Commercial Counsel

ABOUT RETELL AI

Retell AI is using first-principles thinking to reimagine the call center with cutting-edge voice AI. Thousands of companies now use Retell's AI voice agents to handle sales, support, and logistics calls that once required large teams of human agents. Backed by Y Combinator, Alt Capital, and other leading investors, we've scaled to $80M in ARR with a team of 50, up from $5M at the start of 2025, and are now valued at over $1.5B.

Our vision for 2026 is to build a modern CX platform where entire contact centers are powered by AI. Instead of basic automation that needs constant human tuning, we're creating intelligent AI “workers” that act as frontline agents, QA analysts, and managers, continuously executing, monitoring, and improving every customer interaction.

We're growing fast and looking for ambitious builders who want to tackle hard technical problems, move quickly, and have a real impact on one of the fastest-growing voice AI companies in the world.

Let's build the future together.

Recent recognition

- No. 1 Best Places to Work in the Bay Area, San Francisco Business Times 2026
- Top 50 AI Apps, a16z (2025)
- #3 Fastest-Growing Software Company, G2 Best Software Awards 2026
- Best Agentic AI Software, G2 Best Software Awards 2026
- #4 Fastest-Growing Software Vendor, Brex Benchmark 2025
- Enterprise Tech 30 Class of 2026, Nasdaq & Wing VC
- Top-Ranked Startup, Lean AI Leaderboard
- Backed by Y Combinator

ABOUT THE ROLE

Retell AI transforms customer experience with voice AI for enterprises, including customers like CVS/Aetna, American Airlines, Lenovo, and Grab. We have more customer stories than we can tell!

We're hiring our first Senior Counsel to build Retell's legal function from the ground up. You'll report directly to the founder and be Sales' go-to partner on every enterprise deal. Voice AI raises new legal questions around consent, AI disclosure, and outbound calling, and you'll help set how we answer them.

KEY RESPONSIBILITY

This hire has fast, safe contracting that keeps enterprise deals moving.

We care less about checkboxes and more about

- Judgment that balances legal risk with deal speed
- Precision and speed in real redlines
- Explaining legal issues clearly to non-lawyers
- Ownership under ambiguity

YOU MIGHT THRIVE IF

- You'd rather find a path to yes than write a memo on why not
- You enjoy high deal volume and fast turnarounds
- You want to build a legal function, not inherit one

JOB DETAILS

Cash: $230,000 - $270,000

Equity: 4-year vest / 1-year cliff

Location: Redwood City, California (Relocation support provided)

US Visas: Retell AI is open to sponsoring work authorization for qualified candidates, including H-1B, TN, L-1, E-3, and F-1 (OPT/CPT).

COMPENSATION PHILOSOPHY

- Best offer upfront: Choose from three cash-equity balance options; no negotiation needed
- Top 1% talent: Above-market pay (top 5th percentile) to attract exceptional builders
- High ownership: small teams, >$1M revenue per employee, and significant equity
- Performance-based: Offers tied to interview performance, not tenure or past salary

INTERVIEW PROCESS

- Recruiter screen (15 min)
- Intro and Deep Dive with Legal team (30 min)
- Hiring Manager or Team Member interview (30 min)
- Onsite (2.5 hours)
- Live Exercise & Negotiation role-play
- Deal walk through
- Cross-functional conversation with Sales and Deal Desk

Responsibilities

Close enterprise agreements (MSA, DPA, BAA, order forms) quickly, with minimal reliance on outside counsel; Build contract templates, a negotiation playbook, and turnaround SLAs, so sales are never blocked; Set Retell's position on voice AI legal issues: call recording consent, TCPA, AI disclosure, and customer use-case reviews; Own platform terms, acceptable use policy, privacy policy, and outside counsel spend

Requirements

JD and active US bar membership in California State; 6+ years of commercial or technology transactions experience OR 4+ years in a tech transactions group at a top law firm; Experience with privacy and AI regulation (GDPR, CCPA, EU AI Act)

Nice to have

Background in telecom, TCPA, or healthcare (BAA) matters

Benefits

100% coverage for medical, dental, and vision insurance; $70/day DoorDash credit for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks; $200/month wellness reimbursement (gym, fitness classes, etc.); $300/month commuter reimbursement (gas, Caltrain, etc.); $75/month phone bill reimbursement; $50/month internet reimbursement