Legal Commercial Counsel

Your Team Responsibilities

MSCI sits at the intersection of finance, data and technology, supporting some of the world’s most sophisticated investment institutions. Behind every new product, technology solution and commercial relationship is a legal framework that makes innovation possible while protecting MSCI and its clients.

That is where this role comes in.

We are looking for an experienced commercial lawyer to join MSCI’s Commercial Legal team as Vice President, Commercial Legal Counsel. This is an opportunity to move beyond simply reviewing contracts and become a trusted legal partner to teams developing, commercializing and scaling MSCI’s products and services.

You will negotiate sophisticated technology, data and intellectual property transactions, work alongside commercial and product leaders, contribute to the development of new offerings, and help modernize how MSCI contracts with its clients—including through the use of automation and AI.

For a lawyer who enjoys being close to the business, solving complex problems and finding practical ways to get important deals done, this role offers meaningful responsibility and visibility.

https://careers.msci.com/life-at-msci

MSCI operates in a rapidly evolving environment where technology, proprietary data, intellectual property, financial products and AI increasingly intersect. The Commercial Legal team plays an important role in enabling MSCI to innovate and grow while managing the legal and commercial risks that come with that evolution.

In this role, you will have the opportunity to influence not only individual transactions, but also how MSCI approaches contracting at scale.

You will work with global, cross-functional teams on new products and commercial models, help develop the contractual frameworks that support them, and contribute to initiatives designed to make contracting faster, smarter and more scalable.

This is a role for someone who wants to understand how the business works, not simply advise it from the sidelines.

Your Key Responsibilities

Your work will span sophisticated commercial transactions, product innovation and strategic legal projects. You will:

• Lead negotiations on complex technology and data transactions, including data and software licenses, financial product licenses, managed services agreements and redistribution arrangements under New York law.
• Become deeply familiar with MSCI’s businesses, products, commercial priorities, policies and risk tolerances so you can provide practical, business-oriented legal advice.
• Partner closely with commercial, product and other business teams to find solutions that protect MSCI while helping important client relationships and transactions move forward.
• Help create and evolve contract templates, clauses and legal frameworks for new products and business models.
• Collaborate with cross-functional and global innovation teams as MSCI develops and commercializes new offerings.
• Help transform the contracting experience, including initiatives to automate front-office contracting processes across MSCI’s product lines.
• Use MSCI’s AI systems as an integral part of your legal practice, exploring how emerging technology can improve the quality, efficiency and scalability of legal work.
• Contribute to broader legal projects and strategic initiatives as MSCI’s business continues to evolve.

This is not a role where success is measured simply by how many contracts you review.

The strongest candidates will be lawyers who can combine excellent legal judgment with commercial curiosity—people who want to understand what a client is trying to accomplish, what the business is trying to build, where the meaningful risks actually sit and how to construct a solution that works.

You will have significant exposure to sophisticated transactions while also having the opportunity to influence the systems, templates and processes behind them.

For someone interested in the future of commercial legal work, the combination of financial services + technology + data + IP + AI + contracting transformation makes this a particularly interesting platform.

Your skills and experience that will help you excel

We are looking for an experienced lawyer who is comfortable taking ownership in a sophisticated, fast-moving environment.

You will likely thrive in this role if you:

• Can negotiate a high volume of complex agreements thoughtfully and efficiently without losing sight of the details that matter.
• At least 8 years of relevant experience, whether developed in-house, at a premier law firm or through a combination of both.
• Have meaningful experience negotiating technology and intellectual property transactions.
• Qualification to practice in-house in New York,
• Are an excellent project manager who can manage multiple deals, stakeholders and priorities simultaneously.
• Learn quickly and genuinely enjoy developing a deep understanding of new products, businesses and commercial models.
• Bring a practical, execution-oriented mindset and look for solutions rather than simply identifying problems.
• Are a strong listener, communicator and drafter with excellent attention to detail.
• Know how to build credibility and trusted relationships with business partners and legal colleagues.
• Are comfortable operating with autonomy while collaborating closely with a global team.
• Experience in financial services, advising on intellectual property matters and/or working on M&A transactions would be helpful, but the ability to learn quickly and navigate sophisticated commercial issues is particularly important.

This role offers an opportunity to develop a particularly valuable combination of experience: complex commercial transactions, technology and data, financial services, product innovation and legal transformation.

You will have the opportunity to learn from experienced colleagues, work closely with business leaders and cross-functional teams, and continue expanding your capabilities as both a lawyer and strategic business partner.

About MSCI

What we offer you

• Transparent compensation schemes and comprehensive employee benefits, tailored to your location, ensuring your financial security, health, and overall wellbeing.

• Flexible working arrangements, advanced technology, and collaborative workspaces.

• A culture of high performance and innovation where we experiment with new ideas and take responsibility for achieving results.

• A global network of talented colleagues, who inspire, support, and share their expertise to innovate and deliver for our clients.

• Global Orientation program to kickstart your journey, followed by access to our Learning@MSCI platform, AI Learning Center , LinkedIn Learning Pro and tailored learning opportunities for ongoing skills development.

• Multi-directional career paths that offer professional growth and development through new challenges, internal mobility and expanded roles.

• We actively nurture an environment that builds a sense of inclusion belonging and connection, including eight Employee Resource Groups. All Abilities, Asian Support Network, Black Leadership Network, Climate Action Network, Hola! MSCI, Pride & Allies, Women in Tech, and Women’s Leadership Forum.

At MSCI we are passionate about what we do, and we are inspired by our vision – to power better decisions. You’ll be part of an industry-leading network of creative, curious, and entrepreneurial pioneers. This is a space where you can challenge yourself, set new standards and perform beyond expectations for yourself, our clients, and our industry.

MSCI strengthens global markets by connecting participants across the financial ecosystem with a common language. Our research-based data, analytics and indexes, supported by advanced technology, set standards for global investors and help our clients understand risks and opportunities so they can make better decisions and unlock innovation. We serve asset managers and owners, private-market sponsors and investors, hedge funds, wealth managers, banks, insurers and corporates.

MSCI Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of the firm to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, disability, marital and civil partnership/union status, pregnancy (including unlawful discrimination on the basis of a legally protected parental leave), veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. MSCI is also committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you are an individual with a disability and would like to request a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, please email Disability.Assistance@msci.com and indicate the specifics of the assistance needed. Please note, this e-mail is intended only for individuals who are requesting a reasonable workplace accommodation; it is not intended for other inquiries.

To all recruitment agencies

MSCI does not accept unsolicited CVs/Resumes. Please do not forward CVs/Resumes to any MSCI employee, location, or website. MSCI is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited CVs/Resumes.

Note on recruitment scams

We are aware of recruitment scams where fraudsters impersonating MSCI personnel may try and elicit personal information from job seekers. Read our full note on careers.msci.com