooks to refine M&A processes
• Stay current on legal and market trends in M&A
• Leverage legal technology in place, including AI tools, to enhance efficiency, diligence, and knowledge management and reduce costs

What You'll Need to be Successful

• J.D. and active bar membership in at least one U.S. jurisdiction
• 5+ years of experience as an M&A attorney (with top law firm or relevant in-house experience)
• Experience drafting, negotiating, structuring and advising on M&A
• Experience leading or supporting transactions from diligence through closing, including managing external counsel across multiple jurisdictions
• Experience working with modern legal-tech tools, including AI, to work smarter, respond faster, and provide a better client experience.

Pay Range Details

The base pay range(s) below are provided in compliance with state specific laws. Pay ranges may be different in other locations.

Colorado $153,300-$252,900 (annually)

Washington $153,300-$279,600 (annually)

California $153,300-$306,300 (annually)

NYC $185,500-$306,300 (annually)

The pay range above is the general base pay range for a successful candidate in the state listed. The successful candidate’s actual salary/wage may be based on various factors, such as geographic location, candidate experience and qualifications, as well as market and business considerations. This role is eligible for an annual bonus based on individual and company performance, depending on the terms of the applicable plan and the employee’s role.

Avalara is an AI-first Company

AI is embedded in our workflows, decision-making, and products. Success here requires embracing AI as an essential capability.

• You’ll bring experience using AI and AI-related technologies, ready to thrive here.
• You’ll apply AI every day to business challenges - improving efficiency, contributing solutions, and driving results for your team, our company, and our customers.
• You’ll grow with AI by staying curious about new trends and best practices, and by sharing what you learn so others can benefit too.

How We'll Take Care of You

Total Rewards

• In addition to a great compensation package, paid time off, and paid parental leave, many Avalara employees are eligible for bonuses.

Health & Wellness

• Benefits vary by location but generally include private medical, life, and disability insurance.

Inclusive culture and diversit y

• Avalara strongly supports diversity, equity, and inclusion, and is committed to integrating them into our business practices and our organizational culture. We also have a total of 8 employee-run resource groups, each with senior leadership and exec sponsorship.

What You Need To Know About Avalara

We’re defining the relationship between tax and tech.

We’ve already built an industry-leading cloud compliance platform, processing over 54 billion customer API calls and over 6.6 million tax returns a year. Our growth is real - we're a billion dollar business - and we’re not slowing down until we’ve achieved our mission - to be part of every transaction in the world.

We’re bright, innovative, and disruptive, like the orange we love to wear. It captures our quirky spirit and optimistic mindset. It shows off the culture we’ve designed, that empowers our people to win. We’ve been different from day one. Join us, and your career will be too.

We’re An Equal Opportunity Employer

Supporting diversity and inclusion is a cornerstone of our company — we don’t want people to fit into our culture, but to enrich it. All qualified candidates will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, age, gender, national orientation, disability, sexual orientation, US Veteran status, or any other factor protected by law. If you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know.