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General Counsel Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Cognito Therapeutics

General Counsel

Cambridge, MA · On-site

General Counsel Cognito Therapeutics, Inc. Location: Cambridge, MA or remote USA, Full-time - Executive Leadership Company Description Cognito Therapeutics, Inc. is a venture-backed (Morningside ...

Cognito Therapeutics

General Counsel

Cambridge, MA · On-site +1

General Counsel Cognito Therapeutics, Inc. Location: Cambridge, MA or remote USA, Full-time - Executive Leadership Company Description Cognito Therapeutics, Inc. is a venture-backed (Morningside ...

Paligen Technologies, Inc.

General Counsel

Tampa, FL · On-site

General Counsel Job Family: Legal Company : Paligen Technologies Location: Tampa, FL (on - site) Job Summary: Paligen Technologies, a leading aerospace and defense company, is seeking an experienced ...

Addison Group

General Counsel

Carol Stream, IL · On-site

$170K - $190K/yr

General Counsel Location: Carol Stream, IL Pay: $170,000 -$190,000 Benefits: Medical, dental, vision, 401(k), parental leave Qualifications * Juris Doctor from an accredited law school and active ...

Georgia Ports Authority

General Counsel

Savannah, GA · On-site

General Counsel Department(s): 5070 - Finance Location(s): Garden City Terminal FLSA Status: Exempt JOB OVERVIEW: Under the supervision of the Chief Financial Officer, the General Counsel serves as a ...

Cognito Therapeutics

General Counsel

Cambridge, MA · On-site +1

General Counsel Cognito Therapeutics, Inc. Location: Cambridge, MA or remote USA, Full-time - Executive Leadership Company Description Cognito Therapeutics, Inc. is a venture-backed (Morningside ...

Confidential

General Counsel

Houston, TX · Remote

$150K - $180K/yr

The General Counsel will also be responsible for the full spectrum of legal affairs, excluding litigation, but including corporate governance, regulatory compliance and all investor-related matters.

JBA International

General Counsel

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$250K/yr

Immediate need for General Counsel! Pay from $250k/yr. MUST be CA Barred. Apply TODAY for immediate consideraton As our General Counsel , you will have the opportunity to provide legal counsel to the ...

Meta-Xiii

General Counsel

Alexandria, VA · Remote

General Counsel Company: Spacebnb Co. Department: Legal, Governance & Compliance Reports To: Chief Executive Officer / Board of Directors Employment Type: Full-Time Location: Remote, Hybrid, or ...

Air Clean Systems

General Counsel

Creedmoor, NC · On-site

General Counsel Department or Division : Legal Reports To : CEO and board of directors Job Summary The general counsel is responsible for leading corporate strategic and tactical legal initiatives.

COAST DENTAL

General Counsel

Tampa, FL · On-site

The General Counsel is an executive position and, as such, leads the Company's in-house Legal Department. The General Counsel supports various internal business units and manages other Legal ...

Confidential

General Counsel

Houston, TX · Remote

$150K - $180K/yr

The General Counsel will also be responsible for the full spectrum of legal affairs, excluding litigation, but including corporate governance, regulatory compliance and all investor-related matters.

Air Clean Systems

General Counsel

Creedmoor, NC · On-site

General Counsel Department or Division : Legal Reports To : CEO and board of directors Job Summary The general counsel is responsible for leading corporate strategic and tactical legal initiatives.

Niagara University

NIAGARA UNIVERSITY Founded 1856 • Vincentian Catholic Tradition GENERAL COUNSEL Office of the General Counsel Location: Lewiston, New York Employment Type: Full-Time, Regular FLSA Status: Exempt ...

SDI Inc

General Counsel

Philadelphia, PA · Hybrid

The General Counsel is a licensed attorney who will ensure that the company's business practices, operations, risk management, and commercial dealings meet regulatory requirements and industry ...

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General Counsel information

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How much do general counsel jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 2, 2026, the average yearly pay for general counsel in the United States is $151,643.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $108,500.00 and $190,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What do you do as general counsel?

