Forward Networks is transforming how the world's most complex networks are managed and secured. Founded in 2013 by four Stanford Ph.D.s, we built the industry's first network digital twin, a mathematically precise model of the production network that gives IT teams unmatched visibility, verification, and agility across every major cloud and vendor environment.
Our customers include global leaders such as Goldman Sachs, PayPal, S&P Global, IBM, and Dell, as well as fast-growing enterprises and government agencies. According to IDC, Forward Networks customers realize an average of $14.2 million in annual benefits through improved efficiency and security.
Backed by world-class investors including Andreessen Horowitz, Goldman Sachs, MSD Partners, and Threshold Ventures, Forward Networks offers a people-centric, innovative culture where brilliant minds are shaping the future of network reliability, security, and AI-ready operations.
Forward Networks is looking for a Commercial Counsel to join our legal team. You'll own inbound vendor agreements and be part of a tight team structuring, negotiating, and closing SaaS and on-premise software agreements with some of the world's largest enterprises and government agencies.
Do you want to be the attorney closest to the revenue engine of a company that's defining a category?
Do you see technology, process, and tools not as overhead but as force multipliers — and actively seek them out?
Are you energized by working directly with sales teams to find the path to "yes" on complex deals?
If you bring strong commercial transactions experience, genuine curiosity about how products work, and the ability to build trust across every function in a company, you may be exactly who we're looking for.
Responsibilities
- Structure, draft, negotiate, and close a wide range of commercial agreements including SaaS subscription agreements, on-premise software licenses, order forms, SOWs, NDAs, partner and reseller agreements, and procurement-driven contracts.
- Develop and refine contract templates, playbooks, and approval workflows that scale with the business, leveraging technology and tooling to drive efficiency wherever possible.
- Advise on deal structure, pricing models, and non-standard terms, balancing business objectives with legal and commercial risk.
- Navigate complex procurement processes including government contract vehicles, security requirements, and compliance frameworks.
- Work cross-functionally with finance, product, marketing, and engineering teams on matters that extend beyond commercial transactions, including product-related legal questions, marketing review, privacy considerations, and other areas of the business as needs arise.
- Provide practical, risk-calibrated guidance in ambiguous situations where there is no clear playbook, helping the business move forward with eyes open rather than issuing binary approvals.
- Contribute to the continuous improvement of the legal function, identifying process gaps, building institutional knowledge, and helping establish best practices as the company scales.
Requirements & Background
- 6–10+ years of experience in technology transactions, with a meaningful mix of law firm and in-house experience.
- Significant experience supporting enterprise sales teams with SaaS and on-premise software licensing, including direct negotiation of complex, high-value commercial agreements.
- Demonstrated ability to work at pace in a growth-stage environment, comfortable owning outcomes, not just process.
- Strong understanding of software licensing models, data protection and privacy frameworks, intellectual property provisions, indemnification and liability structures, and security and compliance requirements common in enterprise software.
- Excellent judgment in risk assessment, able to distinguish material risk from theoretical risk and advise accordingly.
Skills & Attributes
- Forward-leaning orientation toward technology, tools, and process improvement. You actively seek out ways to amplify your output and the efficiency of the teams you support.
- Genuine curiosity about the product: the technology, and the business, not just the contract terms.
- Exceptional ability to work across stakeholders with competing priorities, building consensus and driving decisions to close.
- Strong communication skills: able to translate complex legal concepts into clear, actionable guidance for sales, engineering, and executive audiences.
- Adaptable and comfortable with ambiguity: you thrive when the answer isn't in the precedent file.
- Entrepreneurial mindset: you see a growing legal function as an opportunity to build, not just maintain.
Why This Role
This is a commercial counsel role at its core, but it sits inside a lean, high-impact legal team at a company where the scope of what you can touch is wide. Beyond commercial transactions, you'll have the opportunity to work directly with senior leaders across marketing, HR, finance, product, and engineering on matters that span the full breadth of the business. For the right candidate, this is a chance to develop the kind of integrated, cross-functional legal skill set that positions you for broader leadership roles down the road.
The base pay range for this role is between $220,000 and $260,000. Base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location