Perplexity is looking for a dynamic and innovative attorney to join our small team to help advance the business, improve the products we’re building, and revolutionize the way people search and interact with the internet. This unique role offers significant responsibility to apply and strengthen your legal experience and offers growth potential in other areas of an in-house practice group.
This is a unique role at Perplexity AI within our rapidly growing AI technology company. This role will have a variety of responsibilities but we're seeking a sharp, innovative commercial attorney who combines strong business judgment with practical problem-solving abilities. You'll negotiate complex partnership, technology and infrastructure agreements while providing strategic counsel on legal risks across our rapidly growing business. The ideal candidate brings intellectual curiosity about AI technology, adaptability in an emerging regulatory landscape, and exceptional collaboration skills. Success in this role requires a deep understanding of high-growth startup environments, where you'll combine traditional legal expertise with sharp business risk assessment. As one of our first legal hires, you'll handle hands-on legal work while building scalable processes and managing key functions. We're looking for someone with strong commercial instincts, an entrepreneurial drive, and the agility to thrive in our fast-paced environment.
Responsibilities
- Draft, review and negotiate commercial agreements for AI infrastructure and partnerships
- Draft and negotiate commercial agreements - but also improve and maintain templates, playbooks, and processes for - partnerships, reseller arrangements, enterprise agreements, vendor contracts, DPAs, MSAs, and licensing arrangements
- Provide practical legal counsel to enterprise sales, product, engineering, and business teams
- Design and implement scalable legal processes and policies while building a global business
- Manage IP portfolio and data privacy compliance
- Assess legal risk and advise the business accordingly
- Monitor and advise on evolving and emerging regulatory requirements and industry standards
- Support business teams on legal strategy for new product and feature launches
Qualifications
- JD and in good standing with an active US state bar membership
- 7+ years of law firm and/or in-house experience
- Track record of drafting and negotiating complex commercial agreements
- Strong business acumen and ability to partner with business and technical teams
- An ability to communicate clearly with business and technical audiences and effectively translate legal concepts for non-lawyers
- Hands-on attitude to tackle projects large and small, low-ego approach to working across the organization
- Positive collaborative attitude, comfort with change and a fast pace, high level of integrity, and intellectual curiosity
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
While we offer flexibility in work arrangements, we have a strong preference for candidates who can work hybrid (2-3 days/week) from either our San Francisco or New York office.
Our cash compensation range for this role is $200,000 - $250,000.
At Perplexity, we've experienced tremendous growth and adoption since publicly launching the world's first fully functional conversational answer engine in 2022. We've grown from answering 2.5 million questions per day at the start of 2024 to around 20 million daily queries in December 2024. We also offer Perplexity Enterprise Pro, which counts leading companies like Nvidia, the Cleveland Cavaliers, Bridgewater, and Zoom as customers.
To support our rapid expansion, we've raised significant funding from some of the most respected technology investors. Our investor base includes IVP, NEA, Jeff Bezos, NVIDIA, Databricks, Bessemer Venture Partners, Elad Gil, Nat Friedman, Daniel Gross, Naval Ravikant, Tobi Lutke, and many other visionary individuals. In 2024, our employee base grew nearly 300%, and we're just getting started.
Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors, including, experience and expertise, and may vary from the amounts listed above.
Equity: In addition to the base salary, equity is part of the total compensation package.
Benefits: Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance for you and your dependents. Includes a 401(k) plan.
