--- title: 'Corporate Counsel (Commercial and Intellectual Property) at Amca' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/corporate-counsel-commercial-and-intellectual-property-amca-el-segundo-w0yyw8322p1d' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-10-12' --- # Corporate Counsel (Commercial and Intellectual Property) at Amca - **Company:** Amca - **Location:** El Segundo, CA - **Compensation:** $180k–$250k - **Posted:** 2026-10-01 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-12 - **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/amca/jobs/4425283009 ## Job description There was a time when all of America believed that the future of the physical world could be radically different. The engineers of the mid-1900s put a man on the moon in eight years, designed and built planes and submarines from scratch in under three, and conceived of building things we wouldn’t even be able to dream up today. Today, the last of the engineers who imagined and built these systems are retiring. As they go, we lose not only the engineering knowledge gained from their decades of imagination and trial-and-error, but also the spirit that made that imagination possible. Amca is working day-in and day-out to restore America’s ability to engineer anything that our critical systems depend on, and reinvigorate the cycle of creation that allows imagination to shape physical reality. We rapidly develop and manufacture new critical components and subsystems required to build and sustain the planes, military vehicles, and core infrastructure America needs. By restoring the capability of our antiquated supply chains, we increase the country’s capacity to imagine and realize new systems, and make a physical world that looks very different from today. ## Overview You will be one of the first lawyers at Amca and report directly to the General Counsel. You will take real ownership of a meaningful share of work from the very start – acquisitions, commercial contracts, export controls, employment questions, intellectual property matters, equity and debt financings – and can grow into an even larger role. This is a generalist role but is perfect forsomeone with IP experience that wants to broaden their practice. ## Responsibilities - Draft, review, and negotiate the various agreements that run the business, including customer and supplier contracts, nondisclosure agreements, consulting and advisory agreements, and services agreements across the parent and our operating factories. - Own Amca’s intellectual property, including our trade secret program, confidentiality and protective agreements, invention and disclosure intake, trademark and copyright strategy, and management of outside counsel on any filings. - Handle intellectual property transactions, including inbound and outbound licensing, joint development and collaboration agreements, IP allocation in customer and supplier terms, and intercompany ownership structure across our entities. - Support Amca’s acquisitions from diligence through closing and integration, including disclosure schedules, ancillary agreements, and post-closing entity and contract cleanup. - Support corporate governance and entity management across the corporate structure, including board and stockholder consents, entity maintenance, and equity administration. - Partner with our government contracting function on technical data and IP rights, flow-downs, and the commercial terms that sit alongside federal requirements. - Assist in building a legal department from scratch: contract management, templates, playbooks, intake processes, and a disciplined approach to selecting and managing outside counsel. ## Basic Qualifications - JD from an accredited law school. - 3+ years of legal experience at a law firm or in-house. - Substantive intellectual property experience. - Active membership in good standing with the bar of at least one U.S. state, with the ability to become authorized to practice in California, whether through California Bar membership or Registered In-House Counsel status. - Demonstrated ability to own matters and reach a decision with limited supervision. - Excellent drafting and negotiation skills, and the ability to explain a legal position to engineers and executives without translating it into a memo first. - Builder who is comfortable operating in an ambiguous environment, where processes and procedures are still being developed. - Onsite five days a week in El Segundo, CA. ## Preferred Skills and Experience - Aerospace, defense, or hardware manufacturing background. - Experience building or administering a trade secret protection program. - Familiarity with U.S. government technical data and IP rights frameworks. - Mergers and acquisitions experience, particularly intellectual property diligence. - Experience as an early legal hire at a growing company. - Technical or engineering background sufficient to engage substantively with our engineering teams. Annual Salary Range $180,000 - $250,000 USD + Equity This position requires use of information which is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). All applicants must be U.S. persons within the meaning of ITAR. ITAR defines a U.S. person as: any individual who is granted U.S. citizenship; any individual who is granted U.S. permanent residence (“Green Card” holder); or any individual who is granted status as a “protected person” under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3). The Advanced Manufacturing Company of America prohibits discrimination or harassment based on the following categories: race, color, religion, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, marital status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), gender, gender identity, gender expression, age (40 years and over), sexual orientation, veteran and/or military status, protected medical leaves (requesting or approved for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act or the California Family Rights Act), domestic violence victim status, political affiliation, and any other status protected by state or federal law. Annual Salary Range $180,000—$250,000 USD This position requires use of information which is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). All applicants must be U.S. persons within the meaning of ITAR. ITAR defines a US person as: any individual who is granted U.S. citizenship; or. any individual who is granted U.S. permanent residence ("Green Card" holder); or. any individual who is granted status as a "protected person" under 8 U.S.C 1324b(a)(3). The Advanced Manufacturing Company of America prohibits discrimination or harassment based on the following categories: race, color, religion, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, marital