Vice President, Senior Commercial Counsel
ares managementLos Angeles (CA)
Vice President, Senior Commercial Counsel
Posted today
ares managementLos Angeles (CA)
SENIORITY
Manager
About the role
Overview:
As Senior Commercial Counsel, you will lead Ares' vendor contracting function within a fast-growing alternative investment platform. You will supervise and develop a high-volume review team, while hands-on negotiating a broad range of vendor agreements. You will shape the future operating model for contracting, leveraging technology and AI to improve quality, efficiency and scalability. You will partner with Procurement, Technology, and other functions to align contracts with risk tolerance and business objectives. This role offers strategic impact in a cross-functional, growth-focused environment. Compensation / Benefits Comprehensive medical/rx, dental and vision 401(k) with company match Flexible Savings Accounts (FSA) and HSA with company contribution Life insurance and disability coverage Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Wellbeing and financial wellness programs
Responsibilities:
Review, draft and negotiate vendor and commercial agreements including MSAs, SOWs, software/SaaS, technology agreements, professional services, NDAs Escalate and advise on complex or high-risk contracts with practical risk mitigation Ensure contracts reflect Ares standards and risk tolerance while enabling business objectives Collaborate with Procurement, Technology, Information Security, Privacy, Finance and other functions Develop and improve templates, playbooks, escalation guidelines for consistency and efficiency Lead and supervise the contract review team in daily operations Maintain hands-on reviewing and negotiating while supporting the broader team Establish standards, workflows and escalation protocols; coach team members Monitor volume, turnaround times, workload, and performance metrics to ensure timely, high-quality support Build relationships with stakeholders and act as Legal's main contact for vendor contracting Develop and implement a scalable, technology-enabled operating model for contracting Evaluate AI, workflow automation and other legal tech; optimize CLM functionality and integrations Oversee external resources (ESPs, law firms) with service expectations and metrics Identify opportunities to streamline review and reduce friction while managing risk Develop metrics and reporting to assess effectiveness and drive continuous improvement Stay current on CLM, AI-assisted review and evolving legal service delivery
Key requirements:
8-10+ years of legal experience with significant vendor/commercial contracting experience Experience leading or overseeing a large-scale, high-volume contract review program (e.g., >5,000 contracts annually) Hands-on experience negotiating complex technology, software, SaaS, and professional services agreements Experience supervising and developing attorneys, paralegals or contract professionals Experience designing or scaling commercial contracting processes and operating models Strong understanding of contract lifecycle management systems and AI-enabled contracting workflows Experience managing external counsel or ESPs preferred Strong stakeholder management with senior leadership and cross-functional partners Practical, solutions-focused legal advice and cross-functional collaboration leadership stakeholder management clear communication contract lifecycle management (CLM) systems AI-enabled contract review vendor contract drafting and negotiation
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