Senior Legal Counsel

We are a crowdfunded company and have a dedicated and enthusiastic community of backers who are helping us create the "Best Damn Space Sim Ever". We want to build the best we can deliver and we believe wholeheartedly in the value of exceptional diverse talent.

Cloud Imperium Games is an independent studio dedicated to delivering AAA games outside the established publisher system. CIG is creating Star Citizen, a record-shattering, largely crowdfunded space sim, and Squadron 42, a story-driven single-player game set in the same universe featuring a cast of leading Hollywood talent.

The Legal team supports CIG's global operations by providing practical, commercially focused advice across a wide range of legal areas. Working closely with colleagues across the business, the team helps enable effective decision-making, supports business growth and manages legal risk in a fast-moving environment.

This role will focus primarily on commercial contracting and legal support across North America, while contributing to broader global legal matters as part of CIG's Legal team. The successful candidate will work closely with the General Counsel, the wider Legal team and business stakeholders across multiple regions.

This position is based on site at our studio in Bee Cave, TX.

What does a Senior Legal Counsel at CIG do?

• Draft, review and negotiate a wide range of commercial agreements, including technology, licensing, services, vendor, marketing and strategic arrangements.
• Provide commercially focused legal advice to stakeholders across the business, helping teams structure and progress matters efficiently while managing legal risk.
• Support business initiatives across North America, including product, marketing, technology, operational and regulatory matters.
• Help develop and improve legal templates, processes and guidance to support consistency and efficiency across the business.
• Support the General Counsel and wider Legal team on complex, high-value or strategically significant matters.
• Work with colleagues across the UK, Europe and North America on cross-regional legal and business projects.
• Support employment, dispute resolution, compliance, corporate governance and entity management matters as required.
• Coordinate with external counsel where appropriate, ensuring advice is practical, proportionate and aligned with business objectives.
• Support the Legal team on other matters arising across a broad and varied in-house legal function.

What do we expect from our Senior Legal Counsel?

• Qualified lawyer in a North American jurisdiction, preferably Texas, with strong post-qualification experience gained in-house and/or in private practice.
• Strong experience drafting, reviewing and negotiating commercial agreements, including confidence supporting high-value or strategically important matters.
• Excellent commercial judgement and the ability to balance legal risk with business objectives in a fast-moving environment.
• Experience supporting cross-functional stakeholders and building trusted relationships with senior leaders.
• Ability to operate autonomously, prioritise effectively and manage a broad and varied workload.
• A pragmatic, solutions-focused approach.
• Experience managing external counsel effectively and proportionately.
• Comfortable making sound, well-reasoned decisions in a dynamic environment where issues are not always neatly defined.
• Broader experience across dispute resolution, employment, compliance, corporate governance, entity management or consumer-facing matters would be advantageous.
• Experience in the video games industry would be highly advantageous; experience in adjacent entertainment or technology sectors would also be valuable.
• Familiarity with Canadian legal issues and/or professional working proficiency in French would be advantageous.

If you are a commercially minded lawyer who enjoys working closely with the business, supporting complex commercial matters and contributing to legal delivery in a dynamic global games company, we would love to hear from you.

If you like wild growth and working with happy, enthusiastic over-achievers, you'll enjoy your career with us!