VP of Legal

About Adaptive Security

Adaptive is a cybersecurity startup on a mission to stop AI-powered cyberattacks. In December 2025, the company announced an $81M Series B led by NVIDIA and Bain Capital Ventures, with participation from Capital One Ventures, Citi Ventures, and continued support from Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), the OpenAI Startup Fund, and Abstract Ventures. The round marked NVIDIA’s first AI cybersecurity investment.

Adaptive was founded by Brian Long and Andrew Jones, repeat entrepreneurs who have built and scaled category-defining companies. Brian and Andrew previously co-founded Attentive, which grew to more than $500M in annual revenue and a $10B+ valuation, and TapCommerce, which was acquired by Twitter. Together, they bring deep experience building high-growth, product-led businesses at massive scale as Adaptive builds the security layer for the AI era.

Trusted by leading banks, technology companies, and healthcare organizations, Adaptive protects teams from emerging threats like deepfakes, smishing, and AI-powered voice scams. With rapid enterprise adoption and a $200B+ market ahead, the company is just getting started.

The Role:

Adaptive Security is hiring its first in-house attorney to manage its legal and compliance functions. The ideal candidate will manage and lead the legal function, playing an integral part in accelerating the company’s growth. The VP, Legal will report directly to the CEO, be an integral part of the management team, collaborating closely with other stakeholders and business leaders.

As the first in-house attorney, you will oversee all legal and related matters, including commercial, product development, data privacy, corporate governance, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property, employment, and litigation. The ideal candidate is commercially minded, pragmatic, and comfortable operating independently in an environment with minimal existing legal infrastructure.

Responsibilities:

• Legal Function: Drive legal strategy to holistically manage all legal and compliance-related matters and help manage risk impacting the company’s business.

• Strategic: Advise the CEO and Leadership Team on strategy and high‑impact decisions as the sole legal counsel to the company.

• Commercial: Lead major commercial agreements, strategic partnerships, vendor relationships, and licensing; support M&A, including diligence, deal structuring, and integration planning.

• Product: Lead and manage the Product Legal function alongside Product and Engineering leadership.

• Privacy & data: Provide expert legal advice on privacy laws and data protection to internal stakeholders, ensuring product teams, engineering, and management are well-informed.

• Compliance: Assist in developing policies and procedures to ensure the company complies with all applicable rules and regulations.

• Risk Management: Identify, assess, and mitigate legal/regulatory risk; provide proactive counsel on emerging risks and embed practical risk frameworks across the business.

• People, Culture & Employment: Advise on employment law, policies, and sensitive workforce matters; partner closely with People & Culture leadership.

• Other legal matters: Oversee additional legal areas as the company grows, including IP, corporate governance, M&A, and litigation; manage outside counsel to deliver high-quality, cost-effective, and business-aligned outcomes.

Requirements:

• J.D. and active membership in at least one U.S. state bar—preference to practice law in New York.

• 6+ years of experience practicing at a reputable law firm and as an in-house counsel at a technology or cybersecurity company.

• A history of implementing processes through AI and legal technology is strongly preferred.

• Exceptional judgment and discretion, with the ability to assess risk, navigate ambiguity, and make sound decisions in complex or high-stakes situations.

• Strong executive presence and communication skills, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders and translate complex legal concepts into clear, actionable business guidance.

• Experience in the technology, security, or software industries is a plus but not required.

• An operational mindset and willingness to get your hands dirty, gaining exposure to many parts of the business

• Business-oriented and solutions-driven mindset, comfortable operating in fast-moving organizations and partnering cross-functionally to enable growth while managing risk.