Principal Legal Counsel

Principal Legal Counsel – Frankfurt (Eschborn) or Munich (Garching), Germany

What You'll Do – Your Impact
We are looking for a committed, creative, entrepreneurial, experienced commercial lawyer to join our Legal team supporting Cisco’s Sales in Germany and Switzerland.

• Negotiate legal agreements for complex deals with our major Enterprise and Public Sector customers in Germany and Switzerland in line with Cisco’s business strategy, policies and practices, on either Cisco or customer templates, (e.g. product sales and software licensing agreements, service agreements often adapting terms to local laws).
• Negotiate agreements and provide guidance on data and security related topics in collaboration with cross functional teams.
• Consistently apply Cisco legal and business policies and practices to maintain the highest standards of corporate governance on compliance and address any COBC or compliance questions.
• Serve as a business partner and advisor to the Sales business or segment lead, Finance, and Government Affairs.
• Demonstrate a business-centric, flexible attitude and collaborative spirit with an understanding of Cisco’s overall strategy.
• Engage in cross-functional projects as a legal subject-matter expert.
• Develop and deliver presentations/legal trainings on a wide range of compliance and regulatory topics for the Sales team and local management.

Minimum Qualifications

• You have at least 5 years of commercial and corporate experience obtained at a top law firm, or multinational legal department
• You have excellent written and verbal skills in English and German; fluency in French or other European languages will be considered a plus
• You have supported complex commercial contract negotiations for large enterprises and public/state-run entities.
• You have extensive knowledge of technology contract matters including intellectual property, software licensing, managed services, cloud and software-as-a-service agreements, data protection and security and possibly also artificial intelligence.
• You possess seasoned judgment to advise on a wide rage of regulatory and compliance matters in the context of the operations of a multinational corporation.
• You have a track record of driving change efficiently and leading key projects that make a durable impact in the legal department.

Preferred Qualifications

• You possess exceptional drafting skills, a keen eye for detail, and a creative perspective.
• You are prepared to support and help finalize dynamic, complex sales agreements, even under tight deadlines and demanding processes.
• You approach challenges as an enabler, demonstrating a dedicated, flexible, and proactive “can-do” attitude, guided by sound judgment.
• You embrace a growth mindset and continuously seek opportunities for learning and improvement.
• You demonstrate leadership and confidently take ownership of your work.
• You are a collaborative team player, committed to building strong relationships with business clients and global colleagues alike.
• You communicate ideas clearly and persuasively, both in writing and verbally.
• You bring strong organizational skills, enabling effective management of multiple projects simultaneously.
• You excel in highly automated environments, utilizing digital tools and communication systems efficiently.
• You maintain an open and ethical mindset and bring a sense of humor to your work.

Meet the Team
The EMEA Sales Legal team is a dynamic, international, smart and friendly team that combines a collaborative environment with the diverse projects and innovative technology of a global corporation. Cisco legal managers are open-minded and experienced – they support independent, flexible work practices. The EMEA Sales Legal team promotes cultural differences and personal development based on trust and high ethical standards.

The Cisco EMEA Sales Legal team highly emphasizes collaboration and supports cross-functional activities and interests allowing for both professional and personal growth. Cisco also gives its employees the unique opportunity to participate in Giving Back projects contributing to Cisco’s well-respected ethics of true sharing and caring. Your dedication matters!
The business clients trust the EMEA Sales Legal team to act as agents for positive change and to conduct business with transparency and integrity.

Why Cisco? 

At Cisco, we’re revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era – and beyond. We’ve been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds. These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint.

Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions. Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you’ll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere. 

We are Cisco, and our power starts with you.