Senior Legal Counsel - US Legal & Business Advisory
Xero is a beautiful, easy-to-use platform that helps small businesses and their accounting and bookkeeping advisors grow and thrive.
At Xero, our purpose is to make life better for people in small business, their advisors, and communities around the world. This purpose sits at the centre of everything we do. We support our people to do the best work of their lives so that they can help small businesses succeed through better tools, information and connections. Because when they succeed they make a difference, and when millions of small businesses are making a difference, the world is a more beautiful place.
The successful candidate will be responsible for partnering with the business and providing legal advice in relation to legal matters affecting the organization, as well as ensuring that all our operations are compliant with relevant legislation.
This role will report to the United States based GM Legal and Business Advisory and work closely with the wider global legal team, external advisors and strategic partners to support Xero's in-region activities, such as all go-to-market activities, regional M&A support, strategic partnerships, and financial services transactions.
What you'll do
- Work closely with Xero's Go-to-Market and commercial teams in your region to help drive strategic relationships and initiatives for Xero locally and globally
- Work as an integrated part of the global legal team to provide support on global matters that impact your region, including M&A and integration, partnerships, and product and technology
- Provide advice to senior managers on legal aspects of their defined areas (including sales/marketing, customer service, HR, workplace experience, and region-specific product and partnerships)
- Drive and/or manage projects within the global legal team to manage workflow, improve operational efficiency, achieve global and regional education and training, and enable compliance
- Review, negotiate, and draft key legal documents, such as vendor supply agreements, marketing partner agreements, data exchange agreements with financial institutions, integration agreements, and procurement contracts
- Keep abreast of market developments and changes in law impacting regional activities and work alongside the regulatory and compliance teams within Xero to advise and support the regional business to achieve compliance
- Coach and mentor junior members of the legal team
- Contribute to internal policy and process developmentLiaise and collaborate with legal team peers to deliver holistic legal function outcomes
- Assist with any M&A activity, as required
- Assist with investigating and responding to enquiries from law enforcement agencies and regulators
- Liaise with and manage Xero's external legal advisors, as required
Success Looks Like
- Working closely with the GM Legal and Business Advisory, legal team members globally, local and global management, strategic partners, and external advisors to support and manage Xero's legal function in your local region
What you'll bring with you - experience
- 7+ years PQE (in-house legal experience desirable)
- Law degree (strong academic results)
- Current practicing certificate/US state bar membership
- Experience providing legal advice to companies in the technology sector
- Experience negotiating & drafting agreements in a commercial context
- Experience liaising with regulators and statutory/law enforcement bodies
- Experience with financial services regulation (desirable)
What you'll bring with you - critical competencies
- Strong drafting, analytical, and interpretation skills
- Strong commercial acumen and a pragmatic approach
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- High level of attention to detail
- Ability to work autonomously
- Ability to take a proactive and creative approach to managing/solving legal issues
- Collaborative, growth, and innovation mindset
- Ability to convey complex legal matters in a digestible, plain-English format
- Keenness to develop meaningful relationships across the business through personable stakeholder engagements
Xero is an equal opportunity employer. Xero celebrates diversity. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment where our employees can do the best work of their lives. We are committed to transparency and to equal pay for equal work. Total compensation for this role includes a base salary of $175000 - $205,000, commensurate with experience, plus an annual grant of Xero shares, calculated as a percentage of base salary.
Xero offers access to low-cost, high-quality health care options through Cigna and Kaiser (in CA & CO only)
Xero will match 100% on the first 3% of 401k contributions plus 50% match on next 2% of contributions
Employees enjoy 21 days of paid time off per year
Employees have 10 days of wellbeing leave to care for their minds, bodies, and families
US employees enjoy 12 paid holidays per year
Xero offers an industry-leading 26 weeks of parental leave up to 100% pay
Xero offers a number of employee wellness programs, to include yoga, mindfulness and nutrition workshops, EAP, free flu shots, team meals, and a monthly wellbeing allowance
Why Xero?
Diversity of people brings diversity of thought, and we like that. A collaborative and inclusive environment is important to us. Working at Xero will provide you with a diverse and inclusive environment alongside people who will respect, challenge and support you to have fun while you do the best work of your life. We are a place where personal development, flexible working, innovation, and well-being are not just inspired but celebrated. We value our people and offer a wide range of compelling benefits and perks, including Xero shares and great parental leave policies.
Xero's collaborative culture is underscored by our values - #Ownership, #Challenge, #Beautiful, #Human and #Team - which empower us to understand and serve customers, attract top talent and continuously innovate. From the moment you step through our doors, you'll feel welcome and supported to do the best work of your life.
Xero strongly encourages employees and contractors to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to work from a Xero office, or engage in any face-to-face Xero business.