The Law Enforcement and National Security (LENS) Policy and Strategy Team in Microsoft’s Privacy, Safety, and Regulatory Affairs (PSRA) organization has an opening for an experienced attorney to join our team at our headquarters in Redmond, WA or one of our U.S. hubs, including Reston, VA, or Mountain View, CA.

The Senior Corporate Counsel, LENS Policy and Strategy role will provide advice and guidance to the global team responsible for responding to government demands for customer data. The job will include supporting operational decision-making as well as the development and implementation of Microsoft’s policies to promote the privacy interests of its customers by modernizing surveillance laws in the U.S. and other key jurisdictions around the world.

LENS is part of the PSRA organization within Corporate, External and Legal Affairs (CELA). As part of PSRA, the LENS team is responsible for balancing public safety and global trust in Microsoft through principled advocacy and compliance with government demands for data that respect the rule of law and our customers’ privacy. LENS provides this support for Microsoft’s online services such as Outlook.com, OneDrive, Xbox Live, Skype, M365 and Azure.

Microsoft is on a mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Our culture is centered on embracing a growth mindset, a theme of inspiring excellence, and encouraging teams and leaders to bring their best each day. In doing so, we create life-changing innovations that impact billions of lives around the world. You can help us achieve our mission.

Responsibilities

Legal Advice and Counsel

• Advising Microsoft’s Law Enforcement and National Security operations team responsible for responding to legal demands from governments around the world seeking access to customer data from Microsoft’s services such as Outlook.com, OneDrive, Xbox, Skype, O365 and other online services.

• Advising all of Microsoft’s core product teams including Azure, Experiences and Devices and Gaming to help them understand the implications of product and service architecture and design, as well as to ensure the engineering groups understand and can comply with applicable legal requirements.

• Providing subject matter expertise and advice to CELA leadership concerning compliance with laws and policy relating to data security and government access to data.

• Conducting and/or coordinating legal research through outside counsel, as well as interpreting and applying risk-based assessments of how legal requirements throughout the world affect Microsoft’s current and future product and service offerings.

• Engaging with government authorities and policymakers on matters related to Microsoft’s compliance with government legal demands to address operational and policy questions, conduct training and outreach, and maintain working relationships with domestic and international law enforcement.

• Supporting CELA colleagues around the world with advice and guidance related to government access to data and the implications for our products and customers.

• Working with Microsoft’s in-house litigation team and outside counsel on cases related to law enforcement and national security data access matters.

• Developing policies, processes and procedures designed to ensure timely and efficient compliance with legal obligations consistent with Microsoft’s customer commitments and global lawful access principles.

• Supporting our policy teams as they work to advance surveillance reform initiatives around the world, addressing legal questions as they arise.

• Reviewing and providing advice on legislative proposals from governments around the world that may implicate Microsoft’s obligations to produce data to government authorities.

• Ensuring effective customer communications related to Microsoft’s practices, policies and procedures for responding to government requests for user data, to include providing subject matter expertise to the field; engaging directly with customers to discuss Microsoft’s policies, practices and procedures; and negotiating contractual provisions governing third party requests for customer data

Representing Microsoft

• Proactively engages industry, business, or legal groups to drive Microsoft's policy objectives and external outreach initiatives (e.g., conferences, hearings, consultations, conducting workshops, volunteering for committees, leading recruiting activities).

• Develops and strategizes positive relationships with external and internal legal professionals, academics, government officials, customers, and/or partners to protect and advocate Microsoft's interests and to drive results; coordinates with government affairs professionals to obtain alignment in policy strategy for public entities.

Communication

• Leads and encourages collaboration with the CELA leadership team, Microsoft senior executives, and clients to ensure a coordinated CELA voice on issues with Microsoft-wide impact or high external visibility.

• Improves decision-making and conflict resolution by leveraging key stakeholders, including Microsoft senior executives, by simplifying and summarizing highly complex/multidimensional issues into actionable strategies and recommendations.

Operational Excellence

• Drives the adoption of and models new tools and processes including the application of new AI models and applications; develops and leads operational excellence initiatives that significantly improve the quality, timeliness, and efficiency of projects; mentors and provides guidance to others to identify opportunities and tools to increase operational efficiency and effectiveness; performs compliance audits/assessments.

• Sources and manages outside counsel and vendor resources strategically to maximize the efficiency of spending; develops budget for practice group or cross-group initiatives; works within and manages budgets for projects.

• Leads and ensures all team members comply with confidentiality, attorney-client privilege, and security procedures.

Other

• Embody our culture (https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/culture) and a demonstrated commitment to the company’s core values (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/about/corporate-values) , including a commitment to high ethical standards, unquestioned integrity, and a commitment to advancing the company’s diversity & inclusion commitments.

Qualifications

Required/Minimum Qualifications:

• Juris Doctorate Degree or Equivalent International Degree

• OR Completion of a Legal Apprenticeship.

• Active license to practice law in a jurisdiction and capable of meeting admission requirements in relevant jurisdiction.

• 7+ years experience as a practicing attorney

• OR equivalent practice of law.

Other Qualifications:

Citizenship & Citizenship Verification: This role will require access to information that is controlled for export under export control regulations, potentially under the U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations or Export Administration Regulations, the EU Dual Use Regulation, and/or other export control regulations.  As a condition of employment, the successful candidate will be required to provide proof of citizenship, U.S. permanent residency, or other protected status (e.g., under 8 U.S.C. § 1324b(a)(3)) for assessment of eligibility to access the export-controlled information. To meet this legal requirement, and as a condition of employment, the successful candidate’s citizenship will be verified with a valid passport. Lawful permanent residents, refugees, and asylees may verify status using other documents, where applicable. ​

This position requires verification of U.S. citizenship due to citizenship-based legal restrictions. Specifically, this position supports United States federal, state, and/or local U.S. government agency customers and is subject to certain citizenship-based restrictions where required or permitted by applicable law. To meet this legal requirement, and as a condition of employment, the successful candidate’s citizenship will be verified via a valid passport.​

Preferred Qualifications:

• Ability to obtain and maintain a United States Security Clearance

• Professional experience dealing with the laws related to government surveillance, such as the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) and/or the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).

• Knowledge of and experience with the criminal investigative process.

• Motivate and lead others, including on matters where you have no direct oversight or management responsibilities over those whose assistance/participation is required.

• Ability to understand customer requirements and corporate strategies, and how to ensure your work is advancing both

• Demonstrated ability to think creatively to devise strategies that advance customers’ and clients’ interests, prioritize among competing responsibilities, and devise long-term strategies

• Ability to communicate complicated legal and policy advice clearly and succinctly to a variety of different audiences (internal and external) from a diverse set of disciplines (lawyers, project managers, engineers, business executives, government officials, policymakers, academics, reporters) and cultures.

• Willingness to experiment and try new things and learn quickly from failure and/or mistakes.

• Comfortable operating in fast-paced, high-pressure environment and working on cutting-edge legal and policy matters where ambiguity is the rule rather than the exception.

• Ability and willingness to adapt quickly as the legal, policy and factual landscape continues to evolve

• Familiarity with internet-based communications technology, cloud services and Microsoft’s products and services.

Legal Counsel IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $141,800 - $248,800 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $179,300 - $268,900 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here: https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay

Microsoft will accept applications for the role until June 1, 2024.

#CELA

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. Consistent with applicable law, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations (https://careers.microsoft.com/v2/global/en/accessibility.html) .