EVP Chief Legal Officer

Role Overview

Sagent is seeking an experienced Chief Legal Officer (CLO) / EVP Chief Legal Officer to lead the company’s legal function. This is a high-visibility role reporting to the President with regular exposure to the Board, private equity sponsor(s), and key strategic partners.

Responsibilities

Contracts (New, Current & Customer Upgrades)

• Own end-to-end contract lifecycle management for new agreements, renewals, and upgrade/expansion deals
• Negotiate and close commercial agreements including:
  • MSAs, SOWs, SaaS/licensing agreements
  • Data processing agreements
  • Vendor contracts
• Partner with Sales, Product, and Customer Success to balance commercial velocity with risk management
• Build scalable contracting playbooks, templates, and approval workflows
• Manage contract risk across the existing customer base (amendments, upgrades, renegotiations)

Outside Counsel Management

• Select, engage, and manage outside counsel for litigation, regulatory, IP, and specialized transactional matters
• Own outside counsel budget, scope management, and billing oversight
• Coordinate outside counsel with business stakeholders

Board Preparation & Representation

• Prepare board materials, legal updates, and risk disclosures
• Attend Board meetings and provide legal counsel to the Board
• Advise the Board and executive team on corporate governance and material legal/regulatory risks
• Support Board committees (e.g., audit/compensation) as needed

Stakeholder Management

• Act as a trusted legal and strategic point of contact for key stakeholders
• Manage legal dimensions of relationships (contract governance, escalations, strategic alignment)
• Build durable, trust-based relationships supporting Sagent’s objectives

General CLO / Corporate Legal Leadership

• Lead and scale legal, compliance, and risk management as the company grows
• Advise on corporate strategy, M&A, financing, and regulatory matters
• Oversee corporate governance, entity management, and compliance programs
• Own IP strategy and protection
• Develop enterprise risk management and legal policy
• Build and mentor the internal legal team

Litigation & Employment

• Represent the company in litigation matters (coordinating with outside counsel)
• Oversee labor and employment matters, including disputes/claims and employment-law compliance
• Partner with HR/People on employment risk, policies, and investigations
• Manage litigation strategy and outcomes

Qualifications

• J.D. and active bar membership in good standing
• 12+ years of legal experience, including substantial in-house experience; prior CLO/GC experience strongly preferred
• Proven experience negotiating commercial/SaaS contracts at scale
• Experience presenting to and advising a Board of Directors
• Experience in PE-backed / investor-governed companies strongly preferred
• Strong litigation oversight experience