Lead Legal Counsel, Corporate at GitLab

Job description

GitLab is the intelligent orchestration platform for DevSecOps. GitLab enables organizations to increase developer productivity, improve operational efficiency, reduce security and compliance risk, and accelerate digital transformation. More than 50 million registered users and more than 50% of the Fortune 100* trust GitLab to ship better, more secure software faster. The same principles built into our products are reflected in how our team works: we embrace AI as a core productivity multiplier, with all team members expected to incorporate AI into their daily workflows to drive efficiency, innovation, and impact. GitLab is where careers accelerate, innovation flourishes, and every voice is valued. Our high-performance culture is driven by our values and continuous knowledge exchange, enabling our team members to reach their full potential while collaborating with industry leaders to solve complex problems. Co-create the future with us as we build technology that transforms how the world develops software. * Fortune 500® is a registered trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, used under license. Claim based on GitLab data. Fortune 100 refers to the top 20% ranked companies in the 2025 Fortune 500 list, published in June 2025. Fortune and Fortune Media IP Limited are not affiliated with, and do not endorse products or services of GitLab. An overview of this role As Lead Legal Counsel, Corporate, you'll own securities, public company reporting, and corporate governance work for GitLab, a growing public technology company. You'll join the Legal & Corporate Affairs (LACA) team as a senior individual contributor, reporting to the Senior Director, Associate General Counsel, Corporate & Compliance. You'll bring a strong securities law foundation and a broad corporate perspective to a small team. Your work will span quarterly reporting and earnings, the annual proxy statement and stockholders meeting, board and committee matters, equity plans, and subsidiary governance. You'll also support mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and other strategic initiatives. You'll work closely with Accounting, Corporate Development, Finance, Investor Relations, People, Product, Stock Administration, Tax, and Treasury. You'll translate complex legal issues into clear recommendations, build trust across functions, and balance legal risk with business objectives. What You’ll Do Own securities and public company reporting matters, working with internal stakeholders and external auditors on Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings, quarterly reports, earnings releases, the annual proxy statement, investor presentations, and other public disclosures. Advise on corporate governance, including board and committee processes, the annual stockholders meeting, corporate approvals, equity plan matters, executive compensation, and related compliance requirements. Provide legal guidance on complex entity matters across jurisdictions, including formation, maintenance, reorganizations, intercompany agreements, and wind-downs. Support M&A and other strategic transactions, contributing to diligence, documentation, approvals, signing, closing, and post-closing integration. Engage and manage outside counsel across jurisdictions, coordinating work and ensuring practical, high-quality, and cost-effective advice. Identify legal and business risks, present clear options to senior stakeholders, and monitor legal developments to keep policies, processes, and controls current. Build and improve playbooks, checklists, templates, and workflows for recurring corporate legal work. Train junior legal team members and cross-functional partners to use these resources. What You’ll Bring 6+ years of demonstrated relevant legal experience, including law firm experience advising US-listed public companies on securities law, corporate governance, and public company reporting. Prior in-house experience is a plus. A Juris Doctor (JD) degree and active admission to a US state bar. The ability to independently manage complex legal matters and cross-functional projects, prioritize competing needs, and drive work to completion with limited direction. Clear written and verbal communication, including the ability to explain technical legal issues to non-lawyers and senior leaders and build trusted working relationships. The ability to investigate unfamiliar legal questions, weigh risks against business objectives, and turn recommendations into action. Experience improving legal processes, templates, policies, or other scalable resources. The ability to collaborate in a remote, globally distributed team across time zones and cultures, and willingness to use GitLab in your day-to-day work. Helpful but not required: in-house work at a public software-as-a-service (SaaS), software, or open core company; M&A; cross-border corporate matters; outside counsel management; or legal technology that helps scale legal work. About the team The Corporate & Compliance team supports principled corporate governance and GitLab's culture of compliance. We work with leaders and subject matter experts across LACA and the broader company to provide practical, timely legal guidance. LACA is a globally distributed team that supports GitLab's growth through legal expertise, business partnership, and continuous process improvement. We work transparently, collaborate across functions and time zones, and use GitLab's own tools and AI-enabled workflows to make legal support more efficient and accessible. How GitLab will support you Benefits to support your health, finances, and well-being Flexible Paid Time Off Team Member Resource Groups Equity Compensation & Employee Stock Purchase Plan Growth and Development Fund Parental leave Home office support Please note that we welcome interest from candidates with varying levels of experience; many successful candidates do not meet every single requirement. Additionally, studies have shown that people from underrepresented groups are less likely to apply to a job unless they meet every single qualification. If you're excited about this role, please apply and allow our recruiters to assess your application. The base salary range for this role’s listed level is currently for residents of the United States only. This range is intended to reflect the role's base salary rate in locations throughout the US. Grade level and salary ranges are determined through interviews and a review of education, experience, knowledge, skills, abilities of the applicant, equity with other team members, alignment with market data, and geographic location. The base salary range does not include any bonuses, equity, or benefits. See more information on our benefits and equity . Sales roles are also eligible for incentive pay targeted at up to 100% of the offered base salary. United States Salary Range $168,000 — $285,600 USD How GitLab Supports Full-Time Employees Benefits to support your health, finances, and well-being Flexible Paid Time Off Team Member Resource Groups Equity Compensation & Employee Stock Purchase Plan Growth and Development Fund Parental Leave Please note that we welcome interest from candidates with varying levels of experience; many successful candidates do not meet every single requirement. Additionally, studies have shown that people from underrepresented groups are less likely to apply to a job unless they meet every single qualification. If you're excited about this role, please apply and allow our recruiters to assess your application. Country Hiring Guidelines: GitLab hires new team members in countries around the world. All of our roles are remote, however some roles may carry specific location-based eligibility requirements. Our Talent Acquisition team can help answer any questions about location after starting the recruiting process. Privacy Policy: Please review our Recruitment Privacy Policy. Your privacy is important to us. GitLab is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. GitLab’s policies and practices relating to recruitment, employment, career development and advancement, promotion, and retirement are based solely on merit, regardless of race, color, religion, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy, lactation, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression), national origin, age, citizenship, marital status, mental or physical disability, genetic information (including family medical history), discharge status from the military, protected veteran status (which includes disabled veterans, recently separated veterans, active duty wartime or campaign badge veterans, and Armed Forces service medal veterans), or any other basis protected by law. GitLab will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics. See also GitLab’s EEO Policy and EEO is the Law . If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation , please let us know during the recruiting process .

