Hardesty, LLC · 22 hours ago
Head of Legal
Irvine, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Lead/Staff, Director/Executive
$180K/yr - $200K/yr
5+ years expHardesty, LLC is a leading private credit and equipment finance firm that designs and delivers innovative capital solutions. They are seeking a Head of Legal to lead legal strategy and execution, serving as the primary legal advisor to the executive team while managing the Documentation team and overseeing compliance practices.
Staffing & Recruiting
Hiring Manager
Rachel Gibson
Responsibilities
Serve as primary legal advisor to the executive team on structuring, documenting, and executing complex equipment finance and project funding transactions
Provide leadership and oversight of the Documentation team, including the VP of Lease Administration, ensuring best-in-class standards, efficient workflow, and team development
Advise executive leadership on broader corporate legal matters, including governance, employment, and regulatory issues, as needed
Coordinate with outside counsel to oversee labor & employment, litigation, IP, and other specialty areas as needed to ensure comprehensive coverage across the business without requiring deep prior expertise in these areas
Draft, review, and negotiate equipment lease and loan agreements, assignments, vendor contracts, NDAs, and other key legal documents
Negotiate directly with debt sources under master and individual lease assignment agreements to protect client interests while advancing transactions to close
Lead documentation negotiations with customers, vendors, and outside counsel to reach commercially sound agreements while safeguarding the company’s position
Ensure lien perfection, assignment standards, and compliance with applicable laws and regulations
Manage the documentation workflow end-to-end, including preparation, review, and approval of packages for booking and funding
Oversee funding and disbursement QA to ensure accuracy, timeliness, and compliance with approvals, tax requirements, and lien/title perfection
Implement and maintain effective processes for clearing follow-up items and documentation exceptions, ensuring all files remain complete, accurate, and audit-ready
Develop and maintain legal policies, SOPs, and templates that ensure compliance across functions and provide clarity to all internal stakeholders
Advise on risk-based pricing, credit windows, and creative structures—balancing legal protections with commercial goals
Monitor regulatory developments affecting equipment finance and proactively recommend adjustments
Engage and manage outside legal counsel as necessary, controlling scope and optimizing fees for specialized matters
Manage legal vendors (UCC filings, titling, credit bureaus, compliance resources) to ensure cost-effective, accurate service
Collaborate with the COO to streamline contract workflows, approval processes, and reporting through LeasePlus, Salesforce, and other systems
Create, maintain, and publish reports for senior management on legal, documentation, and funding activities
Support audits, diligence requests, and other reporting requirements with timely, accurate legal documentation
Qualification
Required
JD from an accredited law school and admission to practice in at least one U.S. jurisdiction (California preferred)
A minimum of 5+ years of experience in contracts, equipment finance, commercial finance, or a related legal field, with a focus on structuring, drafting, and negotiating transactions
A collaborative mindset and ability to partner with business leaders at all levels—balancing commercial judgment with practical solutions that are both creative and provide leadership with options
Demonstrated ability to take ownership of projects from start to finish balancing independent execution with team collaboration
Proven leadership of legal and documentation teams, including hiring, mentoring, and performance management
Deep knowledge of UCC/perfection, assignments, titling, and multi-state sales/use tax
Demonstrated experience negotiating assignment agreements with banks, debt sources, and outside counsel
Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build rapport with customers, funding sources, and business partners
Ability to organize, prioritize, and manage multiple complex transactions simultaneously in a fast-paced environment
Exceptional judgment, negotiation skills, and cross-functional emotional intelligence
Ability to learn and implement new software platforms, such as, LeasePlus or similar lease accounting system, Salesforce, and other packages to streamline operations
Preferred
Experience with equipment finance or complex commercial lending is strongly preferred, but candidates with adjacent transactional backgrounds will be considered
Benefits
401(k)
Medical/dental
PTO
Professional development support
Company
Hardesty, LLC
Hardesty, LLC is a executives services firm providing experienced chief financial officers, controllers and other financial management professionals to companies ranging from emerging growth to large public entities.
11-50 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Early StageLeadership Team
Karl Hardesty, CEO
CEO & Founder
Dave Aguero
Interim CFO
Company data provided by crunchbase