Managing Senior Counsel

Our Mission

At Palo Alto Networks® everything starts and ends with our mission:

Being the cybersecurity partner of choice, protecting our digital way of life.
Our vision is a world where each day is safer and more secure than the one before. We are a company built on the foundation of challenging and disrupting the way things are done, and we’re looking for innovators who are as committed to shaping the future of cybersecurity as we are.

Who We Are

We take our mission of protecting the digital way of life seriously. We are relentless in protecting our customers and we believe that the unique ideas of every member of our team contributes to our collective success. Our values were crowdsourced by employees and are brought to life through each of us everyday - from disruptive innovation and collaboration, to execution. From showing up for each other with integrity to creating an environment where we all feel included.

As a member of our team, you will be shaping the future of cybersecurity. We work fast, value ongoing learning, and we respect each employee as a unique individual. Knowing we all have different needs, our development and personal wellbeing programs are designed to give you choice in how you are supported. This includes our FLEXBenefits wellbeing spending account with over 1,000 eligible items selected by employees, our mental and financial health resources, and our personalized learning opportunities - just to name a few!

At Palo Alto Networks, we believe in the power of collaboration and value in-person interactions. This is why our employees generally work full time from our office with flexibility offered where needed. This setup fosters casual conversations, problem-solving, and trusted relationships. Our goal is to create an environment where we all win with precision.

Your Career

This attorney will be independently responsible for complex sales and channel agreements, and negotiations involving cyber security products and services as well as certain post-acquisition integration matters involving products and services.  This position will report to a senior member of the North American Commercial Transactions team and will be located in the Santa Clara, CA or Reston, VA Office .  You will be part of a fast-moving, collaborative legal team that impacts all go-to-market aspects of the business daily.  The team is focused on our next generation licensing agreements, customer programs, and channel partner programs to scale across Palo Alto Networks’ entire technology portfolio.  

This position will work closely with client stakeholders such as finance, business development sales, deals desk, and technical revenue accounting. You will also be an important resource for Legal colleagues on a global basis..  Strong candidates are proactive, solutions-driven, and independent, with direct and leading experience in drafting and negotiating consulting, software, cloud services, vendor financing, data protection, information security, and hardware agreements.

Your Impact

• Provide comprehensive legal support to facilitate Palo Alto Networks products and services with respect to complex go-to-market activities which may necessitate specialized strategies while consulting and coordinating with sales operations and product counsel       

• Review, negotiate and conclude complex commercial contracts involving hardware, software, SaaS, support, and cybersecurity consulting services that comply with the company’s policies and risk tolerance

• Familiarity with and working knowledge of privacy and information security legal issues to the extent necessary to review, draft and negotiate data protection and information security agreements with customers and partners

• Help to build and maintain scalable frameworks and processes

• Draft, review and negotiate master agreements with customers, outside counsel, including Data Protection Agreements - drafting new templates to cover newly created programs as needed and coordinating/collaborating with commercial counsel outside of the Americas; Draft and/or review and negotiate subcontractor and similar agreements to facilitate transition services and consulting arrangements

• Respond promptly and effectively to legal requests from sales, business development, operations, senior management, and other internal clients, and advise on recommended courses of action and legal risks

• Provide legal advice as may be necessary, including identifying processes, legal requirements, registrations, and procedures - Ability to judge when to escalate identified issues

• Collaborate with other teams within legal to ensure consistency and to address issues relating to data privacy, intellectual property, and compliance

• Support continuous improvement of standard form agreements, policies and legal processes related to commercial transactions

• Handle special projects as requested

Seeking individuals who

• Are unrelenting in their pursuit of achievement and are constantly seeking self-improvement

• Can persevere in the face of challenges in implementing new businesses and go to market programs, including  specialized product offerings

• Can adjust according to the situation, learn new things, innovate, and try new methods

• Possess self-confidence in their own abilities while understanding that there is always room for improvement and that others’ experience and knowledge are valuable

• Are diplomatic and assertive

• Can manage time and prioritize tasks

• Demonstrate the highest level of adherence to not only what is legal but also what is right

• Can apply their knowledge to real-world scenarios

• Can function as part of a team, placing the success of the whole above the needs of the self

• Have a desire to explore the unknown and question the status quo in pursuit of better, more effective and/or efficient solutions

• Have a positive attitude, high empathy, and control over their emotions, especially in unscripted, chaotic, and stressful situations

Your Experience 

• Must be admitted to the bar in at least one U.S. state, and have a law degree or equivalent or equivalent military experience

• Must have 8+ years of strong commercial transaction legal practice involving technology

• Extensive experience working in a constructive and professional manner with sales personnel and management as well as experience with product management activities

• Extensive experience as the primary attorney on drafting, reviewing and negotiating complex, multi-million-dollar software, hardware, SaaS-based agreements, and Master Agreements, which includes coordinating all terms with all internal stakeholders across the organization

• Facilitate productive discussions and negotiations with various internal teams, including product management and Product Counsel, as well as outside counsel in order to answer general questions, provide guidance, and operationalize certain aspects of the agreement and provide business-oriented advice and guidance to assist in the formulation of strategies for deal execution and operationalization if needed

• Experience drafting and negotiating data processing/data privacy and information security agreements and working with subject matter experts in these areas, as well as experience drafting and/or negotiating subcontractor agreements to facilitate transition services and consulting arrangements

• Ability to work efficiently with cross-functional teams and manage numerous projects simultaneously under deadline pressure

• Familiarity with revenue recognition issues to be able to identify that there may be a revenue recognition impact with certain terms in customer agreements

• Excellent interpersonal skills, business judgment, strategic thinking, superior work ethic, flexibility, and ability to work independently

• General knowledge of attorney client privilege and attorney work-product concerns and designations

• Superior language, written and verbal communication skills required

• May include occasional travel

• Undergrad or work experience in a technical discipline or experience in cybersecurity is a plus

• In-office position, located at our headquarters in Santa Clara, California or Reston, VA

The Team

We are a Legal Team who is unrelenting in our pursuit of achievement, we are constantly seeking improvements and can take on every challenge. We value a positive attitude and high empathy. We adjust according to the situation, learn new things, innovate, and try new methods. We value collaboration, function as a team and know that our colleague’s experience and knowledge are valuable. We demonstrate the highest level of adherence to not only what is legal but also what is right. We apply our legal knowledge to real-world scenarios, have a desire to explore the unknown and question the status quo in pursuit of better, more effective solutions.

Compensation Disclosure

The compensation offered for this position will depend on qualifications, experience, and work location. For candidates who receive an offer at the posted level, the starting base salary (for non-sales roles) or base salary + commission target (for sales/commissioned roles) is expected to be between $186000 - $299000/YR. The offered compensation may also include restricted stock units and a bonus. A description of our employee benefits may be found here.

Our Commitment

We’re problem solvers that take risks and challenge cybersecurity’s status quo. It’s simple: we can’t accomplish our mission without diverse teams innovating, together.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all qualified individuals with a disability. If you require assistance or accommodation due to a disability or special need, please contact us at  [email protected].

Palo Alto Networks is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity in our workplace, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or other legally protected characteristics.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.