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E-commerce, Pet Food, Consumer Goods, Subscription Services

General Counsel

New York, NYHybridFull TimePosted 1 month ago

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Required skills

  • commercially-minded lawyer
  • trusted advisor
  • legal risk and strategy
  • employment matters
  • commercial contracts
  • IP protection
  • litigation
  • privacy compliance
  • consumer protection
  • marketing

Nice to have

  • Dog lover a plus

Role summary

Spot & Tango, a growing pet health and wellness e-commerce company, seeks a commercially-minded General Counsel to serve as the first in-house legal resource. This role will advise the executive team and business leaders across a broad spectrum of legal disciplines including commercial contracts, employment law, IP, litigation, financings, and privacy compliance. The General Counsel will be responsible for building scalable legal processes, managing outside counsel, and mitigating legal and regulatory risks. The ideal candidate is a pragmatic, sharp, and organized attorney with at least 5 years of experience at a top-tier law firm, preferably with in-house experience in consumer, retail, or e-commerce. This is a hybrid position based in New York City.

Who We Are

Spot & Tango is a pet health & wellness brand on a mission to make mealtime better for dogs, and life simpler for the people who love them. Our recipes are developed by leading animal nutritionists, and are made with only real, human-grade ingredients... and nothing artificial. Through UnKibble™ and our original fresh-frozen line, we’re rethinking what feeding your dog well can look like, one bowl at a time. Since our founding in 2018, we have served over 200 million meals to happy pets across the US and Canada.

We’re a team of builders, problem solvers and dog people, united by the belief that dogs deserve better. We’re looking for people who want to do the best work of their career, dig into challenges with smart people, and help shape a brand that’s redefining an entire category. This is a chance to join a high-growth e-commerce company and have an outsized impact in a fast-paced, ambitious environment. Plus, you get to think about dogs all day.

Who You Are

We are seeking a commercially-minded lawyer who can support the business across all legal disciplines and serve as a trusted advisor to the founders and executive team.This is a unique opportunity to own a broad and varied legal scope of work, and shape how legal risk and strategy are managed as we scale. You'll be the first point of contact for nearly every legal question that touches the business, from employment matters and commercial contracts to IP protection, litigation, financings, and privacy compliance, while managing outside counsel relationships for complex or specialized initiatives.

You're a pragmatic attorney who is energized about being the first and sole in-house legal resource. You can communicate complex legal concepts clearly to internal and external stakeholders. You have a broad understanding across multiple legal fields, and know when to bring in 3rd-party experts to supplement your personal expertise. You are incredibly sharp, scrappy and have a keen attention to detail. You think of creative solutions for difficult problems and are equally comfortable with high-level strategic questions as you are getting into the minutiae of contract negotiations. You're highly organized, self-directed and thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment.

Responsibilities

Business Partnership & Contracts

  • Serve as the primary legal advisor to the executive team and cross-functional leaders (People, Finance, Marketing, Supply Chain, Product)
  • Build scalable legal processes, templates, and internal guidelines to support our high-growth organization
  • Identify legal and regulatory risks proactively and recommend practical solutions aligned with business goals
  • Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of commercial agreements, including vendor, supplier, agency, manufacturing, licensing, marketing, and partnership agreements, including marketplaces such as Amazon and Chewy
  • Serve as the primary liaison to the company's outside law firm(s), scoping and managing complex or specialized initiatives
  • Manage outside counsel budgets and ensure efficient, cost-effective use of external legal resources

    • Consumer Protection & Marketing

  • Review advertising and product claims, influencer and affiliate programs, reviews and testimonials, sweepstakes and promotions, pricing and discount practices

    • Employment Law

  • Advise HR on employment matters, including hiring, termination, policies, leave, accommodations, and workplace investigations
  • Draft and maintain employee-facing agreements and policies (offer letters, employee handbook, restrictive covenants, etc.)
  • Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws

    • Intellectual Property / Trademark

  • Manage the company's trademark portfolio, including filings, renewals, and enforcement, in coordination with outside IP counsel
  • Advise on brand protection, licensing, and IP considerations in product development and marketing campaigns

    • Litigation & Claims

  • Manage disputes, claims, demand letters and litigation matters, including intake, strategy, and coordination with outside litigation counsel
  • Oversee insurance claims and coordinate with risk management/insurance brokers

    • Corporate, Equity & Debt Financings

  • Support corporate governance matters, including board materials and cap table considerations
  • Assist with equity and debt financing transactions, working closely with outside counsel on deal documents, due diligence, and closing mechanics
  • Lead legal work on strategic partnerships, licensing, and eventually M&A or exit readiness

    • Privacy & Data

  • Oversee terms of service, privacy policy checkout flows, return and refund policies, and website accessibility risk
  • Advise on data privacy compliance (e.g., CCPA, state privacy laws), SMS and email marketing (TCPA), cookie and pixel practices, and the wave of tracking technology class actions as it relates to ecommerce and marketing operations
  • Own compliance for subscription and auto-renewal programs, state auto-renewal laws, and evolving click-to-cancel requirements

    • Building the function

  • Manage outside counsel efficiently, set up scalable processes (contract templates, playbooks, self-serve tools, sensible use of legal tech and AI), and eventually hire and develop a team

    • Requirements

  • 5+ years of legal experience at a top-tier law firm; time spent in-house at a consumer, retail, or e-commerce company is a plus (particularly as first or sole lawyer)
  • J.D. from a top-tier law school
  • Active bar membership in good standing (New York bar preferred)
  • Demonstrated breadth of experience across multiple legal disciplines, such as employment law, IP/trademark, commercial contracts, litigation/claims, equity/debt financings, and privacy/consumer terms
  • Experience advising e-commerce, DTC, or CPG companies is a plus
  • Exposure to M&A or IPO preparation preferred
  • Proven ability to manage outside counsel relationships and complex, multi-workstream legal initiatives
  • Excellent judgment and the ability to independently prioritize and manage a high volume of varied legal matters; comfort with ambiguity and speed
  • Strong drafting, negotiation, and communication skills
  • Entrepreneurial mindset with comfort operating without extensive legal infrastructure already in place
  • High ethical standards and professional integrity with a business-first, commercially-oriented mindset
  • Dog lover a plus!

    • Salary: Up to $350,000 annually based on experience and qualifications.

    This reflects the base salary for this position. Compensation may vary based on factors such as experience, certifications and business needs. In addition to base pay, S&T offers annual bonuses, a comprehensive benefits package, flexible time off and employee discounts.

    This is a hybrid position based in our Midtown Manhattan office.

    In-office presence is required on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

    Spot & Tango is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

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