General Counsel

About Sentient:

At Sentient, we're pioneering open-source AGI, liberating AI development from centralized constraints. Our platform empowers global communities to collaboratively train, control, and innovate AI models in a transparent, accessible ecosystem. Backed by top Silicon Valley VCs like Founders Fund, Pantera, and Framework, and founded by leading AI academics and protocol experts, we're building distributed systems that foster true open-source progress.

Your Role

General Counsel at Sentient will be a one-person team, comfortable with getting their hands dirty to review contracts, grants, legal agreements, commercial agreements, etc. This hands-on role demands a proactive corporate lawyer who thrives on managing day-to-day operations, ensuring multi-jurisdictional compliance, and collaborating closely with cofounders and cross-functional teams..

Your Responsibilities

• Work closely as an advisor to the business on all legal matters, especially on corporate matters and certain product questions, including negotiating contracts with collaborators and vendors.

• Draft and negotiate bespoke, first-of-their kind agreements for Sentient products and collaborations within the space.

• Provide legal guidance to operating entities, including advice on product development and compliance as well as corporate governance and operational best practices.

• Develop and drive legal contracting processes and workflows.

• Manage outside counsel efficiently and effectively where they are engaged in connecting with high profile and other projects, while maintaining domain expertise.

• Ensure legal compliance in multiple jurisdictions, collaborating with external counsel (e.g., termination notices, General Release forms).

• Implement policies and manage record retention across departments.

• Support commercial and financial agreements, including BD deals, contractor agreements, and advisor fees.

What you’ll need

• J.D. degree from a top tier law school and admission to at least one state bar

• 4-8 years of experience at a reputable law firm and/or in-house

• Superior negotiation and drafting skills, as well as deep knowledge of contract terms

• Strong skills in drafting and reviewing contracts and managing compliance across multiple regions.

• Excellent academic credentials and references

• Ability to work cross-functionally with various internal teams, and external stakeholders.

• Strong organizational and project management skills with attention to detail.

• Excellent judgment and decision-making skills, and the ability to interact productively with other attorneys and staff, in-house client groups and outside counsel

• M&A background is a plus

• Understanding of open source AI space is a plus