status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), gender, gender identity, gender expression, age (40 years and over), sexual orientation, veteran and/or military status, protected medical leaves (requesting or approved for leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act or the California Family Rights Act), domestic violence victim status, political affiliation, and any other status protected by state or federal law. ## About Amca ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Amca (Advanced Manufacturing Company of America) integrates design, rapid prototyping, qualification, and AS9100D-certified production to deliver critical aerospace and defense components in weeks instead of years. - **Entity Type**: Private (Seed stage; $76.5M total funding) - **Headquarters**: El Segundo, California, United States - **Founded**: 2024 - **Founders**: Jai Malik (CEO & Co-Founder), Eli Giovanetti (COO & Co-Founder); Varun Gupta serves as Chairman ## Core Business - **Primary industries**: Aerospace and defense component manufacturing; avionics, hydraulics, electrical systems. - **Target customers**: B2B / Enterprise – primes such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Airbus, and U.S. military sustainment programs. Platforms include F-35, F-16, F/A-18, 737MAX, 787, A320, M1 Abrams, and more. - **Mission / purpose**: Build America’s new industrial base – faster, distributed, and multi-sourced – to increase competition and capacity for every class of critical component. ## Products & Services - **Integrated Manufacturing System**: A unified workflow that combines rapid prototyping, software-enabled testing, qualification, and certified production across a network of AS9100D-certified factories. *Type: Service / Manufacturing-as-a-Service* - **Component Lines**: A growing portfolio of parts and subsystems across avionics, hydraulics, and electrical systems. Products are flying on platforms such as the F-35, 737, A320, and Patriot Missile. *Type: Hardware (Manufactured components)* - **Acquired Legacy Factories**: Amca has acquired several established manufacturers (e.g., Payne Magnetics, Electrocube, Cal-Draulics, Aerospace Control Products, Electro-Mech Components) to fold their capabilities into its integrated system. *Type: Acquisition-led capacity expansion* ## Market Standing - **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not disclosed - **Key Metric**: Total Funding – $76.5M (Seed round, May 2025, led by Caffeinated Capital) - **Notable Investors / Partners**: Caffeinated Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Andreessen Horowitz, Lux Capital, Founders Fund - **Growth Signals**: - Headcount: 32 employees ( +309.1% YoY, +7.1% monthly growth) - Active job postings: 24 ( +71.4% monthly, +500% quarterly) - Acquired six legacy manufacturing companies since inception (2024–2025) - Supplies components for major defense platforms (F-35, F-16, F/A-18, M1 Abrams) and commercial aircraft (737, 787, A320) ## Competitive Advantages - **Integrated single system** – Combines design, prototyping, qualification, and production under one roof, eliminating the years-long silos of traditional suppliers. - **Speed to production** – Can move from requirement to manufactured components within weeks, compared to typical multi-year timelines. - **AS9100D-certified factory network** – Provides certified production capacity that is flexible and scalable, with dedicated lines for specific components. - **Multi-sourcing & domestic resilience** – Reduces single-source dependence and builds a distributed U.S. industrial base. ## Strategic Focus - Continue acquiring and integrating legacy aerospace/defense suppliers to broaden component classes and production capacity. - Expand engineering and manufacturing talent to support new platform wins and sustainment programs. - Scale the “integrated manufacturing system” model to become the default partner for critical component production in the U.S. defense and commercial aerospace sectors. ## Why Work Here - **High ownership & rapid promotion** – The company emphasizes “unreasonably high degree of ownership” and fast career advancement for top performers. - **Small, mission-driven team** – Currently 32 employees, with a culture of honest communication and full ownership of domains. - **Office environment** – Described as “one of the most beautiful offices anywhere in the country” (El Segundo, CA). Hybrid/remote policy not explicitly stated; headquarters are in El Segundo with additional offices in Dallas, TX. - **Engineering culture** – Staff come from SpaceX, Anduril, Saronic, and other top aerospace/defense companies; 36% of employees in technical roles. - **Impact** – Everything built goes on planes that millions of people fly on, and on military platforms that protect national security. ## Sources 1. [amca.com – Who We Are](https://www.amca.com/who-we-are) 2. [amca.com – Our Products](https://www.amca.com/our-products) 3. [amca.com – Careers](https://www.amca.com/careers) 4. [careers.amca.com – Amca Careers](https://careers.amca.com/) 5. [LinkedIn – Amca Company Profile](https://www.linkedin.com/company/amcainc) ## Other roles at Amca - [Electrical Engineering Internship (Winter Spring 2027)](https://feeny.ai/job/electrical-engineering-internship-winter-spring-2027-amca-el-segundo-1pe5peaf24qj) — El Segundo, CA - [Senior Contracts Manager, Government Programs](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-contracts-manager-government-programs-amca-washington-district-of-ahd97xxnwbgh) — Washington District of Columbia United States El Segundo California, United States - [IT Support Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/it-support-engineer-amca-el-segundo-yd0f2xghc3s1) — El Segundo, CA - [Sourcing Intern, Supply Chain (Summer 2027)](https://feeny.ai/job/sourcing-intern-supply-chain-summer-2027-amca-el-segundo-0r4ncjt8p9za) — El Segundo, CA - [Supply Chain Engineering Intern (Summer 2027)](https://feeny.ai/job/supply-chain-engineering-intern-summer-2027-amca-el-segundo-6vqdqbmps7vn) — El Segundo, CA - [Production Operations Internship (Summer 2027)](https://feeny.ai/job/production-operations-internship-summer-2027-amca-el-segundo-7418jbzrc0m0) — El Segundo, CA - [Software Engineering Internship (Summer 2027)](https://feeny.ai/job/software-engineering-internship-summer-2027-amca-el-segundo-kn6mkkb427tw) — El Segundo, CA - [Growth Internship (Summer 2027)](https://feeny.ai/job/growth-internship-summer-2027-amca-el-segundo-kafh25m0mdez) — El Segundo, CA - [Build Engineering Specialist](https://feeny.ai/job/build-engineering-specialist-amca-el-segundo-d7y9js3mv39c) — El Segundo, CA - [PCB Design Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/pcb-design-engineer-amca-el-segundo-g6cypdd1ydze) — El Segundo, CA