Legal Counsel (Germany)

at  JetBrains

At JetBrains, code is our passion. Ever since we started, back in 2000, we have been striving to make the strongest, most effective developer tools on earth. By automating routine checks and corrections, our tools speed up production, freeing developers to grow, discover, and create.
We are looking for a Legal Counsel to cover the JetBrains German entity primarily within the area of real estate and procurement on various matters related to the German legal system. You will be joining a team of experienced lawyers, supporting the legal needs of a growing international IT company. Along with the requisite background and skills, we are looking for a self-starter with a can-do attitude.

Responsibilities and duties:

• Provide legal support, advice, and guidance to the German entity of JetBrains Group primarily within the area of real estate/procurement on various questions and matters related to the German legal system, with a focus on drafting, reviewing, amending, and terminating lease agreements and other contracts (primarily with contractors, vendors, and service providers) with respect to the carrying out of fit-out and engineering works and the day-to-day activity and maintenance of the company’s offices in Germany.
• Provide legal support within the area of real estate/procurement for any JetBrains group companies regardless of their place of incorporation and work collaboratively with legal colleagues in other countries who also support the procurement and real estate function.
• Communicate and take part in negotiations with the contractors, vendors, service providers, external legal consultants and project managers, state authorities, banks, notaries (mainly in Germany, but occasionally in other countries), provide contract interpretation to management and other colleagues, explain potential legal risks and concerns, and attempt to mitigate those with a constructive approach.
• Advise on and support the procurement business unit by drafting, reviewing, and negotiating commercial contracts, provide ongoing legal support to business stakeholders throughout the contract lifecycle, and give timely and risk-based advice.
• Draft and review corporate documents (board resolutions, shareholder resolutions, powers of attorney, and others), cross-group agreements (services agreements, lease agreements, etc.), and agreements with universities, as can be required from time to time.
• Track amendments in legislation relevant to the company and update colleagues and management accordingly.
• Prepare risk analyses and overviews of new legislative developments and their impacts on the JetBrains Group for your legal peers and management upon their request.
• Conduct legal research on various topics, including but not limited to procurement and real estate matters, operational activities, comparison of legislative provisions, and rules and licensing requirements of various countries, as well as preparing concise summaries and analyses of these findings as they relate to German law.
• Take part in documenting internal policies of the German entity, including in cooperation with the HR and Compliance teams.
• Provide legal support to HR, Payroll, Finance, Treasury, Security and Office Management teams in their day-to-day work and communication with legal colleagues from other offices.
• Draft, revise, update, introduce, unify (where applicable) template documents and processes relating to real estate and procurement.
• Support the execution and archiving of contracts and other documents (in accordance with local requirements and laws specific to Germany).
• Share knowledge with other legal colleagues upon request.
• Maintain internal registers and administer the company-specific document management system.
• Occasionally perform basic translation of documents from German to English and vice versa.

Qualifications and preferred skills:

• Fluent English and German (written and spoken).
• Strong negotiation skills.
• Excellent presentation, writing, organizational, and soft skills.
• German University law degree with a result of outstanding or higher.
• Completion of at least the first German state examination in law, with profound knowledge and practical experience.
• A minimum of five years of post-graduation legal experience in real estate and procurement, ideally in a multinational corporation or a reputable international law firm.
• The ability to adapt to a large and complex structure with varying priorities.
• The ability to work under pressure while adhering to tight deadlines.
• A strong work ethic and ability to multitask, prioritize, and follow through on numerous projects simultaneously.

Team
Legal
Locations
Remote friendly (from the locations listed below)
Germany (Munich, Berlin)
Benefits and perks

Depending on office facilities and local market rules

• Fascinating work in a friendly team.
• A flexible working schedule.
• 30 days of paid vacation (local regulations apply).
• An office library with specialized work-related books and magazines.
• A comfortable working environment, ergonomic workstations, a gym and leisure facilities, and a range of commuter benefits.
• Excellent opportunities for professional and personal development, including travel to professional conferences worldwide, access to the LinkedIn Learning platform, and more.
• Additional benefits include: lunch, free refreshments, and snacks provided in the office, and much more.

• Provide legal support, advice, and guidance to the German entity of JetBrains Group primarily within the area of real estate/procurement on various questions and matters related to the German legal system, with a focus on drafting, reviewing, amending, and terminating lease agreements and other contracts (primarily with contractors, vendors, and service providers) with respect to the carrying out of fit-out and engineering works and the day-to-day activity and maintenance of the company’s offices in Germany.
• Provide legal support within the area of real estate/procurement for any JetBrains group companies regardless of their place of incorporation and work collaboratively with legal colleagues in other countries who also support the procurement and real estate function.
• Communicate and take part in negotiations with the contractors, vendors, service providers, external legal consultants and project managers, state authorities, banks, notaries (mainly in Germany, but occasionally in other countries), provide contract interpretation to management and other colleagues, explain potential legal risks and concerns, and attempt to mitigate those with a constructive approach.
• Advise on and support the procurement business unit by drafting, reviewing, and negotiating commercial contracts, provide ongoing legal support to business stakeholders throughout the contract lifecycle, and give timely and risk-based advice.
• Draft and review corporate documents (board resolutions, shareholder resolutions, powers of attorney, and others), cross-group agreements (services agreements, lease agreements, etc.), and agreements with universities, as can be required from time to time.
• Track amendments in legislation relevant to the company and update colleagues and management accordingly.
• Prepare risk analyses and overviews of new legislative developments and their impacts on the JetBrains Group for your legal peers and management upon their request.
• Conduct legal research on various topics, including but not limited to procurement and real estate matters, operational activities, comparison of legislative provisions, and rules and licensing requirements of various countries, as well as preparing concise summaries and analyses of these findings as they relate to German law.
• Take part in documenting internal policies of the German entity, including in cooperation with the HR and Compliance teams.
• Provide legal support to HR, Payroll, Finance, Treasury, Security and Office Management teams in their day-to-day work and communication with legal colleagues from other offices.
• Draft, revise, update, introduce, unify (where applicable) template documents and processes relating to real estate and procurement.
• Support the execution and archiving of contracts and other documents (in accordance with local requirements and laws specific to Germany).
• Share knowledge with other legal colleagues upon request.
• Maintain internal registers and administer the company-specific document management system.
• Occasionally perform basic translation of documents from German to English and vice versa