About this role.
Motive seeks a senior Associate General Counsel to lead its litigation function and align litigation strategy with business growth, technology, and risk-management goals. The role covers complex intellectual property, trade secret, marketing, Lanham Act, competitor, and other strategic disputes from pre-suit assessment through appeal. This leader will manage outside counsel, litigation budgets, internal team members, and cross-functional relationships with Product, Engineering, Sales, Security, and Finance. The position requires a US-licensed attorney with 10+ years of high-caliber litigation experience, substantial trial exposure, and strong executive judgment. It is a high-impact legal leadership role in a high-growth technology company.
Role DNA
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Job Complexity
5/5Pace & Pressure
5/5Autonomy Level
5/5Communication Load
5/5Salary analysis
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Core skills
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Sample interview questions
I would explain the factual and legal assessment performed at intake, the preservation and investigation plan, the options presented to leadership, and the selected strategy. I would quantify the outcome where possible, such as avoiding an injunction, obtaining a favorable settlement, or protecting a key product or commercial position.
I assess the merits, available remedies, business objectives, precedent risk, cost, timing, evidence, reputational impact, and likely counterclaims. I present decision-makers with clear scenarios and recommend litigation when it materially protects the company’s products, intellectual property, market position, or long-term strategic interests.
I establish a focused scope, decision rights, staffing expectations, budget milestones, reporting cadence, and outcome-oriented strategy at the outset. I remain closely involved in key pleadings, discovery decisions, settlement posture, and trial preparation so outside counsel operates as an extension of the internal legal team.
I would build regular touchpoints to understand product roadmaps, competitive developments, marketing claims, data practices, and potential IP sensitivities. I would provide practical, timely guidance and convert recurring issues into scalable playbooks, training, and escalation processes rather than relying only on reactive legal review.
I would describe how I rapidly gathered the critical facts, identified legal and business risks, and communicated a concise set of options with recommended actions. I would emphasize maintaining calm judgment, documenting assumptions, and updating leadership as new information emerged.
Who we are:
Motive empowers the people who run physical operations with tools to make their work safer, more productive, and more profitable. For the first time ever, safety, operations and finance teams can manage their drivers, vehicles, equipment, and fleet related spend in a single system. Combined with industry leading AI, the Motive platform gives you complete visibility and control, and significantly reduces manual workloads by automating and simplifying tasks.
Motive serves nearly 100,000 customers – from Fortune 500 enterprises to small businesses – across a wide range of industries, including transportation and logistics, construction, energy, field service, manufacturing, agriculture, food and beverage, retail, and the public sector.
Visit gomotive.com to learn more.
About the Role:
We are looking for an experienced Associate General Counsel, Litigation to join our fun, mission-driven, growth-focused team to lead litigation strategy at the intersection of technology, the law, and Motive’s business objectives. The legal team’s mission is to mitigate risk while maximizing growth and our vision is to be trusted advisors to the business. We succeed when employees know when to seek legal advice and integrate legal advice, counsel, and review into the company’s initiatives so they succeed.
This role will manage Motive’s litigation function with emphasis on building, executing and advancing our litigation strategy, partnering closely with legal and business leadership. This is a high-impact leadership role for an attorney who leads with a proactive mindset, operates strategically and tactically, and can build a litigation function that scales with the company.
You’ll serve as a senior day-to-day leader for litigation matters across the company while collaborating closely with internal stakeholders across Product, Engineering, Sales, Security, Finance, and other relevant teams.
What You’ll Do:
- Develop a deep understanding of Motive’s products, work cross-functionally with Product, Engineering, Sales, Security, and Finance, and earn the trust of leadership as a go-to advisor on contentious and strategic matters
- Develop and drive Motive’s litigation strategy, including identifying, assessing and pursuing claims, counterclaims, and other strategic litigation opportunities that protect Motive and advance its business objectives
- Manage and develop litigation team members and help shape the structure, priorities, and operating model of the litigation function
- Lead outside counsel selection, strategy, matter staffing, and budget management across litigation matters
- Stay up to date on industry developments to help your colleagues see around corners
What We’re Looking For:
- US-licensed attorney with 10+ years of relevant litigation experience, with significant time at a top-tier litigation firm. In-house experience at a high-growth technology company a plus
- Expertise in initiating and leading complex IP, trade secret, marketing, Lanham and competitor-related disputes, with a demonstrated track record of wins
- Significant trial experience, including dispositive motions, witness examination, and argument
- Expertise developing litigation strategy across all phases, including pre-suit assessment, TRO and preliminary injunction practice, pleadings, discovery, motion practice, trial, settlement, and appeal
- Experience in litigation for a public company, including financial reporting, audit, and governance
- Experience managing outside counsel, litigation budgets, and cross-functional internal teams
- Willing to roll up your sleeves and do what needs doing
- Humble, low ego, deep commitment to empowering your colleagues
- Strong judgment, executive presence, and ability to influence stakeholders across the business
- AI-first perspective, with interest in building and leveraging AI-driven tools
- Note: This individual will work a hybrid schedule in-office (2 days a week), if within the Bay Area.
Pay Transparency
Your compensation may be based on several factors, including education, work experience, and certifications. For certain roles, total compensation may include restricted stock units. Motive offers benefits including health, pharmacy, optical and dental care benefits, paid time off, sick time off, short term and long term disability coverage, life insurance as well as 401k contribution (all benefits are subject to eligibility requirements). Learn more about our benefits by visiting Motive Perks & Benefits.
The compensation range for this position will depend on where you reside. Motive uses three geographic zones to determine pay range. For this role, the compensation ranges are:
San Francisco, California
$270,000—$372,000 USD
U.S. metropolitan areas: Los Angeles, San Diego, New York City Area, Seattle, Washington D.C.
$235,000—$323,000 USD
Other locations in the United States
$235,000—$323,000 USD
Creating a diverse and inclusive workplace is one of Motive’s core values. We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome people of different backgrounds, experiences, abilities and perspectives.
Please review our Candidate Privacy Notice here.
UK Candidate Privacy Notice here.
The applicant must be authorized to receive and access those commodities and technologies controlled under U.S. Export Administration Regulations. It is Motive’s policy to require that employees be authorized to receive access to Motive products and technology.
All job postings are for existing vacancies. Please note; some interviews or new-hire training sessions may be held in person at one of our global offices.
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