StealthCo is a privately held, venture-backed AI company operating at the forefront of artificial intelligence innovation, pushing the boundaries of what AI can do.
As the company entered a period of hyperscaling, its General Counsel needed a foundational hire, as a direct report, to help build the legal operations function from scratch. This person would create the infrastructure, systems, and processes that would enable the legal team to grow with the business. This was an opportunity to shape an entire function at one of the most exciting AI companies in the market.
Scope of the Search
StealthCo partnered with Kerwin to recruit for what began as a Senior Corporate Paralegal & Legal Operations Lead, a title that ultimately reflected the dual nature of the role. While corporate governance and paralegal support were important, the position evolved into something more strategic: a legal operations leadership role responsible for building infrastructure, implementing AI-driven legal technology, and creating the systems and processes a hyperscaling company needs to operate at speed.
Challenges
The role required a rare combination: strong corporate paralegal and governance experience, deep knowledge of legal operations and systems, hands-on implementation of AI legal technology, and a genuine builder’s mindset. The strongest candidates were comfortably employed at large tech companies and not actively looking. Compensation added further complexity; top profiles at publicly traded companies carried total packages well above early-stage ranges, requiring honest conversations on both sides about what the opportunity represented beyond base salary.
Our Approach
Kerwin’s edge in this search was pipeline. Years of focused investment in the legal operations market have built one of the deepest benches of senior legal ops talent in the country, candidates who take our calls because they trust us. The placed candidate wasn’t looking, but was reachable because the relationship already existed. They took the first meeting because they trusted Kerwin. Kerwin stayed personally involved at every stage, from initial outreach through close. In vetting candidates, Kerwin assessed not just technical fit but compensation alignment, the right builder instincts, comfort with ambiguity, and authentic excitement about joining a seasoned legal leader at a company with real unicorn potential.
Results
Kerwin completed the search in approximately two months.
The placed candidate brought deep legal operations expertise, corporate paralegal experience, and a proven track record of building from scratch, scaling a contract management system from three workflows to twenty-three at a major publicly traded tech company, and implementing AI legal tooling across the organization. The placement was genuinely thrilled by the opportunity, energized by the chance to build something meaningful alongside an experienced General Counsel at a company with the vision and backing to become something significant.
Impact
With the hire in place, StealthCo gained a legal operations leader capable of building the function’s infrastructure from the ground up, implementing AI-driven legal technology, establishing scalable systems, and giving the General Counsel a trusted partner to grow alongside. In the end, the outcome was incredibly positive. Both the General Counsel and the selected candidate were genuinely excited to work together.