Legal Counsel

The Legal Counsel role at DNA Script involves a variety of important responsibilities including providing legal and commercial support to align with sales objectives, drafting and negotiating contracts, ensuring legal compliance, and managing legal operations in both France and the US. You'll also play an essential role in guiding governance matters and supporting the HR team on labor law issues.

To be eligible for the Legal Counsel position at DNA Script, candidates should possess a Bac +5 degree in business law, along with a minimum of 4 years of experience, preferably in a fast-paced international startup environment. Proficiency in both legal French and English is essential, alongside excellent communication and organizational skills.

At DNA Script, the Legal Counsel is responsible for drafting, negotiating, and reviewing a range of contracts, such as agreements with clients and suppliers. This role also encompasses organizing and automating contractual processes, ensuring efficient workflows and compliance with internal protocols, ultimately protecting the interests of our company.

DNA Script values a pragmatic, solutions-oriented approach in a Legal Counsel, along with strong interpersonal skills for effective communication with various stakeholders. Other essential qualities include excellent organization skills to manage multiple tasks, the ability to anticipate risks, and a commitment to maintaining discretion when dealing with sensitive information.

The Legal Counsel plays a pivotal role in governance at DNA Script by advising the CEO on governance matters and overseeing processes related to shareholding and capitalization. This includes managing documentation for board meetings and ensuring compliance across legal and operational structures, contributing directly to the company’s strategic objectives.

When discussing your experience with contract negotiation as a Legal Counsel, emphasize specific situations where you successfully drafted, negotiated, and executed contracts. Highlight your ability to identify potential legal issues upfront, maintain strong relationships with stakeholders, and optimize terms for mutual benefit.

To ensure compliance with GDPR regulations, describe your strategies for monitoring and enforcing data protection policies. Explain how you assess data handling practices, train staff on compliance, and manage incidents relating to personal data, showcasing your proactive approach to legal risks.

In answering this question, discuss specific tools and methodologies you've employed, such as Legal Tech software for contract management or developing standardized templates. Highlight your focus on efficiency and your ability to adapt processes to dynamic environments, which can greatly benefit a fast-paced company like DNA Script.

When describing a challenging legal issue, use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to articulate the context of the challenge, your role, specific actions you took to address it, and the positive outcome. This structured approach will demonstrate your problem-solving skills and resilience under pressure.

Discuss your organizational strategies, such as prioritizing tasks based on urgency and importance, using project management tools, or allocating time effectively. Provide real examples of how you successfully managed competing deadlines and maintained high-quality legal advice under pressure.

In your response, highlight any specific projects or roles where you collaborated with international teams. Discuss how you navigated different legal systems, cultural differences, and how you ensured alignment across jurisdictions—skills that are invaluable at a global company like DNA Script.

When addressing this question, talk about your methods for creating an engaging training program—utilizing workshops, interactive scenarios, or role-playing to illustrate potential legal risks. Emphasize your ability to make complex legal concepts understandable for non-legal colleagues, thus fostering a collaborative environment.

Share specific examples of how you've implemented process improvements, such as automating documentation workflows or refining contract approval processes. Detail the positive impacts these improvements had on efficiency and compliance, showing your proactive approach to enhancing legal operations.

Explain how you cultivate effective partnerships with external legal advisors, focusing on communication, setting clear expectations, and collaboration on projects. Discuss how you leverage their expertise while ensuring that your company's objectives are met without compromising on cost or quality.

In responding to this question, discuss qualities such as strong analytical skills, excellent communication, discretion, and a proactive mindset as vital for a Legal Counsel. Reinforce how each of these qualities plays a role in mitigating legal risks and supporting the overall business strategy.