ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

General Counsel Jobs in San Ramon, CA (NOW HIRING)

SQA Solution

General Counsel

Menlo Park, CA · Hybrid

The General Counsel will oversee corporate governance, commercial transactions, regulatory matters, compliance, intellectual property, employment, litigation, and legal operations across a fast ...

Blockstream

General Counsel

Menlo Park, CA · Remote

The General Counsel will oversee corporate governance, commercial transactions, regulatory strategy, compliance programs, litigation management, employment matters, and legal operations across ...

YO AI Labs

General Counsel - Remote

Palo Alto, CA · Remote

$85 - $140/hr

Role Title: General Counsel Role Type: Contract Location: Remote Scope of Work: * Create, review, and refine contract negotiation playbooks based on diverse real-world scenarios and company ...

YO AI Labs

General Counsel - Remote

San Jose, CA · Remote

$85 - $140/hr

Role Title: General Counsel Role Type: Contract Location: Remote Scope of Work: * Create, review, and refine contract negotiation playbooks based on diverse real-world scenarios and company ...

YO AI Labs

General Counsel - Remote

San Francisco, CA · Remote

$85 - $140/hr

Role Title: General Counsel Role Type: Contract Location: Remote Scope of Work: * Create, review, and refine contract negotiation playbooks based on diverse real-world scenarios and company ...

CopilotIQ

General Counsel

San Jose, CA · Remote

What is the General Counsel role? The General Counsel will be responsible for independently overseeing all legal matters at CopilotIQ, including risk management, contract negotiations, and ...

Emergent Labs

General Counsel

San Francisco, CA · On-site

As General Counsel, you will build the legal function from the ground up and serve as a trusted advisor to the founders and executive team. You will help the company navigate the unique legal ...

Arc Institute

General Counsel

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

$330K - $450K/yr

About the position Arc Institute is seeking a General Counsel to serve as a strategic legal advisor and trusted peer to leadership. Reporting to Co-Founder and Executive Director, Silvana Konermann ...

Arc Institute

General Counsel

Palo Alto, CA · On-site +1

$330K - $450K/yr

About the position Arc Institute is seeking a General Counsel to serve as a strategic legal advisor and trusted peer to leadership. Reporting to Co-Founder and Executive Director, Silvana Konermann ...

PICO CALIFORNIA

General Counsel

San Francisco, CA · Hybrid

$160K - $190K/yr

Join our team We are seeking a strategic and grounded General Counsel to serve as the organization's primary legal advisor. This role is ideal for someone who understands the intersection of law ...

PICO CALIFORNIA

General Counsel

San Francisco, CA · On-site

Join our team We are seeking a strategic and grounded General Counsel to serve as the organization's primary legal advisor. This role is ideal for someone who understands the intersection of law ...

PICO California

General Counsel

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$160K - $190K/yr

Join our team We are seeking a strategic and grounded General Counsel to serve as the organization's primary legal advisor. This role is ideal for someone who understands the intersection of law ...

Gotion, Inc.

General Counsel

Fremont, CA

We are seeking a seasoned and strategic legal leader to join our team as General Counsel/Legal Director. In this critical role, you will lead a team of lawyers and legal professionals, providing ...

Outset.ai

General Counsel

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$240K - $300K/yr

We're hiring our first General Counsel to build the legal function from the ground up. You'll be the primary legal advisor, own all corporate legal matters, and partner closely with People, Sales ...

Gotion, Inc.

General Counsel

Fremont, CA · On-site

$200K - $300K/yr

We are seeking a seasoned and strategic legal leader to join our team as General Counsel/Legal Director. In this critical role, you will lead a team of lawyers and legal professionals, providing ...

next page

Showing results 1-20

All JobsGeneral Counsel JobsGeneral Counsel Jobs in San Ramon, CA

General Counsel information

See San Ramon, CA salary details

$65.4K

$169.5K

$298.4K

How much do general counsel jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 31, 2026, the average yearly pay for general counsel in San Ramon, CA is $169,464.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $121,200.00 and $212,300.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a general counsel?

A general counsel, also known as a chief counsel or a Chief Legal Officer (CLO), acts as the primary legal advisor to the senior leadership board of a business or law firm. Like corporate attorneys, a general counsel is well versed in laws, regulations, and negotiating skills. However, unlike corporate lawyers, these specialists have a broader knowledge base and must be able to identify legal issues in a variety of industries, including engineering, marketing, finance, human resources, and business policy. CEOs depend on a general counsel to give confidential feedback and suggestions on firm cases and internal attorney activity.

What does a general counsel do?

A General Counsel is the chief lawyer of an organization, responsible for overseeing all legal matters. They provide legal advice to the company's executives and management, ensure compliance with laws and regulations, and manage legal risks. General Counsels may also handle contracts, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property, and litigation. Their role is crucial in helping the organization make informed decisions while minimizing legal exposure.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a general counsel?

To thrive as a General Counsel, you need a law degree (J.D.), admission to the state bar, and extensive experience in corporate law, regulatory compliance, and risk management. Familiarity with contract management systems, legal research databases like Westlaw or LexisNexis, and specialized compliance software is often required. Exceptional judgment, leadership, negotiation, and communication skills set outstanding General Counsels apart. These skills are critical for providing sound legal guidance, protecting the organization from risk, and effectively supporting business objectives.

