Vice President, Legal & Compliance

Role Overview

Hemab is entering an exciting phase of growth and preparing for its transition to the public markets. As our first VP, Legal & Compliance, you will build and lead the company’s legal and compliance foundation while serving as a critical partner to the CFO, CEO, and Management Team.

This role is ideal for a hands-on, business-oriented attorney who enjoys building from scratch, thrives in a fast-moving biotech environment, and can operate as Hemab’s internal legal leader without the full enterprise scope implied by “General Counsel.”

You will spearhead IPO readiness, corporate governance, contracting, clinical and R&D support, risk management, and compliance frameworks, while coordinating external counsel efficiently. You will enable execution, ensure risk-informed decision-making, and create scalable structures to support Hemab’s next phase as a public company.

Core Responsibilities

Strategic Business Partnership & Risk Management:

• Serve as a trusted advisor to the CFO, CEO, and senior leaders on legal and compliance matters with direct business impact.
• Translate legal and regulatory risks into clear, actionable guidance for executives.
• Support strategic initiatives including partnerships, global expansion, and financing activities.
• Identify material legal risks and implement practical mitigation strategies appropriate for Hemab’s size and maturity.

Legal & Compliance Foundation & Infrastructure:

• Design and implement scalable legal infrastructure (processes, systems, templates, workflows) that evolves from private to public company
• Build and maintain contract lifecycle management system.
• Create risk assessment frameworks and approval matrices aligned with business priorities and risk appetite.
• Develop policies and playbooks for recurring legal needs.
• Establish metrics and KPIs to measure legal function effectiveness and business impact.

Corporate Governance & Public-Company Readiness:

• Support the CFO and CEO in preparing Board materials and advising on governance best practices
• Establish and manage the corporate secretary function (agendas, minutes, resolutions, charters)
• Develop disclosure controls and procedures in preparation for becoming a public company
• Implement policies related to insider trading, whistleblower procedures, and conflicts of interest.

Corporate Governance & Compliance:

• Establish and evolve Board governance structures and corporate secretary functions
• Advise Board and management on fiduciary duties, conflicts of interest, and governance best practices
• Design and implement privacy and GDPR compliance program with strategic oversight of data governance
• Data protection agreements and cross-border data transfers
• Build regulatory compliance framework that scales with company growth and anticipates future requirements
• Develop crisis management and business continuity plans from legal perspective

IPO Readiness & Securities:

• Serve as Hemab’s in-house legal lead for the U.S. Nasdaq IPO process.
• Drive operational coordination between internal teams and external counsel, bankers, and auditors.
• Support drafting and review of S-1 registration statements, including risk factors, business descriptions, and MD&A inputs.
• Build Hemab’s public-company compliance readiness: SEC reporting processes, disclosure practices, governance enhancements.
• Provide legal input for investor communications, diligence responses, and investor-facing materials.
• Support capital markets activity leading up to and following the IPO (e.g., crossovers, PIPEs, follow-ons)

Intellectual Property Support:

• Coordinate with outside IP counsel and integrate IP strategy into business development and corporate strategy

Operational Contracting:

• Draft and negotiate CDAs, MSAs, and SOWs with CROs, CDMOs, and vendors
• Manufacturing and supply agreements
• Clinical trial agreements and investigator-initiated studies
• Service provider agreements
• Drive contract efficiency and turnaround times to support business velocity

Employment & HR Legal:

• Employment agreements and offer letters
• Equity compensation plans and documents aligned with talent strategy and retention goals
• Employee handbook and HR policies
• Immigration support for key hires
• Labor law compliance across jurisdictions
• Advise on executive compensation, retention strategies, and employment litigation risk

Build Lean, High-Leverage Team:

• Hire strategically with focus on capability gaps and business priorities
• Leverage digital tools for contract review, legal research, and drafting to maximize team efficiency
• Establish trusted outsourcing relationships (contract lawyers, legal process outsourcing) for surge capacity
• Create "insource vs. outsource" decision framework optimizing for speed, cost, and strategic control
• Partner with top-tier external counsel for specialized needs (IPO, complex litigation, promotional review)
• Build legal function as competitive advantage through speed, business enablement, and strategic value-add