Overview

We’re looking for a skilled attorney with a passion for technology to join the Corporate External and Legal Affairs (CELA) Cloud + AI legal team to serve as a trusted advisor for the Azure engineering group in the role of Principal Corporate Counsel. The candidate filling this role will take on a broad and varied portfolio of legal work critical to supporting some of Microsoft’s most strategically important products and services.

This role will include a broad and varied portfolio of legal work related to all aspects of developing and operating hyperscale cloud services, including transactional support and compliance for product engineering.

Our mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

Responsibilities

• Legal Advice and Counsel

• Drive deep engagement as “front-line” legal counsel with engineering clients to understand technical engineering concepts and strategy.
• Provide high-quality, pragmatic legal and business advice regarding a wide range of issues, including product development, security, privacy/data protection, trade, compliance, and intellectual property, often in collaboration with legal department colleagues and policy specialists.
• Draft and negotiate technology collaboration and licensing agreements.
• Provide thought leadership and counseling on emerging issues, help create and execute on plans to achieve both short-term and long-term results, and communicate with key legal and business stakeholders.
• Analyze and work to solve complex and cutting-edge issues.
• Work effectively with colleagues across CELA and business clients on projects and initiatives.

• Operational Excellence

• Develop and implement processes, templates and best practices, track projects and share knowledge across the wider Microsoft legal community.
• Provide input and continuous feedback to improve process efficiencies within role; identifies opportunities and tools to increase operational efficiency and effectiveness.
• Manage project work expenses according to budget and proposes efficiencies.

• Communication & Culture

• Collaborate effectively within CELA and stakeholders across engineering, business development, finance, and sales functions.
• Organize issues and ideas clearly in written and verbal communication and demonstrate effectiveness across diverse technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Embody our culture and values

Qualifications

Required/Minimum Qualifications:

• Juris Doctor Degree or international equivalent degree AND 4+ years experience as a practicing attorney
• OR equivalent experience.

• Active license to practice law in a jurisdiction and capable of meeting admission requirements in relevant jurisdiction.

Additional or Preferred Qualifications:

• 3+ years' experience as an attorney advising on technology-related legal issues (including intellectual property, licensing, and compliance), ideally as in-house counsel.
• Experience counseling engineering teams developing products and services for enterprise and government customers.
• Experience negotiating complex technology agreements.
• Experience distilling complex legal and technical issues into clear, actionable guidance and recommendations.

Legal Counsel IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $132,200 - $232,800 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $165,800 - $248,600 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay

This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

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Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.