Sr. In-house Contracts Attorney

We are seeking a senior attorney to serve in the position of Director – Legal  in the Verisign Law Department’s Contracting Organization to support the Company’s procurement activities.   The Director-Legal will report to the Vice President and Associate General Counsel.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Provide legal advice to senior management on a broad range of issues related to the purchase of goods and services supporting Verisign’s critical internet infrastructure, corporate operations, and new and emerging cloud-based and on-prem technologies and services (including artificial intelligence)
• Develop a thorough understanding of Verisign’s template agreements and recommend changes to vendor agreements based on the practical application of Verisign’s preferred terms to each particular transaction
• Demonstrate expert level contract drafting and negotiation skills
• Prepare all legal advice in a concise, thorough, and organized manner
• Attain an expert-level understanding of Verisign’s internal policies governing risk, apply those policies when interpreting contract terms, and advise senior management and the business accordingly
• Understand and advise on applicable U.S. and international laws and regulations
• Ensure members of the Law Department are apprised of material developments and issues on a timely basis and in a succinct manner.
• Operate in a collaborative manner with members of the legal team, internal business partners and vendors
• Advise on potential disputes with vendors

Skills, Knowledge and Experience Required:

• J.D. or equivalent degree from an accredited law school
• 12+ years of legal experience, preferably with experience in an in-house legal role in a technology/internet field; familiarity with the domain name industry a plus
• Must have expert level contract drafting and negotiation skills with expertise in technology (including artificial intelligence) and software licensing
• Expert legal writing skills
• Experience advising senior executives
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a fast paced, high transaction volume environment
• Previous experience managing other attorneys and/or contracts managers
• Well-honed analytical and project management skills with the ability to run multi-faceted projects
• Demonstrated experience and ability to collaborate with a team of attorneys and contracts managers and work cross-functionally with other business groups
• Experience advising on intellectual property, privacy and international laws pertaining to procurement agreements, including software licensing.
• Must be admitted to the Virginia bar or eligible for admission as a Virginia Corporate Counsel
• Strong dispute resolutions skills

Professional Attributes: 

• Must have highly developed attention to detail, including in writing and editing.
• Demonstrated aptitude to quickly absorb and apply new information and function as a trusted legal advisor who provides effective and practical advice
• Self-motivated team player with the ability to drive projects and identify and resolve issues,
• Receptive to collaboration and feedback on work product from more senior attorneys

This position is based in our Reston, VA office and offers a hybrid work environment.

The pay range is $199,100 - $269,300. 

The anticipated annual base salary range for this position is noted above, however, base pay offered may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience. Verisign offers a discretionary bonus which is based on individual and company performance, and certain roles may be eligible for discretionary stock awards.