A general counsel is the chief legal officer of an organization, responsible for overseeing legal matters, ensuring compliance with laws and regulations, and providing legal advice to management. They often handle contract review, risk management, and may supervise a legal team, requiring strong legal knowledge and negotiation skills.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a General Counsel, and why are they important?

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.

Do you need a law degree to be a general counsel?

A law degree is typically required to become a general counsel, as the role involves providing legal advice and representing the company in legal matters. Most general counsels are licensed attorneys with extensive legal experience, often including passing the bar exam and maintaining active licensure. While alternative qualifications are rare, legal expertise and a strong understanding of corporate law are essential for the position.

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.

Is general counsel a high position?

Yes, the general counsel is a senior executive role responsible for overseeing a company's legal matters. It is typically one of the highest-ranking legal positions within an organization, often reporting directly to the CEO or board of directors.

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.

Who is the highest paid general counsel?

The highest paid general counsel typically work for large multinational corporations and can earn total compensation exceeding several million dollars annually, including base salary, bonuses, and stock options. Compensation varies based on company size, industry, and individual experience, with top earners often holding senior leadership and legal expertise in complex corporate environments.

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.

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General Counsel jobs near you
General Counsel

General Counsel

Cognito Therapeutics

Cambridge, MA • On-site

Full-time

Posted 21 days ago

Job description

General Counsel
Cognito Therapeutics, Inc.
Location: Cambridge, MA or remote USA, Full-time - Executive Leadership
Company Description
Cognito Therapeutics, Inc. is a venture-backed (Morningside Ventures, FoundersX, IAG, Starbloom) late clinical stage company translating scientific findings from MIT into therapeutic approaches for brain health, including Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. We were awarded a Breakthrough designation by the FDA in December 2020 based upon our feasibility data that showed our therapy's strong safety profile and a notable preservation of cognition and function in patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer's. We completed enrollment in our pivotal study, HOPE, in June 2025 and expect to release topline data from the trial in summer 2026. We are a fast-moving, highly motivated team of innovators with the ambitious goal of helping millions of patients and caregivers around the world who are impacted by neurodegenerative conditions. With our patented brain stimulation technology, we are committed to developing convenient, safe and effective neuroprotective therapies to improve brain health and well-being for all.
About the Job
The General Counsel will serve as the company's senior-most legal executive and a member of the executive leadership team. Reporting directly to the CEO and working closely with the Board of Directors, the General Counsel will own the full legal, compliance, governance, and ethics function-providing strategic counsel across all areas of the enterprise while building the legal infrastructure required for Cognito's continued growth, IPO readiness, and long-term platform leadership.
This is a rare opportunity to shape not just legal strategy but the ethical and governance foundations of a company defining a new category in brain health. The General Counsel will be a decisive, business-oriented leader capable of operating with high autonomy, exercising sound judgment in ambiguous and high-stakes environments, and building scalable systems that protect and advance Cognito's mission.
Key Responsibilities
Corporate Governance & Securities
  • Lead all Board governance matters, including preparation and review of Board and committee materials, resolutions, and corporate minutes.
  • Own corporate structuring, subsidiary management, and capitalization strategy.
  • Partner with the CEO and CFO on fundraising, investor relations, and IPO readiness, including SEC reporting infrastructure and public-company compliance frameworks.
  • Serve as the primary legal interface for the Board, investors, and external governance stakeholders.

Commercial & Strategic Transactions
  • Lead negotiation and execution of complex commercial agreements, including strategic partnerships, licensing, distribution, vendor, and enterprise customer contracts.
  • Advise on risk allocation, indemnification structures, and contractual compliance aligned with business objectives.
  • Drive legal strategy for M&A, collaboration, and licensing activity, including due diligence, deal structuring, and integration.
  • Build and manage a contract management system and scalable commercial legal infrastructure.

