Head of Legal

We are seeking an experienced and commercially focused Head of Legal to lead the legal function across PatSnap's Western region, supporting our operations across the UK, North America and Canada.

Reporting to senior leadership, you will be responsible for providing strategic legal counsel across corporate transactions, commercial contracting, governance, legal risk and international business operations. As a trusted advisor to the executive team, you will play a key role in supporting business growth, enabling strategic decision-making and ensuring legal considerations align with commercial objectives.

This is a broad, high-impact leadership role with responsibility for leading complex M&A activity, supporting international expansion, partnering with stakeholders across Finance, Sales, Product and People, and working closely with colleagues across APAC to ensure a globally aligned legal function.

We're looking for a commercially astute legal leader with strong technical expertise, sound judgement and the ability to balance legal risk with business opportunity. Someone who builds trusted relationships, influences at senior levels and sees legal as a strategic partner to the business.

PatSnap is a global, pre-IPO company helping organisations make better decisions across Intellectual Property and Research & Development. Our platform supports IP, legal, innovation and R&D teams throughout the innovation lifecycle, using domain-specific AI to help them work faster and make more confident decisions.

With over 12,000 customers worldwide, including some of the biggest names in innovation, PatSnap is at the forefront of AI-powered IP and innovation intelligence. Our $300M Series E funding round brought our valuation to $1 billion unicorn status, and we still have a remarkable amount of growth ahead.

We have a vibrant and diverse team with offices in Singapore, Toronto, London and Shanghai, alongside remote teams in the US. Our growth is powered by our people, and we are proud of our shared ambition, work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit.

What You'll be Doing:

Strategic Transactions & Corporate

• Lead complex M&A activity across the Western region, managing transactions from due diligence and deal structuring through to negotiation and post-acquisition integration.
• Support strategic investments, partnerships and joint ventures, while negotiating high-value commercial agreements and enterprise contracts.
• Partner with Finance and executive leadership on corporate governance and strategic business initiatives.

Legal Risk & Governance

• Provide commercially focused legal advice that enables business growth while effectively managing legal, regulatory and operational risk.
• Develop and enhance legal governance frameworks, policies and processes that support a scaling international business.
• Monitor legal and regulatory developments across the Western region and advise leadership on their business impact.

Disputes, Litigation & Intellectual Property

• Lead litigation and dispute resolution across the Western region, managing external counsel to achieve pragmatic and commercially balanced outcomes.
• Oversee intellectual property matters, advising on patents, trademarks, licensing and IP considerations within commercial transactions and product development.

Cross-Regional Collaboration & Strategic Leadership

• Act as the key legal partner between the Western business and APAC teams, supporting cross-border transactions and ensuring legal alignment across regions.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership, partnering with Finance, Sales, Product and People teams to provide practical, business-focused legal counsel.
• Identify opportunities to improve legal operations, streamline processes and help shape the future of PatSnap's Western legal function.

What We'd Love From You:

• 10+ years of combined legal experience, with significant time spent in-house at a high-growth technology or SaaS company.
• Proven experience leading or playing a central role in M&A transactions — from due diligence through to completion.
• Strong background in corporate law, commercial transactions, and legal risk management.
• Demonstrated ability to manage litigation and disputes, including experience engaging and directing external counsel cost-effectively.
• Qualified solicitor; comfortable navigating multi-jurisdictional legal environments.
• Commercially astute with the ability to balance legal risk with business pragmatism and budget awareness.
• Exceptional negotiation skills and a track record of delivering favourable outcomes on complex deals.
• Strong communicator — able to distil complex legal matters into clear, concise guidance for non-legal stakeholders.

Nice to Have

• Mandarin language skills and/or experience working closely with Chinese or broader APAC business teams — highly advantageous given the cross-regional nature of this role.
• Experience with IP law, data privacy (GDPR, PIPEDA, CCPA), or regulatory compliance in a SaaS/technology context.
• Exposure to cross-border transactions bridging Western and Asian markets.
• Prior experience working with investment firms, private equity, or venture-backed companies.
• Familiarity with both UK, US and Canadian corporate law.