“Members of the Legal organization at select locations will generally be expected to follow a hybrid work model, which includes two days of in-office attendance each week, with limited exceptions.”

Preferred locations:  RTP, NC; Atlanta, GA; District Of Columbia; Austin, TX  Other U.S. locations may be considered. 

Meet the Team

You will join a dynamic, in-house legal department that uses technology to transform the practice of law. Our team operates at the center of Cisco's most strategic commercial relationships, negotiating complex agreements with the world's leading service provider customers in a fast-paced environment driven by a passion for enabling Cisco's business and our customers' digital and AI transformation. Join us!

Your Impact

• Sales Transactions: Draft and negotiate bespoke, complex sales and commercial agreements with major service providers, including cloud, software and technology licenses, AI/ML arrangements, data protection agreements, and strategic alliances.

• AI & IP Leadership: Advise on AI- and IP-related issues, including model and data licensing, IP ownership and indemnification, AI warranties and liability, responsible-AI commitments, and emerging AI regulation (e.g., EU AI Act).

• Direct & Channel Sales: Provide counsel across direct and indirect sales through channel partners, distributors, and resellers, addressing distribution agreements, flow-down terms, pricing, and channel issues.

• Revenue Recognition: Partner with Finance to structure deal terms consistent with revenue recognition policies, avoiding unintended accounting outcomes.

• Strategic Advisory: Serve as a trusted advisor to senior Sales leadership and Finance, providing practical, business-focused guidance aligned with Cisco's priorities.

• Problem Solving: Analyze and resolve complex business and legal issues through clear, actionable advice.

• Compliance & Privacy: Ensure all transactions adhere to internal compliance, governance, data privacy, and regulatory requirements.

• Team Culture: Act as a proactive teammate and mentor, contributing to a culture of shared success.

Success Attributes

• Adaptability: Ability to manage frequent changes in priorities, deadlines, and workload.

• Disruptive Innovation: A creative outlook; you are a change agent who identifies and implements more efficient ways of working.

• Critical Thinking: Ability to conduct thoughtful analysis of complex agreements and articulate risk/reward scenarios.

• Leadership: Strong judgment in knowing when to advance issues and how to propose effective solutions.

• Client-Centricity: A positive, professional, and respectful approach to all internal and external stakeholders.

Minimum Qualifications

• Experience: JD and 5+ years of legal experience, with substantial technology-industry experience supporting complex transactional matters for a multinational organization.

• Legal Expertise: Expert knowledge of commercial, contract, and business law. Proficiency in intellectual property, software and technology licensing, data use rights, privacy and security, AI, antitrust, and export-import regulations.

• Privacy Knowledge: Familiarity with data privacy frameworks (e.g., GDPR, CCPA, EU Data Act).

• Technical Proficiency: High proficiency in standard desktop applications (Office 365).

• Communication: Excellent English language skills (written and verbal.)

Preferred Qualifications

• Certifications: CIPP/E certification is a plus.

• Emerging Tech: Experience advising on generative AI and using AI-powered tools to assess and mitigate legal risk.

• Marketplace & Models: Experience with cloud marketplace transactions, co-sell/partner programs, and consumption or committed-spend pricing models.

• Financial Acumen: Understanding of revenue recognition and financial principles common to US-based publicly traded companies.

• International Experience: Experience working with multinational companies.

Why Cisco? 

At Cisco, we’re revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era – and beyond. We’ve been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds. These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint.

Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions. Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you’ll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere. 

We are Cisco, and our power starts with you. 

Message to applicants applying to work in the U.S. and/or Canada:

Individual pay is determined by the candidate's hiring location, market conditions, job-related skillset, experience, qualifications, education, certifications, and/or training. The full salary range for certain locations is listed below. For locations not listed below, the recruiter can share more details about compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.

U.S. employees are offered benefits, subject to Cisco’s plan eligibility rules, which include medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability coverage, and basic life insurance. Please see the Cisco careers site to discover more benefits and perks.  Employees may be eligible to receive grants of Cisco restricted stock units, which vest following continued employment with Cisco for defined periods of time.

U.S. employees are eligible for paid time away as described below, subject to Cisco’s policies:

• 10 paid holidays per full calendar year, plus 1 floating holiday for non-exempt employees

• 1 paid day off for employee’s birthday, paid year-end holiday shutdown, and 4 paid days off for personal wellness determined by Cisco

• Non-exempt employees** receive 16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year, accrued at rate of 4.92 hours per pay period for full-time employees

• Exempt employees participate in Cisco’s flexible vacation time off program, which has no defined limit on how much vacation time eligible employees may use (subject to availability and some business limitations)

• 80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter, and up to 80 hours of unused sick time carried forward from one calendar year to the next

• Additional paid time away may be requested to deal with critical or emergency issues for family members

• Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer

For non-sales roles, employees are also eligible to earn annual bonuses subject to Cisco’s policies.

Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary, which is split between quota and non-quota components, subject to the applicable Cisco plan. For quota-based incentive pay, Cisco typically pays as follows:

• .75% of incentive target for each 1% of revenue attainment up to 50% of quota;

• 1.5% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 50% and 75%;

• 1% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 75% and 100%; and

• Once performance exceeds 100% attainment, incentive rates are at or above 1% for each 1% of attainment with no cap on incentive compensation.

For non-quota-based sales performance elements such as strategic sales objectives, Cisco may pay 0% up to 125% of target. Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid.

The applicable full salary ranges for this position, by specific state, are listed below:

New York City Metro Area:

Non-Metro New York state & Washington state:

* For quota-based sales roles on Cisco’s sales plan, the ranges provided in this posting include base pay and sales target incentive compensation combined.

** Employees in Illinois, whether exempt or non-exempt, will participate in a unique time off program to meet local requirements.