Legal Counsel, M&A

About Mistral At Mistral AI, we believe in the power of AI to simplify tasks, save time, and enhance learning and creativity. Our technology is designed to integrate seamlessly into daily working life. We democratize AI through high-performance, optimized, open-source and cutting-edge models, products and solutions. Our comprehensive AI platform is designed to meet enterprise as well as personal needs. Our offerings include Le Chat, AI Studio, Mistral Code and Mistral Compute — a suite that brings frontier intelligence to end-users. We are a dynamic, collaborative team passionate about AI and its potential to transform society. Our diverse workforce thrives in competitive environments and is committed to driving innovation. Our teams are distributed between France, USA, UK, Germany and Singapore. We are creative, low-ego and team-spirited. Join us to be part of a pioneering company shaping the future of AI. Together, we can make a meaningful impact. See more about our culture on https://mistral.ai/careers. Role Summary As our M&A Legal Counsel, you will work directly under the Head of M&A and Finance Legal Counsel, based in Paris. In close collaboration with our Business and Finance teams, you will be instrumental in structuring, drafting, and negotiating Mistral's external growth transactions — from talent-driven acqui-hires and technology acquisitions to small-to-mid cap strategic deals. Mistral operates at the frontier of AI, where the pace of innovation demands M&A speed and precision that matches the technology itself. You will help shape our growth and business relationships that will define Mistral's next chapter. Key responsibilities • Draft, negotiate, and provide strategic advice on a wide range of M&A transactions, including acquisitions, acqui-hires, and other internal or external growth projects worldwide. • Take an active part in every stage of M&A transactions: deal structuring, due diligence, strategic negotiations, signing and closing • Lead or coordinate legal due diligence processes, identifying and managing key legal risks across corporate, IP, employment, and regulatory workstreams. • Draft, negotiate, and advise on transaction documentation including LOIs, NDAs, SPAs, shareholders' agreements, earn-out mechanisms, and post-closing arrangements. • Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including other corporate functions • Build our internal templates, practices and guidelines for M&A documentation. • Support on other legal topics as needed, especially on the compliance front related to corporate matters (including labor law, insurances, Sapin II, etc.). Qualifications and skills • Bachelor degree or above (LLB, LLM, Juris Doctor preferred) from an accredited law school in France or another EU country. Admission to practice law in at least another jurisdiction, in particular in the USA would be a plus. • A minimum of 7 years of relevant legal experience, including a minimum of 4 in an international law firm. • Strong experience in structuring and negotiating M&A transactions, including hands-on experience leading large to mid-cap acquisitions from due diligence through signing and closing. • Familiarity with VC-PE type transactions is highly valued: you understand sophisticated shareholders' agreements, liquidation preferences, anti-dilution provisions, management and employees' incentive packages, as well as the governance dynamics of venture-backed and PE-backed companies. • Demonstrated ability to navigate cross-border M&A structuring questions and multi-jurisdictional transactions, including coordinating with local external counsel. • Excellent written and verbal communication in both English and French. Strong ability to present complex legal concepts in a clear and understandable manner to non-legal stakeholders. •Sharp business acumen, honed through direct experience working within businesses — ideally across multiple industries — where you have delivered measurable impact and demonstrated a deep