Director, Litigation

Key Responsibilities

• Manage litigation matters and pre-litigation disputes across all phases, including strategy, pleadings, motions, discovery, depositions, hearings, trials, and appeals, while developing comprehensive case strategies that align with business objectives.
• Provide counsel across a broad range of disputes, including intellectual property (copyright, trademark, and trade secret), privacy, commercial, and regulatory matters, in both first-party and third-party contexts.
• Evaluate and respond to litigation threats, demands, and disputes across jurisdictions, developing appropriate matter-resolution proposals that resolve issues with minimal disruption to the business.
• Select, onboard, manage, and collaborate with outside counsel across all stages of disputes.
• Negotiate budgets and fee arrangements, monitor performance, and hold outside counsel accountable for delivering optimal results while maintaining cost efficiency.
• Partner closely with AI, product, and engineering teams to proactively identify litigation risks in product development and go-to-market strategies, and to collect information efficiently in support of active matters.
• Translate complex legal requirements into practical, actionable guidance for technical teams.
• Assist in responding to regulatory investigations and inquiries from government regulators and private organizations relating to our products and services.
• Build internal litigation processes, policies, and tools, including legal-hold and discovery workflows, that support litigation and regulatory matters efficiently and can scale with company growth.
• Monitor the evolving legal and regulatory landscape for AI, copyright, and privacy; translate court decisions, agency guidance, and legislative developments into timely, executive-ready advice; and communicate with business leaders about ongoing litigation, emerging risks, and preventive measures.

Qualifications

• JD and in good standing with an active US state bar membership (California preferred)
• At least 15+ years of law firm and/or in-house experience handling complex commercial litigation (with experience representing emerging technology companies preferred)
• Deep substantive knowledge of litigation practice and procedure, with a demonstrated history of strong outcomes and effective case execution
• Exceptional analytical, organizational, and collaboration skills, strong business acumen, and the ability to partner with business and technical teams
• An ability to communicate clearly and credibly with business and technical audiences, including translating genuinely unsettled legal doctrine into concise, business-relevant advice for executives and engineers without over-hedging
• A hands-on attitude to tackle projects large and small, and a low-ego, roll-up-your-sleeves approach to working across the organization
• Excellent composure in stressful situations, high level of integrity, intellectual curiosity, and the ability to work independently with limited guidance while exercising good judgment about when to escalate
• Thrive working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment

Nice to Have

• Experience managing copyright and privacy litigation, as well as commercial disputes, for AI or other emerging technology companies
• Experience managing regulatory responses or investigations, including both first-party and third-party responses
• Experience building or scaling a litigation function at a growth-stage company, with creativity and an openness to novel solutions
• Experience litigating cases in multiple jurisdictions, including internationally
• A passion for supporting the development of AI that is both innovative and trustworthy

Compensation Range

$275K - $375K