Regulatory & Compliance
  • Provide executive-level legal leadership within a regulated medical device environment, partnering with Regulatory, Quality, Clinical, and Commercial functions.
  • Advise on FDA regulatory strategy, healthcare compliance, fraud and abuse considerations, and promotional review processes.
  • Develop and maintain a robust corporate compliance program, including policies, training, and monitoring frameworks.
  • Partner with regulatory counsel and external advisors to strengthen regulatory frameworks supporting device approval, label expansion, and international market access.

IP Strategy & Platform Defensibility
  • Own and develop the company's intellectual property strategy, including patent portfolio expansion, freedom-to-operate analysis, and competitive IP positioning.
  • Partner with Patent Counsel and R&D leadership to protect core scientific, technological, and data innovations.
  • Build enterprise-level strategic protections that support long-term platform defensibility across scientific, technological, and commercial dimensions.
  • Identify and mitigate IP risks arising from partnerships, licensing, and competitive activity.

Neuroethics & AI Governance
  • The General Counsel will lead the development of governance for our scientific, regulatory, ethical, and data infrastructure.
  • Establish and chair a neuroethics governance framework, including oversight structures, advisory expertise, and operating principles for responsible cognitive monitoring.
  • Develop AI explainability and transparency standards governing Cognito's use of AI-driven therapeutic intelligence and decision-support systems.
  • Build longitudinal cognitive data governance systems-including data classification, retention, access controls, and secondary use policies-commensurate with the sensitivity of brain health data.
  • Create patient trust and consent architectures that meet the highest ethical standards and anticipate evolving regulatory expectations around neurotechnology and AI.
  • Develop responsible AI operating principles and embed them across product, clinical, and commercial functions.
  • Engage proactively with emerging regulatory frameworks, standards bodies, and policy stakeholders on neuroethics and AI governance.

Data Governance & Privacy
  • Develop and implement an enterprise data governance infrastructure appropriate for collecting and leveraging sensitive longitudinal brain health data.
  • Oversee HIPAA, GDPR, CCPA, and other applicable privacy compliance programs.
  • Advise on data sharing, research partnerships, and secondary data use in alignment with ethical standards and patient consent architectures.
  • Partner with Data Science, Clinical, and Product teams to ensure data governance frameworks scale with Company strategy and growth.

Legal Operations & Risk Management
  • Build and lead a high-performing legal function, including hiring, developing, and managing internal legal staff.
  • Manage outside counsel relationships and legal budgets with rigor and strategic discipline.
  • Develop scalable legal processes, contract templates, and knowledge management systems.
  • Identify, monitor, and proactively mitigate enterprise risk across legal, regulatory, and ethical domains.
  • Report to the Board and Audit Committee on material legal, compliance, and governance matters.

Qualifications
Experience
  • D. from an accredited law school and active membership in at least one U.S. state bar.
  • 15+ years of relevant legal experience, with a combination of top-tier law firm and in-house leadership experience.
  • Demonstrated track record as General Counsel or Deputy/Associate General Counsel at a life sciences, medical device, or health technology company.
  • Experience in healthcare, medical device, or other highly regulated environments is required; neurotechnology or digital health experience is a strong plus.
  • Significant experience supporting venture-backed or high-growth companies; IPO, public-company, or capital markets experience is highly preferred.
  • Demonstrated experience with IP strategy, complex commercial transactions, and advising CEO and Board-level stakeholders.
  • Experience with, or strong interest in, emerging governance domains including AI ethics, data privacy, and neuroethics.

Skills & Capabilities
  • Exceptional business judgment and the ability to provide decisive, risk-calibrated counsel under uncertainty.
  • Executive presence, credibility, and influence with Board members, investors, and senior leadership.
  • Ability to think strategically about legal and governance matters as sources of competitive advantage, not just risk mitigation.
  • Strong drafting, negotiation, and communication skills across technical, scientific, and business audiences.
  • Intellectual curiosity and comfort operating in emerging regulatory and ethical domains, including AI governance and neuroethics.
  • High integrity, discretion, and sound judgment in handling sensitive and confidential information.
  • Ability to build and lead a team while remaining a hands-on contributor in a fast-paced, resource-constrained environment.

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