Head of Legal

What is a Head of Legal?

A Head of Legal is the company's senior-most in-house attorney — similar to a General Counsel in scope but often used at earlier-stage companies where the title reflects the team's size rather than the function's seniority. A Head of Legal handles commercial contracts, employment matters, fundraising support, and regulatory questions, typically as the company's only or first in-house lawyer.

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Head of Legal vs. General Counsel — what's the difference?

The distinction is largely cosmetic at startups: both titles describe the senior in-house legal role. Some companies use "Head of Legal" at Series A/B when the legal function is still being built, then promote to or hire a GC at Series C+. Others use GC from day one regardless of stage. The scope of work is essentially the same — what differs is the company's maturity and the legal complexity they're managing.

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At what stage should you hire a Head of Legal?

Series A through Series B, typically when commercial contract volume is high enough that outside counsel costs justify bringing someone in-house, or when a significant fundraising round or M&A process is on the horizon. Many startups bring in their first legal hire specifically to manage the complexity of a large enterprise deal or regulatory expansion.

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Common titles for this role

• Head of Legal
• Head of Legal Affairs
• VP of Legal
• General Counsel
• Associate General Counsel
• Senior Counsel

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What does a Head of Legal do at a startup?

• Own the contract review and negotiation process for all commercial agreements
• Support fundraising: review term sheets, investor documents, and board materials
• Manage employment law compliance and handle people-related legal matters
• Protect IP: trademark, copyright, and trade secret strategy
• Advise on data privacy compliance (GDPR, CCPA) and security-adjacent legal questions
• Manage outside counsel relationships and control legal budget
• Advise executive team and board on legal risk across business decisions

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Key skills and qualifications

• JD from an accredited law school, active bar membership
• 3–8 years of experience in technology transactions, corporate law, or startup in-house roles
• Strong commercial contracts experience: SaaS agreements, NDAs, enterprise deals
• Ability to operate independently without a large legal team to support them
• Business judgment and communication skills — legal advice must be practical, not just technically correct
• Experience with VC financing documentation preferred

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Why hire your Head of Legal through RFS?

• We place first in-house legal hires at startups where the role is being created for the first time — we know what this search requires
• 29-day average time to hire — legal searches are competitive; our legal candidate network moves faster
• Pre-vetted for in-house fit: candidates who give practical advice, not just risk identification
• 300+ placements at VC-backed startups across all functions
• No upfront fees — you pay only when the right person is placed