---
title: 'General Counsel, San Francisco Bay Area (1003-SLS) at Solutus Legal Search'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/general-counsel-san-francisco-bay-area-1003-sls-solutus-legal-search-san-6mt3dpkvnjb5'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-21'
---

# General Counsel, San Francisco Bay Area (1003-SLS) at Solutus Legal Search

- **Company:** Solutus Legal Search
- **Location:** San Francisco, CA
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** hybrid
- **Posted:** 2026-10-08
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-21
- **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/solutuslegal/bd82a6a3-dec4-4bf7-ab54-b1c337ac47f8

## Job description

Our client, a well-funded deep technology company, is seeking a General Counsel to lead its legal function through a significant stage of growth. This is a highly visible executive role reporting directly to the CEO, an experienced semiconductor and computing industry leader, and working closely with the other C-Level executives and the Baord. The General Counsel will serve as a trusted business partner to senior leadership and the Board, lead a legal team of approximately six, and build the capabilities needed to support continued growth. The position is based in the Bay Area, with regular engagement at the company’s two Bay Area offices and flexibility in the office schedule.

## Key Responsibilities

- Serve as the CEO’s senior legal advisor and partner closely with the CFO and executive team on business strategy, financing and execution.
- Lead and develop the legal function; assess the current team, clarify responsibilities, mentor colleagues and build additional capabilities as the company grows.
- Advise the Board and its committees on corporate governance, fiduciary matters and the processes required for an increasingly complex business.
- Lead venture capital and other complex financing transactions, coordinating investors, financial advisors and outside counsel.
- Negotiate strategic partnerships and sophisticated commercial agreements with major technology companies, bringing practical judgment to deal structures, risk allocation and execution.
- Support data center and infrastructure development, including site arrangements, project agreements and financing.
- Advise on the structure and development of new business initiatives, including opportunities to commercialize optical switching technology.
- Oversee intellectual property matters in collaboration with internal specialists and outside counsel, aligning protection and licensing with business objectives.
- Guide government contracting, public-sector relationships and applicable compliance and security requirements, working with specialist advisors where appropriate.
- Build policies, contract processes, playbooks and legal technology that improve responsiveness and help the business move quickly. Partner with the CIO and other leaders on effective systems and information management.
- Manage outside counsel and legal spending, ensuring the company receives appropriate expertise while building internal capacity.

## Qualifications

- J.D. from an accredited law school and active membership in good standing with at least one U.S. state bar.
- Substantial legal leadership experience in technology businesses, preferably semiconductors, computing, networking or another deep technology sector.
- Meaningful experience in a startup or similarly fast-moving, entrepreneurial environment, with the ability to work hands-on through ambiguity and changing priorities.
- Experience advising executives and Boards on corporate governance and significant business decisions. Prior General Counsel experience is preferred; senior deputies with comparable scope and demonstrated executive credibility will also be considered.
- Strong experience leading complex commercial negotiations and strategic partnerships with sophisticated counterparties.
- Experience with venture financing or other substantial corporate financing transactions. Infrastructure, project or data center financing experience is especially valuable.
- Ability to advise on business structuring and commercialization, working across corporate, commercial and intellectual property considerations.
- Experience leading, developing and assessing legal teams and deploying specialist resources effectively.
- Government contracting, defense technology or experience with sensitive technology and security obligations is a strong plus.
- Strong business acumen, sound judgment and the ability to communicate clearly with technical and non-legal colleagues.
- A collaborative, approachable leadership style, with the confidence to identify problems, propose solutions and drive initiatives across functions.

The ideal candidate is a business-minded legal leader who can become a close thought partner to the CEO and CFO. This person will bring enough experience to recognize the needs of a sophisticated company, combined with the creativity and resourcefulness to build workable solutions in a lean environment. They should be comfortable leading major negotiations personally, developing their team and helping colleagues reach decisions without unnecessary process. The anticipated base salary range is $425,000-$450,000, depending on experience and qualifications. The role is expected to include an annual bonus and a meaningful stock option grant. This is an opportunity to shape the legal function at a company working on a consequential new technology. The role combines executive and Board partnership with substantial financing, infrastructure and commercial work, offering direct involvement in how the business grows and deploys its technology. Solutus is assisting with this confidential search. The company’s identity and further details will be shared as appropriate during the process.