Requirements

Must-haves

What You’ll Do
Advise on corporate governance, including board and committee processes, the annual stockholders meeting, corporate approvals, equity plan matters, executive compensation, and related compliance requirements.
Provide legal guidance on complex entity matters across jurisdictions, including formation, maintenance, reorganizations, intercompany agreements, and wind-downs.
Support M&A and other strategic transactions, contributing to diligence, documentation, approvals, signing, closing, and post-closing integration.
Engage and manage outside counsel across jurisdictions, coordinating work and ensuring practical, high-quality, and cost-effective advice.
Identify legal and business risks, present clear options to senior stakeholders, and monitor legal developments to keep policies, processes, and controls current.
Build and improve playbooks, checklists, templates, and workflows for recurring corporate legal work. Train junior legal team members and cross-functional partners to use these resources.
What You’ll Bring
A Juris Doctor (JD) degree and active admission to a US state bar.
The ability to independently manage complex legal matters and cross-functional projects, prioritize competing needs, and drive work to completion with limited direction.
Clear written and verbal communication, including the ability to explain technical legal issues to non-lawyers and senior leaders and build trusted working relationships.
The ability to investigate unfamiliar legal questions, weigh risks against business objectives, and turn recommendations into action.
Experience improving legal processes, templates, policies, or other scalable resources.
The ability to collaborate in a remote, globally distributed team across time zones and cultures, and willingness to use GitLab in your day-to-day work.
About the team
How GitLab will support you
Benefits to support your health, finances, and well-being
Team Member Resource Groups
Equity Compensation & Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Growth and Development Fund
Home office support
Benefits to support your health, finances, and well-being
Team Member Resource Groups
Equity Compensation & Employee Stock Purchase Plan

Nice-to-haves

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Application prep

Use the role’s language and application details while tailoring your materials.

Keywords to mirror

Platform: greenhouse
Effort: quick

Benefits

Benefits detected in the listing.

Paid Time Off

Parental Leave