Who We Are

Lightning AI is the company reimagining the way AI is built. After creating and releasing PyTorch Lightning in 2019, Lightning AI was launched to reshape the development of artificial intelligence products for commercial and academic use.

We are on a mission to simplify AI development, making it accessible to everyone—from solo researchers to large enterprises. By removing the complexity of building and deploying AI tools, we empower innovators to focus on solving real-world problems. Our platform is built to scale with the latest AI advancements while staying intuitive and adaptable, so you can bring your ideas to life.

We have offices in New York City, San Francisco, and London and are backed by investors such as Coatue, Index Ventures, Bain Capital Ventures, and Firstminute.

• Move Fast: We act with speed and precision, breaking down big challenges into achievable steps.

• Focus: We complete one goal at a time with care, collaborating as a team to deliver features with precision.

• Balance: Sustained performance comes from rest and recovery. We ensure a healthy work-life balance to keep you at your best.

• Craftsmanship: Innovation through excellence. Every detail matters, and we take pride in mastering our craft.

• Minimal: Simplicity drives our innovation. We eliminate complexity through discipline and focus on what truly matters.

What We're Looking For

We are looking for a General Counsel to lead our legal strategy across intellectual property, commercial contracts, and regulatory compliance. You will manage our global IP portfolio, including patents and trademarks, and negotiate customer, vendor, and partner agreements. You'll advise on legal risks tied to AI, data usage, and open-source software, working cross-functionally with product, engineering, and sales. You’ll also oversee compliance with SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR/CCPA, and evolving AI regulations.

You will be joining the Operations Team and report to our CEO. This is a hybrid role based in our San Francisco or New York City office with in-office requirements of 2 days per week. The salary range for this role is $200,000 - $220,000. 

What You’ll Do

• Provide strategic legal counsel on intellectual property matters, with a strong focus on patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets related to AI and software innovations.
• Manage the company’s global IP portfolio, including patent filings, trademark registrations, and enforcement strategies.
• Review, draft, and negotiate a wide range of commercial contracts, including enterprise customer agreements, vendor contracts, channel and partnership agreements, and NDAs.
• Counsel internal stakeholders, especially in engineering, product, sales, and finance, on legal risks, mitigation strategies, and contract structuring.
• Serve as the point person for all legal issues relating to technology licensing, open-source usage, and AI model IP rights.
• Collaborate with outside counsel as needed, especially for international filings and litigation.
• Help establish internal legal operations and scalable processes, including contract lifecycle management and legal review workflows.
• Support compliance efforts across a range of regulatory and industry standards, including emerging AI regulations, global data privacy laws (such as GDPR and CCPA), information security frameworks (such as SOC 2), and healthcare-related requirements (such as HIPAA), as well as IP-related obligations.

What You’ll Need

• JD from an accredited U.S. law school and active membership in at least one U.S. state bar (California or New York).
• 6+ years of legal experience, with a mix of law firm and in-house experience at a technology or AI-focused company strongly preferred.
• Deep expertise in intellectual property law, with a track record of managing software patents and trademarks.
• Experience with drafting and negotiating commercial technology contracts, particularly for SaaS, infrastructure, or AI services.
• Understanding of open-source licensing, IP rights in AI, and data usage considerations in product development.
• Strong business judgment, ability to work cross-functionally, and comfort working in a fast-paced, high-ambiguity startup environment.

Benefits and Perks

We offer competitive base salaries and stock options with a 25% one year cliff and monthly vesting thereafter. For our international employees, we work with Velocity Global to pay you in your local currency and provide equitable benefits across the globe.

In the US, we offer:

• Medical, dental and vision
• Life and AD&D insurance 
• Flexible paid time off plus 1 week of winter closure
• Generous paid family leave benefits
• $500 monthly meal reimbursement, including groceries & food delivery services
• $500 one time home office stipend
• $1,000 annual learning & development stipend 
• 100% Citibike membership (NYC only)
• $45/month gym membership 
• Additional various medical and mental health services

At Lightning AI, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace. We believe that diverse teams drive innovation and create better products. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic. We are dedicated to building a culture where everyone can thrive and contribute to their fullest potential.