Legal Intern – Contracts, IP & Compliance

About the role

Alta Ares is seeking a Legal Intern to support its legal operations across contracts, intellectual property, corporate law and regulatory compliance. Working directly with the Head of Finance & COO and the Legal & IP Counsel, you will gain hands‑on experience in a fast‑scaling defence‑AI startup.

Key responsibilities

• Assist in drafting, reviewing and proofreading commercial agreements such as NDAs, teaming agreements, MoUs and client contracts.
• Maintain the contract template library, contract register and track execution deadlines and renewals.
• Support the management of the IP portfolio, including patent tracking, invention disclosures and freedom‑to‑operate searches.
• Monitor the competitive IP landscape in defence AI, C‑UAS and ISR domains.
• Help prepare corporate documents for the multi‑entity structure (France, UK, US, Ukraine, UAE) and contribute to board resolutions and shareholder paperwork.
• Participate in GDPR compliance tasks, export‑control research (AECA, ITAR, EAR) and legal due‑diligence for fundraising.
• Conduct targeted legal research on defence procurement, French corporate law and related regulatory questions.

Required profile

• Law student (Bachelors or Masters) or recent graduate with strong academic performance.
• Interest in defence technology, AI and international regulatory environments.
• Excellent attention to detail and ability to manage multiple tasks in a dynamic startup.
• Fluent in English; French language skills are a plus.

Required skills

• Legal research and analysis.
• Contract drafting and review.
• Understanding of intellectual‑property processes.
• Familiarity with GDPR, export‑control regulations and corporate governance.

What we offer

• Direct mentorship from senior legal and business leaders.
• Exposure to a high‑impact mission in defence AI.
• Opportunity to work on real legal matters across multiple jurisdictions.
• Dynamic, collaborative startup environment in Paris.