What are some common challenges faced by a general counsel in balancing legal risk and business objectives?

A General Counsel often faces the challenge of providing legal advice that protects the organization while supporting its strategic and operational goals. This means carefully evaluating legal risks and proposing solutions that enable business growth without exposing the company to unnecessary liability. Navigating complex regulatory environments, addressing fast-evolving compliance requirements, and communicating legal considerations in clear, actionable terms to non-legal colleagues are all part of the role. Collaboration with executive leadership is essential to align legal priorities with broader business objectives, often requiring creative problem-solving and negotiation skills.

What is the difference between General Counsel vs Corporate Lawyer?

AspectGeneral CounselCorporate Lawyer
CredentialsJD, bar admission, extensive legal experienceJD, bar admission, specialized in corporate law
Work EnvironmentIn-house legal department of a companyLaw firms or corporate legal teams
Employer & IndustryCorporations across industriesLaw firms or corporate legal departments
Primary FocusLegal strategy, risk management, corporate governanceTransactional work, contracts, mergers & acquisitions

While both roles require a JD and legal expertise, the General Counsel serves as the top in-house legal advisor focusing on overall legal strategy and risk management within a company. In contrast, a Corporate Lawyer typically handles transactional work like contracts and deals, often working in law firms or corporate legal teams. The General Counsel has a broader leadership role, whereas the Corporate Lawyer specializes in specific legal transactions.

Is general counsel a prestigious job?

The role of general counsel is considered a prestigious position within organizations, often held by experienced legal professionals with significant responsibility for corporate legal matters. It typically requires a law degree, extensive legal experience, and strong leadership skills, reflecting its high status in the corporate hierarchy.
More about General Counsel jobs

What are popular job titles related to General Counsel jobs in San Ramon, CA?

For General Counsel jobs in San Ramon, CA, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching General Counsel jobs in San Ramon, CA look for?

The top searched job categories for General Counsel jobs in San Ramon, CA are:

What cities near San Ramon, CA are hiring for General Counsel jobs?

Cities near San Ramon, CA with the most General Counsel job openings:

General Counsel jobs near you
Infographic showing various General Counsel job openings in San Ramon, CA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 80% Full Time, 17% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 97% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 2% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $169,464 per year, or $81.5 per hour.

General Counsel

Menlo Park, CA • Hybrid

SQA Solution
Recruiting and Staffing Services • 1 - 10 employees
Learn more about SQA Solutionexternal

Full-time

Posted 21 days ago

Job description

Location: Menlo Park, CA; hybrid (onsite 2–3 days/week)

Type: Full-time

This executive role will lead the company's global legal, compliance, and regulatory functions and serve as a key advisor to senior leadership and the Board. The General Counsel will oversee corporate governance, commercial transactions, regulatory matters, compliance, intellectual property, employment, litigation, and legal operations across a fast-moving, international technology business.

Responsibilities:

  • Lead global legal and compliance strategy in alignment with business objectives and risk tolerance.
  • Advise the Board and executive leadership on legal, regulatory, governance, financing, M&A, restructuring, and risk matters.
  • Oversee complex commercial and technology agreements, including licensing, partnerships, APIs, infrastructure, and financial services-related arrangements.
  • Counsel Product and Engineering teams on legal and regulatory considerations for new products, integrations, and emerging technologies.
  • Lead regulatory and compliance matters across multiple jurisdictions, including securities, payments, privacy, AML/KYC, sanctions, and licensing.
  • Manage litigation, investigations, regulatory inquiries, disputes, enforcement matters, and crisis response.
  • Oversee intellectual property strategy, technology licensing, outside counsel, legal budgets, and legal operations.
  • Build and scale legal, compliance, and contracting functions, including policies, playbooks, workflows, templates, and legal technology.
  • Partner cross-functionally on employment law, workforce compliance, investigations, and other business-critical legal matters.

Qualifications:

  • JD or equivalent law degree from an accredited institution and active membership in good standing with at least one applicable bar association.
  • 12+ years of legal experience, including substantial in-house leadership experience in fintech, financial services, payments, SaaS, digital assets, or another highly regulated technology environment.
  • Prior experience as General Counsel, Deputy General Counsel, or a comparable senior legal executive in a global or rapidly scaling organization.
  • Deep experience with complex commercial and technology agreements, product counseling, intellectual property, and technology licensing.
  • Strong knowledge of regulatory frameworks affecting financial services, digital assets, payments, securities, AML/KYC, sanctions, privacy, and related areas.
  • Experience advising executive teams and Boards on governance, legal strategy, risk, financings, M&A, and corporate structuring.
  • Proven experience managing multi-jurisdictional legal and compliance matters and scaling legal/compliance functions.
  • Experience overseeing litigation, investigations, regulatory inquiries, disputes, crisis response, outside counsel, and legal budgets.
  • Strong executive judgment, communication, negotiation, leadership, and cross-functional partnership skills.
  • Experience within digital assets, blockchain, fintech infrastructure, or adjacent financial technology sectors (preferred).
  • Experience engaging with regulators, policymakers, industry groups, or standards organizations (preferred).
  • Background in cross-border operations, privacy/financial crime/export-control compliance, open-source licensing, capital markets, or legal technology (preferred).