hive-autonomy - Legal Counsel

• Qualified lawyer (England & Wales or equivalent) with in-house or relevant private practice experience • Has directly run legal workstreams for fundraising rounds (priced or SAFE/convertible) and understands cap table and investor dynamics • Comfortable negotiating cross-border commercial contracts and adapting to different legal systems • Practical, commercially-minded approach — knows how to get a deal done, not just spot every risk • Exceptional attention to detail — comfortable being the last line of defense on contracts, filings, and compliance where mistakes are costly and hard to unwind • Strong risk judgment: knows how to weigh legal exposure against business speed, and is rigorous exactly where it matters (fundraising docs, IP assignment, entity compliance) even while moving fast elsewhere • Experience advising on employment law matters, ideally across more than one jurisdiction • Confident managing outside counsel efficiently — knows what to delegate and what to handle directly • Comfortable being a hands-on operator with limited support — this role drafts and executes, it doesn't just advise • High judgment and discretion; able to move fast without sacrificing rigor on things that matter • Experience in-house at an early or growth-stage startup • IP or technology law specialization • Experience building legal function/processes from scratch • Additional jurisdiction qualification (e.g., US state bar) a plus given cross-border scope