Legal Counsel – Commercial & Technology Transactions

Canonical is a leading provider of open source software and operating systems to the global enterprise and technology markets. Our platform, Ubuntu, is very widely used in breakthrough enterprise initiatives such as public cloud, data science, AI, engineering innovation and IoT. Our customers include the world's leading public cloud and silicon providers, and industry leaders in many sectors. The company is a pioneer of globally-distributed collaboration, with 1500+ colleagues in 90+ countries and very few roles based in offices. Teams meet two to four times yearly in person, in interesting locations around the world, to align on strategy and execution.

The company is founder led, profitable and growing. We are privately held with the intention to list on a public exchange.

We are expanding our in-house legal team, creating opportunities for exceptional lawyers as Legal Counsel at various levels. Successful candidates will be rigorous and effective practitioners with a track record of academic achievement and social engagement. At Canonical they will have the opportunity to work on a variety of transactional matters in the technology and enterprise software realm, as well as the contracts that underpin global employment, contracting and partnerships. Successful candidates will work closely with Canonical and external legal counsel in Europe and the Americas, and colleagues worldwide.

Candidates must be able to demonstrate good commercial judgement as well as being organised, efficient, and capable to provide high quality legal and commercial advice. We are looking for a rigorous work ethic, detailed analysis, conscientiousness, and the ambition to identify opportunities for improvement.

Location: This is a remote role available in EMEA and AMER, with the option of working from our London office.

What your day will look like

• Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating commercial contracts with customers and vendors in many countries across the globe
• Providing legal support to various internal clients across the company, including Canonical’s sales organisation
• Interfacing with cross-functional teams to support company initiatives
• Utilising Canonical’s contract management system to ensure accurate data is maintained for signed contracts
• Working with local counsel in many countries to seek and implement advice

What we are looking for in you

• An exceptional academic track record from both high school and university
• A degree in law, JD or equivalent, and active licence to practise law or current progress towards that
• Drive and a track record of going above-and-beyond expectations
• Strong organisational and prioritisation skills with the ability to work in a fast-paced, multi-cultural environment
• Effective both independently and as part of a team
• A passion for technology evidenced by personal initiatives and projects
• Professional written and spoken English with excellent drafting and presentation skills
• Confidence to respectfully speak up, exchange feedback, and share ideas without hesitation
• Appreciative of diversity; polite and effective in a multicultural multinational organisation
• Excellent interpersonal skills, curiosity, flexibility, and accountability 
• Thoughtfulness and self-motivation 
• Result-oriented, with a personal drive to meet commitments 
• Business level written and spoken English.
• Sincere personal motivation aligned with our mission. 
• International travel 2-4 times a year for company events up to two weeks long.

Additional skills we value

• Experience in commercial transactions, intellectual property, or corporate law
• Leadership and the ability to influence others to embrace new ideas or practices
• Understanding of the open source software community and values
• Understanding of the technology industry - silicon, data centers, PCs, connected devices, and software
• Experience working on in-house legal team and/or law firm

In addition we expect that you will match our values, by being:

• Precise, taking care to deliver correctness and clarity.
• Reliable, delivering high quality work that builds trust and confidence.
• Accessible, collaborating to build products and systems that are usable.
• Adroit, blending enthusiasm, knowledge, adaptability, style and character.

What we offer colleagues

We consider geographical location, experience, and performance in shaping compensation worldwide. We assess performance and revisit compensation twice annually to ensure we recognize outstanding colleagues. In addition to base pay, we offer a performance-driven annual bonus or commission. We provide all team members with additional benefits which reflect our values and ideals. We balance our programs to meet local needs and ensure fairness globally.

• Distributed work environment with twice-yearly team sprints in person.
• Personal learning and development budget of USD 2,000 per year.
• Bi-annual compensation review.
• Company recognition rewards.
• 40 days annual leave per annum, including public holidays and our All Company holiday periods.
• Maternity and paternity leave.
• Team Member Assistance Program & Wellness Platform.
• Opportunity to travel to new locations to meet colleagues, with Priority Pass for lounge access.

About Canonical

Canonical is a pioneering tech firm at the forefront of the global move to open source. Our platform, Ubuntu, is very widely used in breakthrough enterprise initiatives such as public cloud, data science, AI, engineering innovation, and IoT. Our customers include the world's leading public cloud and silicon providers, and industry leaders in many sectors. We are founder-led, profitable, and growing.

Powered by worldwide distributed collaboration since our inception in 2004, we believe tech and business leadership can emerge anywhere. We have no central headquarters. Most of us work from home, but we are exceptionally disciplined about this. We have very high expectations of all colleagues, and are champions of excellence. Working here is a step into the future and will challenge you to think differently, work smarter, learn new skills, and raise your game.

Canonical is an equal opportunity employer

We are proud to foster a workplace free from discrimination. Diversity of experience, perspectives, and background create a better work environment and better products. Whatever your identity, we will give your application fair consideration.