Cognito Therapeutics

Cognito Therapeutics

General Counsel

Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States · Exec · Full-time

Sponsorship not specifiedDetected 28 days ago
Data ScienceComplianceNegotiationM&AContract ManagementCorporate LawIntellectual PropertyHIPAAFDA RegulatoryMedical DevicesResearchLeadershipCommunicationCollaboration

About the role

  • General Counsel Cognito Therapeutics, Inc.
  • We completed enrollment in our pivotal study, HOPE, in June 2025 and expect to release topline data from the trial in summer 2026.
  • About the Job The General Counsel will serve as the company's senior-most legal executive and a member of the executive leadership team.

Responsibilities

  • Lead all Board governance matters, including preparation and review of Board and committee materials, resolutions, and corporate minutes.
  • Own corporate structuring, subsidiary management, and capitalization strategy.
  • Partner with the CEO and CFO on fundraising, investor relations, and IPO readiness, including SEC reporting infrastructure and public-company compliance frameworks.
  • Lead negotiation and execution of complex commercial agreements, including strategic partnerships, licensing, distribution, vendor, and enterprise customer contracts.
  • Drive legal strategy for M&A, collaboration, and licensing activity, including due diligence, deal structuring, and integration.
  • Build and manage a contract management system and scalable commercial legal infrastructure.
  • Develop and maintain a robust corporate compliance program, including policies, training, and monitoring frameworks.
  • Partner with regulatory counsel and external advisors to strengthen regulatory frameworks supporting device approval, label expansion, and international market access.
  • Own and develop the company's intellectual property strategy, including patent portfolio expansion, freedom-to-operate analysis, and competitive IP positioning.
  • Partner with Patent Counsel and R&D leadership to protect core scientific, technological, and data innovations.

Requirements

  • 15+ years of relevant legal experience, with a combination of top-tier law firm and in-house leadership experience.
  • Demonstrated experience with IP strategy, complex commercial transactions, and advising CEO and Board-level stakeholders.
  • Experience with, or strong interest in, emerging governance domains including AI ethics, data privacy, and neuroethics.
  • Exceptional business judgment and the ability to provide decisive, risk-calibrated counsel under uncertainty.
  • Ability to think strategically about legal and governance matters as sources of competitive advantage, not just risk mitigation.
  • Experience
  • D. from an accredited law school and active membership in at least one U.S. state bar.
  • Demonstrated track record as General Counsel or Deputy/Associate General Counsel at a life sciences, medical device, or health technology company.
  • Experience in healthcare, medical device, or other highly regulated environments is required
  • neurotechnology or digital health experience is a strong plus.
  • Skills & Capabilities
  • Executive presence, credibility, and influence with Board members, investors, and senior leadership.

Nice to have

  • Significant experience supporting venture-backed or high-growth companies
  • IPO, public-company, or capital markets experience is highly preferred.

Benefits

  • Provide executive-level legal leadership within a regulated medical device environment, partnering with Regulatory, Quality, Clinical, and Commercial functions.
  • Advise on FDA regulatory strategy, healthcare compliance, fraud and abuse considerations, and promotional review processes.
  • Build longitudinal cognitive data governance systems-including data classification, retention, access controls, and secondary use policies-commensurate with the sensitivity of brain health data.

This listing is sourced directly from Cognito Therapeutics's careers page and normalized into a canonical job model.