Legal & IP Counsel

About This Opportunity

We are representing a confidential defense technology organization in their search for a Legal & IP Counsel based in Paris. This is a foundational legal hire responsible for building the entire legal function from the ground up across intellectual property, commercial contracts, and corporate law.

Our client is a rapidly scaling defense innovation company serving NATO-aligned customers across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. You will work directly with executive leadership on the legal dimensions of strategic decisions including IP protection, commercial agreements with defense clients, and international corporate structuring.

Responsibilities

Intellectual Property

• Own IP strategy and portfolio management: patents, trade secrets, software copyrights, and know-how protection
• Lead patent filing processes with external counsel including invention disclosures, prosecution, and portfolio maintenance
• Define and enforce IP protection policies: employee IP assignment, contractor clauses, and open-source governance
• Conduct IP due diligence on partnerships and licensing arrangements
• Monitor competitive IP landscape and identify freedom-to-operate risks
• Advise engineering and product teams on IP-sensitive design decisions and open-source compliance

Commercial Contracts & Defense Agreements

• Draft, review, and negotiate commercial agreements: customer contracts, MOUs, teaming agreements, NDAs, subcontracting, and licensing
• Own contract lifecycle management: templates, negotiation support, execution tracking, and renewals
• Advise on defense procurement contracts across multiple jurisdictions: French DGA, NATO, EU institutions, UK MOD, and US DoD frameworks
• Review and negotiate grant agreements under EU defense funding mechanisms
• Manage contractual risk in multi-party, multi-jurisdiction arrangements
• Build standardized contract template library

Corporate Law & Regulatory Compliance

• Support legal structuring and maintenance of multi-entity corporate architecture across France, UK, US, Ukraine, and future jurisdictions
• Advise on corporate governance: board resolutions, shareholder agreements, equity plan documentation, and cap table management
• Manage regulatory compliance: RGPD/GDPR, French corporate law, and defense-specific regulations
• Support export control compliance across French AECA/CIEEMG, ITAR, EAR, and dual-use regimes
• Assist in fundraising processes including term sheet review and investor documentation
• Liaise with external counsel across jurisdictions and manage legal spend

Legal Advisory & Internal Counsel

• Serve as primary legal advisor for all teams: Sales, Engineering, HR, Finance, and Operations
• Provide rapid, practical legal guidance balancing rigor with business pragmatism
• Flag and escalate legal risks proactively to executive leadership
• Maintain organized legal documentation and contract registers
• Contribute to internal policy development with legal dimensions

What We're Looking For

Required Experience

• 3+ years of legal experience combining in-house counsel and/or top-tier private practice
• Strong background in at least two of: intellectual property law, commercial contracts, corporate law
• French fluency mandatory (primary legal jurisdiction)
• English fluency mandatory (commercial agreements and international partnerships)

Preferred Background

• Exposure to technology, deeptech, defense, aerospace, or dual-use sectors
• Experience within a startup or scale-up environment
• Multi-jurisdictional legal experience (France plus UK or US)
• Familiarity with French corporate law (SAS governance, BSPCE, equity documentation)

Essential Qualities

• Rigorous and detail-oriented with exceptional attention to substance
• Pragmatic and business-minded: provide clear, actionable legal advice
• Fast and responsive in a high-stakes environment
• Proactive: anticipate legal issues before they materialize
• Discreet and trustworthy handling sensitive commercial and strategic information
• Comfortable operating as a generalist in a lean environment with broad scope

How We Work With You

Candidates apply directly through Get A Job.ai. Our recruiting team will conduct an initial screening to understand your background and career goals. Qualified candidates will then be submitted to our client for consideration. Please do not contact the client directly, as all communication should flow through our talent team to ensure a professional and coordinated process.

Pay

Compensation details will be discussed during the screening process based on experience and qualifications.

Equal Opportunity

Get A Job.ai is committed to inclusive recruiting practices and equal opportunity. We evaluate all candidates based on qualifications and merit.