Commercial Counsel

Company Description

Freshworks makes it fast and easy for businesses to delight their customers and employees. We do this by taking a fresh approach to building and delivering software that is affordable, quick to implement, and designed for the end user. Headquartered in San Mateo, California, Freshworks has a global team operating from 13 global locations to serve more than 65,000 companies -- from startups to public companies – that rely on Freshworks software-as-a-service to enable a better customer experience (CRM, CX) and employee experience (ITSM).
Freshworks’ cloud-based software suite includes Freshdesk (omni-channel customer support), Freshsales (sales automation), Freshmarketer (marketing automation), Freshservice (IT service desk), Freshchat (AI-powered bots), supported by Neo, our underlying platform of shared services.
Freshworks is featured in global national press including CNBC, Forbes, Fortune, Bloomberg and has been a BuiltIn Best Place to work in San Francisco and Denver for the last 3 years. Our customer ratings have earned Freshworks products TrustRadius Top Rated Software ratings and G2 Best of Awards for Best Feature Set, Best Value for the Price and Best Relationship

Job Description

Freshworks is seeking a hands-on, sharp, and experienced Commercial Counsel and manager to join our legal team to provide practical and straightforward legal advice on a broad range of commercial transactions, amongst other legal and regulatory topics, including developing and creating new programs/ frameworks and agreements. You will work directly with internal clients, specifically in our Sales, Finance, Deals Desk, and Professional Services organizations. We seek a thoughtful, creative, and collaborative individual who will thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic, and intellectually challenging work environment.

Role & Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of agreements, including cloud (SaaS), channel, reseller, managed services, marketplace, data protection, and professional services agreements

• Support Freshworks' Partner, Channels, and Strategic Alliances teams globally by advising on potential legal risks, business strategies, and structuring. Negotiate data processing agreements, business associate agreements, and similar compliance-driven contracts.

• Counsel, train, and support a team of commercial legal team members who work on a wide variety of international commercial agreements. 

• Maintain and enhance commercial contract templates, playbooks, and standard contracting clauses to streamline Deals Desk processes. Continuously improve standardized documentation across multiple jurisdictions for our partner teams. Work with the global team to improve legal operations.

• Work closely with Sales, Finance, Deals Desk, and Professional Services organizations to expedite transactions and align with our compliance requirements. Assist in developing internal policies to support efficient vendor onboarding and contract review process.

• Provide strategic legal advice and guidance to senior management on various legal topics, such as corporate governance and risk management. 

• Keep up-to-date on relevant laws and regulations, including those related to IP, open source, privacy, and security.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in law with excellent academic performance. A Company Secretary degree is desirable but not mandatory. 

• 9+ years as a commercial transactions attorney at a leading law firm or in-house legal department, preferably with experience at a multinational company. 

• Excellent knowledge and understanding of corporate laws and procedures. 

• Demonstrated expertise in partner and channel agreements, SaaS agreements, customer agreements, professional services, vendor agreements, and data processing agreements

• Strong ability to apply sound, practical business judgment and creatively address complex legal matters with sensible solutions.

• Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills. 

• Ability to work across multiple time zones and cultures with remote and global teams

• Solid grasp of business processes related to commercial contracts, intellectual property, international data privacy, and data protection law

• Highly responsive with a service-oriented attitude, strong work ethic, accountability, and professionalism. Able to work under tight timelines with close attention to detail 

• Proven ability to work effectively within a team setting, build strong relationships across functions (e.g., finance, operations, professional services), and manage relationships with non-legal business partners. 

• Experience in managing and mentoring junior legal staff in providing guidance and support in their professional development. 

Additional Information

At Freshworks, we are creating a global workplace that enables everyone to find their true potential, purpose, and passion irrespective of their background, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion and ethnicity. We are committed to providing equal opportunity for all and believe that diversity in the workplace creates a more vibrant, richer work environment that advances the goals of our employees, communities and the business.