Commercial Counsel

Aderant is a global industry leading software company providing comprehensive business management solutions for law firms and other professional services organizations with a mission to help them run a better business. We are motivated by a collective desire to drive the legal industry to the forefront of innovation. With over 2,500 clients around the world, including 95 of the top AmLaw 100 firms, we are changing the outside perception of the legal sphere; where there was once resistance to modernization, we are creating a culture that embraces new ideas and technology.

At Aderant, the “A” is more than just a letter. It is a representation of how we fulfill our foundational purpose, serving our clients. It embodies our core values and reminds us that to achieve success, every day must start with the “A”. We bring the “A” to life by fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and personal growth. We encourage our diverse teams to bring their whole selves to work – ideas, experience, and passion – to drive our mission forward.

Our people are our strength.

The Role

Aderant is seeking a Commercial Counsel to join its Legal Department as the second attorney on the team. This is a high‑impact role for a hands‑on commercial lawyer who wants meaningful ownership of deals, direct exposure to senior stakeholders, and the opportunity to grow with a scaling SaaS business.

The Commercial Counsel will own day‑to‑day customer contracting, serving as the primary legal point of contact for negotiating master agreements and complex order forms with sophisticated law firm clients. This role requires sound judgment, comfort with ambiguity, and the ability to balance speed‑to‑close with disciplined risk management.

This position reports directly to the head of the Legal Department and is based in Aderant’s Atlanta office, with a hybrid schedule of three days in office and two days remote.

Key Responsibilities

In This Role, You Will

• Lead end‑to‑end negotiation of customer commercial agreements, including SaaS subscription agreements, legacy software licenses, amendments, and complex order forms
• Act as the primary legal representative on client calls, negotiating directly with in‑house legal teams at large and sophisticated law firms
• Manage a high volume of concurrent deals while maintaining responsiveness and prioritization under significant time pressure
• Apply Aderant’s contract playbooks and risk positions consistently, while clearly explaining those positions to clients and internal stakeholders
• Identify legal, operational, and financial risks in proposed deal terms and work cross‑functionally to resolve issues pragmatically
• Partner closely with Sales, Finance, Sales Operations, Revenue Operations, Product, and Security, serving as both an enabler and a gatekeeper
• Escalate novel or high‑risk issues appropriately, while independently handling the majority of negotiations
• Support Aderant’s transition to SaaS by negotiating new SaaS agreements while assessing and managing risk under legacy contract frameworks
• Review and advise on data protection terms, DPAs, international considerations, open‑source issues, and AI‑related contractual provisions as part of routine deal flow
• Collaborate closely with contract managers and contract administrators to support efficient deal flow, ensure consistency across agreements, and help prioritize work across the legal contracting team
• Contribute to improving contract templates, playbooks, and processes over time, recognizing that not everything is fully documented
  
  

Qualifications And Experience

The ideal candidate will have:

• Juris Doctor degree from an ABA‑accredited law school and active membership in good standing with at least one U.S. state bar
• 2–5 years of experience negotiating business‑to‑business commercial contracts, with technology and SaaS contracting experience strongly preferred
• Prior in‑house experience is preferred, but strong candidates directly from a law firm will be considered
• Demonstrated experience negotiating against sophisticated counterparties with customized and heavily negotiated agreements
• Strong working knowledge of SaaS transactions, software licensing models, and professional services arrangements
• Familiarity with data protection and privacy concepts, including DPAs and international considerations
• Ability to manage ambiguity, adapt quickly, and operate effectively in an environment with evolving processes
• Strong communication skills and the confidence to work directly with clients, sales teams, and senior business stakeholders
• Sound business judgment and the ability to balance risk management with commercial realities
  
  

What Success Looks Like

A successful Commercial Counsel at Aderant is able to independently manage a demanding deal load, build credibility with both clients and internal teams, and exercise good judgment about when to proceed and when to escalate. This role is well suited for a lawyer who wants autonomy, direct responsibility, and exposure to complex, real‑world commercial issues rather than a narrowly siloed legal function. Success in this role requires strong collaboration skills and a willingness to operate as part of a lean, high‑functioning legal team.