Description
We are seeking a Legal Counsel to join our team. As our Legal Counsel, you will build 5D's legal function from scratch - the contractual infrastructure, compliance posture, and risk framework that supports every major commercial and operational decision between now and Series B.
Commercial (50%)
Own the full lifecycle of customer contracts - NDAs, MSAs, order forms, DPAs, and amendments - negotiating directly with procurement and legal counterparts at enterprise customers
Draft and negotiate vendor, partner, and employment agreements
Maintain and continuously improve our contract templates and negotiation playbooks
Manage a contract tracker; own the pipeline of open legal matters and keep deals moving
Brief and manage external counsel on matters beyond your scope
Compliance (30%)
Own our data protection function day-to-day: UK GDPR, US state privacy law, and cross-border transfer mechanisms (UK/EU/US/SG)
Work closely with our vCISO to maintain ISO 27001 and SOC 2 compliance - owning the legal and policy layer, supporting audit cycles, and closing out action items
Draft and maintain privacy notices, DPAs, and internal data governance policies
Advise product and engineering teams on privacy-by-design as we ship new features
Monitor the regulatory environment and flag material changes to the business
Corporate, Employment & IP (20%)
Handle UK employment matters: offer letters, contracts, IP assignments, restrictive covenants
Coordinate US and Singapore employment matters alongside external counsel
Support board consents, subsidiary maintenance, and cap table-adjacent matters
Maintain our IP register and advise on licensing and ownership questions as the product evolves
What we're looking for
You've spent a few years in-house at a SaaS or tech business - or you've trained at a commercial firm and spent enough time on tech clients that you know exactly how enterprise software contracts work and how to close them.
You have a clear, low-ego risk profile: you know when to hold a position and when to move on, and you never let perfect be the enemy of progress.
You bring:
Qualified solicitor (England & Wales), 3–6 PQE with US experience
SaaS or B2B tech experience - either in-house or with a significant tech client base in private practice
Strong commercial drafter: fast, clean, and position-led - you improve contracts, not just mark them up
Working knowledge of UK GDPR and practical experience managing compliance programmes or certification cycles (ISO 27001 / SOC 2 exposure strongly preferred)
Genuine AI literacy - you use Claude or equivalent tools in your workflow; drafting without them would feel like leaving performance on the table
Pragmatic risk profile - you give clear answers, not endless caveats, and you understand that a 90% answer delivered today beats a perfect answer delivered next week
Project management instincts - you track your matters, close your actions, and keep stakeholders informed without being chased
Excellent communication skills - you have the ability to interact effectively when negotiating with customers, and communicating to the business internally
Bonus points if you have:
Experience with multi-jurisdictional structures (UK parent, US / Singapore subsidiaries)
Exposure to EIS/SEIS, investor rights agreements, or post-Series A governance
Proptech, real estate, or financial services sector experience
Previous experience supporting a fundraise or regulatory due diligence process
What we offer
We're building something extraordinary - and we want extraordinary people.
Our benefits package goes beyond the standard startup offering, from tailored support for life's challenges to meaningful parental leave.
£100–120k salary per annum + bonus + meaningful equity (on a standard vesting schedule)
Enhanced pension contributions (5%)
Unlimited annual leave
£100 monthly wellbeing budget
£1,000 annual training budget
Electric car scheme (salary sacrifice)
Tailored support for exceptional challenges, which may include contributions to:
Gender-affirming care
Private