Alta Ares · Paris
Finance & LegalFinance & LegalFullTimeposted 6w ago
Alta Ares is an air defense Neoprime. We build AI-guided interceptors to counter drones and cruise missiles, along with the software platform that powers them.
Our customers are NATO-aligned militaries and defense institutions, and our systems are regularly deployed during live exercises and operational demonstrations across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
Founded in 2024, we have grown to 90 people, raised over $60M, and increased revenue 40× this year. We are now entering a new phase of international expansion, industrial scaling, fundraising, and product development.
As Legal & IP Counsel, you will be Alta Ares' first dedicated in-house legal hire responsible for building and managing the company's legal function across three core pillars: intellectual property, commercial contracts, and corporate law.
You will work directly with the CEO and COO on the legal dimensions of Alta Ares' most consequential decisions: protecting the IP that underpins our technology, structuring commercial agreements with defence clients and institutional partners, and ensuring the company's corporate and regulatory foundations are solid as we scale internationally.
This is a builder role. You will establish processes, templates, and legal infrastructure from scratch in a fast-moving environment where precision, speed, and discretion are non-negotiable. You will work across multiple jurisdictions (France, UK, US, Ukraine) and across a highly sensitive sector where legal rigour directly impacts national security.
Own Alta Ares' IP strategy and portfolio: patents, trade secrets, software copyrights, and know-how protection across all product lines (ISR, C-UAS, MLOps, HSI)
Lead patent filing processes in coordination with external patent attorneys: drafting invention disclosures, managing prosecution, and maintaining the patent portfolio
Define and enforce IP protection policies internally: employee IP assignment, contractor IP clauses, and open-source usage governance
Conduct IP due diligence on partnerships, licensing arrangements, and potential acquisitions
Monitor the competitive IP landscape and flag freedom-to-operate risks proactively
Advise Engineering and Product teams on IP-sensitive design decisions and open-source compliance
Draft, review, and negotiate all commercial agreements: customer contracts, MOUs, teaming agreements, NDAs, subcontracting arrangements, and licensing agreements
Own the contract management lifecycle: template creation, negotiation support, execution tracking, and renewals
Advise on the legal specificities of defence procurement contracts across multiple jurisdictions: French DGA, NATO, EU institutions, UK MOD, and US DoD frameworks
Review and negotiate grant agreements under EU defence funding mechanisms: EDF, EUDIS, Horizon Europe
Manage and mitigate contractual risk in multi-party, multi-jurisdiction arrangements
Build and maintain a library of standardised contract templates adapted to Alta Ares' commercial contexts
Support the legal structuring and maintenance of Alta Ares' multi-entity corporate architecture: France (SAS), UK (Ltd), US (Inc.), Ukraine, and any future entities
Advise on corporate governance matters: board resolutions, shareholder agreements, equity plan (BSPCE) documentation, and cap table management in coordination with Finance
Manage regulatory compliance across applicable frameworks: RGPD/GDPR, French corporate law, and sector-specific defence regulations
Support export control compliance across applicable regimes: French AECA / CIEEMG, ITAR, EAR, and dual-use regulation in coordination with the RSSI and Sales teams
Assist in fundraising processes: term sheet review, investor documentation, and legal due diligence responses
Liaise with external counsel across jurisdictions and manage external legal spend efficiently
Serve as the go-to legal advisor for all teams: Sales, Engineering, HR, Finance, and Operations
Provide rapid, practical legal guidance on day-to-day questions balancing legal rigour with business pragmatism
Flag and escalate legal risks proactively to the CEO and COO
Maintain organised legal documentation and contract registers in Notion
Contribute to the development of internal policies with legal dimensions: data protection, security, and compliance frameworks
3 years of experience in law combining in-house counsel experience and/or private practice in a top-tier firm
Strong background in at least two of: intellectual property law, commercial contracts, corporate law
Exposure to technology, deeptech, defence, aerospace, or dual-use sectors is a strong plus
Experience working with or within a startup or scale-up is a significant advantage: you understand the pace and constraints of a lean legal function
Prior exposure to multi-jurisdictional legal environments (France + UK or US) is valued
Familiarity with French corporate law (SAS governance, BSPCE, equity documentation) is a plus
French fluency is mandatory: primary legal and corporate jurisdiction is France
English fluency is mandatory: commercial agreements, international partnerships, and investor documentation are predominantly in English
Rigorous and detail-oriented, you catch what others miss and never cut corners on substance
Pragmatic and business-minded: you give clear, actionable legal advice, not just risk catalogues
Fast and responsive in a defence startup, legal bottlenecks have operational consequences
Proactive: you anticipate legal issues before they become problems
Discreet and trustworthy you handle the company's most sensitive commercial, financial, and strategic information
Comfortable operating as a generalist in a lean environment where scope is broad and resources are limited