Ref. #1003-SLS

## About Solutus Legal Search

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Solutus Legal Search is a concierge legal search boutique that specializes in the permanent placement of lawyers in corporations and law firms, offering tailored search strategies for each client’s unique hiring needs.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Bootstrapped)
- **Headquarters**: Redwood City, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2000
- **Founders**: Julie Q. Brush (Founder & CEO)

## Core Business
- Primary industry: Legal Services (Legal Recruitment / Staffing)
- Target customers: B2B – corporations (in-house legal departments from emerging growth to public companies) and law firms (large firms and boutiques).
- Mission or purpose: Deliver premium legal search and consulting services with precision and a holistic, career‑focused approach for both clients and candidates.

## Products & Services
- **[In‑House Search]**: Retained search for corporate legal departments at all seniority levels (Corporate Counsel to General Counsel). Clients range from Series A startups to large public companies across all industries globally. Service type: Retained search / consulting.
- **[Law Firm Search]**: Lateral partner and associate placements, including individual and group partner moves, for large law firms and boutiques. Service type: Retained search.
- **[Candidate Services]**: Strategic career advisory for attorneys seeking job changes or ongoing career guidance, including job opportunities and personalized roadmaps. Service type: Career consulting.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Annual Revenue of $17.9M (estimated, as of latest available data) [linkedin.com](https://linkedin.com/company/solutus-legal-search)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: No external investors; privately held. Partners include a broad network of corporate legal departments and law firms.
- **Growth Signals**: 
  - 68% diversity placement rate
  - Average placement time of 38 days from start to offer
  - Offices in Silicon Valley, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Seattle
  - Over 1,000 placements made since founding
  - 90 years of combined experience on the team
  - Year‑over‑year job postings increased 50% (though headcount declined 8.3% to 5 employees) [linkedin.com](https://linkedin.com/company/solutus-legal-search)

## Competitive Advantages
- All recruiters are former lawyers who practiced at top law firms, giving them deep legal market knowledge, candidate assessment expertise, and extensive networks.
- Holistic, career‑focused approach with candidates – they act as strategic advisors, not just placement agents.
- Boutique, concierge‑style service with a proven track record (68% diversity placements, 38‑day average placement cycle).
- Longevity and reputation: over two decades in the legal search industry.

## Strategic Focus
- Continue to provide premium, retained legal search and consulting services for both corporate and law firm clients.
- Maintain a strong emphasis on diversity hiring and holistic candidate career strategy.
- Expand reach across geographies (already covering multiple U.S. markets) and adapt to remote/hybrid work trends.

## Why Work Here
- Work with a small, experienced team of former lawyers who are deeply invested in candidate and client success.
- Culture emphasizes diversity (68% of placements are diverse) and long‑term career guidance.
- Remote and hybrid roles available; job postings include fully remote, hybrid, and on‑site positions (e.g., Senior Product Counsel – Hybrid San Francisco, Senior Commercial Counsel – Remote USA) [jobs.lever.co/solutuslegal](https://jobs.lever.co/solutuslegal).
- Opportunity to work with high‑profile legal departments and law firms across industries.
- The firm uses AI tools to support resume screening but retains human judgment in final hiring decisions.

## Sources
1. [solutuslegal.com](https://solutuslegal.com/)
2. [solutuslegal.com/about-us](https://solutuslegal.com/about-us/)
3. [linkedin.com/company/solutus-legal-search](https://linkedin.com/company/solutus-legal-search)
4. [jobs.lever.co/solutuslegal](https://jobs.lever.co/solutuslegal)
5. [solutuslegal.com/jobs](https://solutuslegal.com/jobs/)

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