Legal Counsel

About Ultralytics

At Ultralytics, we commit to relentless innovation in the AI space and seek team members who resonate with our ambition to produce the world's best YOLO AI models. If you're obsessed with AI, eager to make an impact on the world and thrive in dynamic, high intensity environments, we invite you to apply for a position on our team.

About the role

Ultralytics is hiring its first in house lawyer. There is no legal team to join-you are building it. That means setting up how contracts get reviewed, collaborating with outside counsel across jurisdictions, and deciding what processes are actually worth having at a company this size, rather than inheriting someone else's playbook.

The first priority is the part of the business that generates revenue directly: the AGPL 3.0 / Enterprise dual licensing model behind YOLO. Every company using Ultralytics' models commercially either open sources their entire project under AGPL 3.0 or buys an Enterprise license. Supporting compliance, converting to contract, and negotiating the Enterprise agreements themselves - is core to the P&L, not a background compliance task. We need someone who's done this kind of work before, not someone learning open source licensing on the job.

What you'll do Open source licensing and IP

• Own the AGPL 3.0 / Enterprise licensing model end to end: detect likely violations, lead outreach and negotiation to convert unlicensed commercial use into paid Enterprise agreements.
• Structure and negotiate Enterprise License agreements directly with customers - scope, pricing triggers, audit rights, term.
• Own IP portfolio strategy and lifecycle (trademarks, copyright, trade secrets), working with external IP agents/attorneys for filings and renewals rather than filing directly.
• Set and maintain the open source contribution and dependency policy - what can come in, what obligations it carries, how attribution and notices are handled.

Commercial contracts

• Draft, review, and negotiate SaaS, licensing, distribution, partnership, and vendor agreements.
• Build contract templates, playbooks, fallback positions, and approval workflows from the ground up.
• Own liability, indemnity, warranty, and risk positions across customer and vendor contracts.
• Partner with Sales, Operations, Finance, Product, and Engineering to close deals and manage legal risk.

Privacy, compliance, and legal operations

• Advise on GDPR, data processing agreements, and international data transfers across the UK, EU, US, and China.
• Establish proportionate AI governance and regulatory compliance processes.
• Select and manage outside counsel across the UK, Spain, China, and other jurisdictions as needed.
• Introduce practical systems for matter management, contract tracking, legal intake, and reporting.

Skills and experience Core requirements

• UK qualified solicitor or equivalent, with genuine experience working across multiple jurisdictions.
• Hands on experience negotiating or enforcing copyleft/open source licenses, including AGPL, GPL, or similar models.
• Experience converting unauthorized commercial use into paying licensing customers.
• Strong track record drafting and negotiating SaaS, technology licensing, distribution, and other commercial agreements independently.
• Comfortable operating as the only lawyer in the building and building a legal function from scratch.
• Working knowledge of GDPR, data processing agreements, and cross border data transfers.
• Excellent judgment, commercial awareness, written communication, and stakeholder management.

Nice to have

• In house experience at an AI, computer vision, or open source software company.
• Familiarity with Ultralytics, YOLO, or comparable dual licensed open source projects.
• Experience with SCA tooling, SPDX, SBOMs, or license scanning tools.
• Experience with AI governance, emerging technology regulation, or software IP enforcement.
• Spanish, Mandarin, or another relevant language.

Cultural fit

At Ultralytics, we set bold goals and execute with speed, precision, and teamwork. We're driven by hard work, ambition, and resilience - building fast, learning constantly, and delivering measurable impact.

This is an intense startup environment. You'll be expected to work with urgency, take full ownership, make decisions without perfect information, and deliver high quality work at pace.

Values you'll thrive on

• Take ownership and deliver results with focus and accountability.
• Combine strategic legal judgment with hands on execution.
• Communicate clearly and turn complexity into practical action.
• Value excellence, grit, and creativity in equal measure.
• See collaboration as the foundation for meaningful progress.

Core values

• Relentless progress: constant evolution and improvement.
• Strive for excellence: perseverance and attention to detail.
• Actions, not words: focus on delivering meaningful results.
• Act with urgency: seize fleeting opportunities.
• Open access to all: transparent communication and collaboration.

Compensation and benefits

• Competitive salary reflecting your experience and contribution.
• Equity packages - we want our success to be yours too.
• On site collaboration - work with passionate builders in our London hub.
• Flexible working hours - we value results over routines.
• Generous time off - 24 vacation days, your birthday off, plus local holidays.
• Tech & tools - work on cutting edge AI projects that power millions of devices.
• Gear - brand new Apple MacBook Air/Pro, Apple Studio Display, and AirPods Pro 3.
• Learning & development - dedicated budget for personal and professional growth.
• High impact - your work will shape the future of vision AI.

Where and how you can work

• This role is on site in London, UK.
• Applicants must have legal authorization to work in the United Kingdom.

Why join us

We're not just building models - we're building the ecosystem powering the future of vision AI. If you're ready to build a legal function from the ground up, protect and grow a global open source business, and make an impact - this is your moment.

Equal opportunity employer

Ultralytics is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building an inclusive workplace. We believe that everyone should be able to bring their whole selves to work, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status.