The client is a California based AI company operating at an early growth stage, with a highly technical, engineering-led environment. The business was scaling rapidly and had assembled a leadership team made up of experienced operators who had built and exited companies before. As the organization grew, the legal function needed to evolve beyond foundational support and become deeply embedded in product development.
The Challenge
The Chief Legal Officer was looking to hire a number two for the legal team. The role was not clearly defined at the outset. There was internal debate over whether the hire should be a legal generalist or someone deeply specialized in product and AI-related legal work.
The environment presented several complexities. The company was lean, with fewer than 60 employees, and required someone comfortable operating in ambiguity. The successful candidate needed to partner closely with engineers, product leaders, and C-level executives while being present in the office multiple days per week. Compensation expectations were also challenging, as the Bay Area market for product-focused AI lawyers is both competitive and expensive.
Our Approach
We operated in a highly consultative capacity from the beginning. Rather than immediately taking a fixed role to market, we worked with the CLO to explore multiple talent profiles and calibrate what “best in class” truly looked like for this stage of business.
The search focused on legal professionals with deep product and regulatory AI experience who also had the versatility to support broader legal needs. We prioritized candidates who had previously worked in startup environments or had successfully transitioned from public companies into private, early-stage organizations.
Throughout the process, we acted as a market educator, advising on compensation expectations, talent availability, and the trade-offs between different candidate profiles. Internal alignment was a key part of the work, as multiple stakeholders needed to agree on what success looked like before moving decisively.
Results
The search concluded successfully within three months. The selected candidate brought strong product and AI regulatory expertise, a collaborative working style, and the ability to connect seamlessly with engineers and executive leadership.
The hire has been highly impactful, and the engagement has since expanded into additional searches as the legal team continues to scale. The placement strengthened the legal function’s integration with product development and positioned the company for continued growth in a complex regulatory landscape.