Legal Counsel, M&A

About the role

As the M&A Legal Counsel at Mistral AI, you will report to the Head of M&A and Finance Legal Counsel and work from our Paris office. You will partner with business and finance teams to structure, draft, and negotiate the company’s external growth transactions, ranging from talent‑driven acqui‑hires to strategic mid‑cap acquisitions.

Key responsibilities

• Draft, negotiate and advise on a variety of M&A documents, including LOIs, NDAs, SPA, shareholders’ agreements and earn‑out mechanisms.
• Lead or coordinate legal due‑diligence across corporate, IP, employment and regulatory workstreams, identifying and managing key risks.
• Participate in all transaction stages: deal structuring, due‑diligence, negotiations, signing and closing.
• Develop internal templates, practices and guidelines for M&A documentation.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams and provide support on related corporate compliance matters such as labor law, insurance and anti‑corruption regulations.

Required profile

• LLB, LLM or JD from an accredited law school in France or another EU country; admission to practice law in another jurisdiction (e.g., USA) is a plus.
• Minimum 7 years of relevant legal experience, including at least 4 years in an international law firm.
• Strong track record in structuring and negotiating M&A transactions, including acquisitions and acqui‑hires.

Required skills

• Deep knowledge of corporate, intellectual property, employment and regulatory law.
• Excellent drafting and negotiation abilities.
• Ability to work collaboratively with finance, business and compliance teams.