Director of Legal

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FirstPrinciples

WebsiteLinkedInAll Job Openings

11 - 50 employees

Founded 2024

🤖 Artificial Intelligence

🔬 Science

☁️ SaaS

Artificial Intelligence • Science • SaaS

FirstPrinciples is a research company building AI systems for discovery in fundamental science. It develops domain-specialized models and tools (branded Theo: Theo Collaborator, Theo Conjecture, and Theo, the AI Physicist) to assist the scientific process—hypothesis generation, symbolic reasoning, tool integration, validation loops, and reproducible research objects. The company emphasizes transparency, stewardship of knowledge as a public good, and alignment with the scientific community. Technical claims include multiple fine-tuned models across physics domains, a model family with 120B+ parameters trained on a curated corpus of 3M+ scientific papers, and internal experiments in areas like quantum information.

📋 Description

• We are hiring our first in-house legal counsel to build the legal function at FirstPrinciples. • You will serve as the primary legal partner for the entire organization globally. • Support our Canadian foundation, our US 501(c)(3), and future international entities, working across borders, legal systems, and institutional norms. • Work closely with the executive leadership team and will be involved early in shaping how the organization is structured & operates. • Develop and oversee AI governance frameworks, including responsible AI policies, model documentation standards, and regulatory compliance across jurisdictions. • Advise on intellectual property strategy, including patent evaluation, trade secrets, open-source licensing, and ownership of AI-generated research outputs. • Maintain and regularly update the organization's website privacy policy and terms of use to reflect evolving legal requirements, product changes, and best practices. • Ensure compliance with emerging AI and data regulations globally. • Support corporate governance for Canadian, US, and future international entities, including board matters, resolutions, and regulatory obligations. • Coordinate with the Director of Finance on key regulatory filings including Form 990 (IRS), T3010 (CRA), and other global compliance filings. • Coordinate with external counsel in the US and other jurisdictions as needed. • Draft and negotiate vendor agreements, NDAs, and other commercial contracts used across the organization. • Provide guidance on export controls, sanctions compliance, and cross-border data and AI model transfers. • Structure, draft, and negotiate data acquisition, licensing, and usage agreements with academic institutions, research consortia, publishers, and other data providers across multiple jurisdictions. • Advise on data rights, permitted uses, restrictions, and risk exposure in the context of AI-driven research and model development. • Lead legal structuring and negotiation of collaboration agreements with universities, research institutes, nonprofits, and other partners globally. • Draft and negotiate MOUs, research collaboration agreements, joint research agreements, and related frameworks. • Ensure agreements align with FirstPrinciples’ mission, nonprofit obligations, and long-term research goals across jurisdictions. • Develop and manage legal frameworks for fellowships, internships, co-op programs, visiting researcher arrangements, and academic secondments across Canada, the US, and other regions. • Draft and review offer letters, program agreements, and related documentation in coordination with the Director of Talent and Director of Finance. • Advise on IP ownership, publication rights, confidentiality, and conflicts of interest related to research talent. • Advise on cross-border charitable solicitation, donor restrictions, grant agreements, and nonprofit regulatory requirements. • Support board governance, conflict of interest policies, and compliance with private benefit rules. • Identify legal and regulatory risks early and provide clear, practical guidance to leadership. • Help design legal processes that scale as the organization grows internationally without slowing execution. • Act as a thought partner on new legal questions at the intersection of AI, data, nonprofit law, and global research collaboration.

🎯 Requirements

• Juris Doctor (JD) or equivalent, with active bar membership in a Canadian jurisdiction. • 8+ years of relevant legal experience, ideally combining law firm training with in-house experience. • Strong experience in commercial contracts, data licensing, or technology-related agreements. • Demonstrated experience advising on emerging AI regulatory frameworks. • Experience advising on Canadian and U.S. employment law basics. • Experience working with nonprofits, technology companies, research institutions, universities, or international organizations is a strong plus. • Comfort supporting cross-border operations and coordinating with foreign counsel when needed. • Ability to operate independently, set priorities, and make judgment calls in ambiguous situations. • Experience building a legal function from scratch or as first/early in-house counsel. • Clear and direct communication style with non-lawyers, including researchers, engineers, and operators. • Interest in or curiosity about physics, AI, or fundamental scientific research.

🏖️ Benefits

• Competitive salary • Remote work options