Role Overview:
We are seeking a highly skilled Managing Counsel, Commercial Sales to support complex, strategic commercial transactions within our hardware/semiconductor business. This role will serve as a key legal partner to sales, business development, and executive leadership, driving high-impact deals with leading cloud, hyperscale, and robotics customers.
The ideal candidate brings deep experience from a top-tier law firm, combined with in-house or client-facing exposure to the hardware, semiconductor, or silicon ecosystem, and a demonstrated track record negotiating sophisticated commercial agreements with hyperscalers (e.g., cloud infrastructure providers).
Key Responsibilities:
- Legal leadership:
- Closely partner with sales, sales operations, and business teams to:
- Can independently provide strategic commercial deal support
- Evaluate deal risk and propose practical, business-oriented solutions
- Drive negotiations with hyperscale and enterprise customers
- Balance legal risk with commercial objectives
- Advise senior executives on strategic transactions
- Is a team player
- Commercial contract drafting:
- Structure, draft, and negotiate complex commercial agreements, including:
- Master purchase agreements
- Strategic partnership agreements
- High-value, multi-year customer deals
- Has mastery of basic contracts such as NDAs and EULAs
- Subject Matter Expertise:
- Provide legal guidance on:
- Hardware and semiconductor commercial models (e.g., design wins, supply commitments, pricing structures)
- Structure complex deals for allocation, pricing, supply chain constraints, and delivery obligations
- Strong understanding of silicon supply-chain and customer-owned tooling strategies
- Train and supervise other commercial lawyers
- Risk Management:
- Advise on and negotiate key legal terms, including:
- Limitation of liability frameworks
- Indemnification structures
- Warranty, acceptance, and performance provisions
- IP ownership and licensing considerations
- Process & Governance:
- Contribute to scalable legal processes, templates, and playbooks that support high-volume, high-value commercial transactions.
Qualifications:
- Required:
- JD from a top-tier accredited law school and active bar membership
- 15+ years of relevant experience in commercial transactions at a top-tier law firm (e.g., Am Law 50 / Magic Circle or equivalent) or in-house experience supporting a technology, semiconductor, or hardware company
- Strong background in hardware, semiconductor, or silicon-related industries
- A flexible and creative candidate with a strong ability to create process and legal governance
- Strong executive presence with ability to influence senior stakeholders
- Expertise in drafting and negotiating complex commercial agreements, with preference to demonstrated experience negotiating with cloud providers / hyperscale companies (e.g., AWS, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, or similar large-scale infrastructure providers)
- Key Competencies:
- Exceptional negotiation and drafting skills ∙ Ability to operate effectively in high-stakes, fast-paced deal environments
- Strong commercial judgment and risk assessment ∙ Ability to translate complex legal issues into clear, actionable business guidance
- Collaborative mindset with a business-partnering approach
Why Join Us:
- Work on industry-defining deals with leading hyperscale and technology companies
- Play a critical role in shaping next-generation hardware and cloud ecosystems
- Be part of a high-performing legal team embedded in strategic business decision-making
- Competitive compensation, benefits, and growth opportunities
Location & Travel:
- Role based in San Jose, CA or Austin, TX (4 days in office)
- Occasional travel as required to support global business needs
Compensation & Benefits:
- The compensation range for this position is $350,000 – $375,000. Actual compensation will be determined based on a variety of factors, including the candidate’s experience, qualifications, and the level at which they are hired.
Arm has exclusively engaged Kerwin Associates to conduct this search. Any resumes sent directly to Arm will be forwarded to Kerwin Associates. If interested in this role, please contact Anne Kerwin Payne (anne@kerwin.com) and Danielle Ryan (danielle@kerwin.com) at Kerwin Associates.