About 1882 Energy Ventures

1882 Energy Ventures is a venture studio accelerating the global energy transition by building and scaling startups that decentralize energy systems—reshaping how homes, businesses, mobility, and networks are powered. By advancing decentralization, we drive decarbonization, enhance energy efficiency, and fuel long-term economic growth and development in the Philippines and beyond.

About the Role

As Head of Legal, you’ll serve as the legal backbone of our venture studio, guiding every critical legal dimension of our work, from studio operations and venture formation to governance, fundraising, and IP strategy. You’ll partner closely with studio leadership, venture teams, and external counsel to ensure our legal foundations are robust, flexible, and aligned with our strategic objectives.

This is a rare opportunity for a senior legal professional who thrives in entrepreneurial environments and wants to play a pivotal role in building and scaling impactful ventures from day one.

Why This Role Matters

This is more than just a legal role, it’s a leadership position at the heart of a venture studio building the businesses of the future. You will shape how we protect value, manage risk, structure incentives, and scale ventures responsibly. If you’re excited to be a key architect of innovation with the judgment and flexibility to match, we’d love to hear from you.

Key Responsibilities

1. Studio Operations

• Advise on legal structuring, subsidiary formation, and cross-border governance
• Ensure regulatory compliance across all jurisdictions where the studio and its ventures operate
• Maintain legal oversight of internal studio functions (e.g., HR, finance, contracts)

2. Venture Formation & Governance

• Draft and negotiate key governance documents including shareholder agreements, board resolutions, cap tables, and ESOPs
• Lead or support venture spin-outs, fundraising transactions, and legal entity formation
• Help define governance models and ownership structures that align incentives while managing risk

3. Contracting & Risk Management

• Oversee legal review and negotiation of commercial contracts including NDAs, vendor agreements, partnership contracts, and customer terms
• Proactively identify and mitigate legal risks across studio and venture activities
• Develop and implement lightweight processes to manage legal workflows efficiently

4. Fundraising & Investments

• Support venture fundraising rounds with term sheets, SAFEs, convertible notes, equity structuring, and due diligence
• Structure strategic investments, joint ventures, and venture client partnerships
• Ensure compliance with securities regulations and investor disclosure requirements

5. IP & Data Strategy

• Advise on IP strategy and protection, including trademarks, software licensing, and patent considerations
• Guide ventures on data privacy, cybersecurity, and compliance frameworks (e.g., GDPR, PDPA)
• Help ventures define defensible IP positions early in their lifecycle

6. External Counsel & Stakeholder Management

• Manage external legal counsel, notaries, and relevant regulatory relationships
• Act as a trusted legal advisor to studio leadership, board members, and key stakeholders
• Represent the studio and ventures in high-stakes negotiations when required

First 90 Days Objectives

• Map out and document core legal structures across the studio and all active ventures
• Review and refine existing governance, ESOP, and shareholder documentation
• Establish a lightweight, repeatable legal process for new venture formation
• Conduct a legal risk review across portfolio ventures and propose mitigation steps
• Build a roster of preferred external legal partners across key domains

What We’re Looking For

• Qualified lawyer with 8+ years of post-qualification experience, ideally combining law firm training with in-house, startup, or venture studio exposure
• Deep expertise in corporate law, venture funding instruments, and startup governance
• Demonstrated experience supporting early-stage companies through structuring, fundraising, and growth
• Strong commercial instincts — able to balance legal risk with business realities
• Excellent drafting, negotiation, and communication skills
• Strategic mindset with the ability to balance risk and commercial objectives
• Comfortable operating in fast-paced, ambiguous environments with multiple stakeholders
• Proactive, pragmatic, and business-oriented with a hands-on approach

What We Value

• Judgment: You know when to take a hard line and when to stay flexible
• Clarity: You communicate legal issues simply and translate risk into actionable decisions
• Pragmatism: You bring a solutions-first mindset to complex legal challenges
• Ownership: You act like a founder, not just a function
• Adaptability: You evolve with changing business needs and shifting legal landscapes

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in cross-border structuring, especially in Southeast Asia or comparable emerging markets
• Background in venture studios, startups, or innovation-driven environments
• Background in sectors such as energy, climate tech, fintech, or digital platforms
• Passion for innovation, entrepreneurship, and helping build ventures from 0 to 1
• Experience managing external counsel and stakeholder relationships at scale

Why Join Us

This is more than a legal role, it’s an opportunity to shape the foundation of ventures solving real-world problems. You’ll operate at the core of the studio, with a seat at the table for every major decision. If you’re excited by innovation, energized by complexity, and motivated to build a legacy of impactful companies, we want to work with you.

Please refer to job description.