General Counsel

Mattson Technology, Inc., a 38-year Silicon Valley company, designs, manufactures, markets, and globally supports plasma and rapid thermal processing equipment to fabricate integrated circuits for the global semiconductor industry.

Mattson Technology, Inc. offers processing equipment that utilizes innovative technologies to deliver advanced processing capabilities and high productivity for the fabrication of current and next-generation integrated circuits. Our equipment and technologies are used by leading memory and logic, analog /power device manufacturers worldwide. Innovations from Mattson Technology in Atomic Surface Engineering address the most critical logic and memory manufacturing challenges.

In May 2016, Mattson Technology was acquired by Beijing's E-Town Capital. Our new investor's vision is that Mattson Technology, with its Silicon Valley DNA, will continue to operate as a global, market-driven technology provider serving worldwide semiconductor manufacturing customers. In July, 2025, the company successfully listed in Shanghai's STAR Exchange. As the external trade compliance environment evolves, Mattson Technology now operates independently from the parent company in product, business, and operations, serving customers outside of China.

Job Description: General Counsel

Industry: Semiconductor / High-Tech Manufacturing

Position Summary: The General Counsel serves as the primary legal advisor to the organization, providing strategic guidance on all legal, regulatory, and compliance matters impacting the business. In this role, you will partner closely with executive leadership to protect the company's interests, ensure compliance with federal and California state laws, support global operations, and enable business growth in a highly regulated and competitive semiconductor market.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Cross-Functional Partnership

• Serve as a strategic legal advisor to the CEO, executive team, and Board of Directors, shaping company direction and supporting high-impact decision-making.
• Lead and manage the Legal Department, including oversight of outside counsel, resource allocation, and legal budget management to ensure cost-effective operations.
• Build strong partnerships with Engineering, Operations, Sales, Service, Finance, HR, IT, and Product teams to enable business execution and drive organizational alignment.
• Provide clear, practical, and solutions-oriented legal guidance that balances risk with operational realities and accelerates business outcomes.
• Act as a trusted, proactive advisor to leadership, contributing to strategy development, risk planning, and enterprise-wide initiatives.

Litigation & Risk Management

• Manage litigation, arbitration, and disputes; select, direct, and evaluate external counsel.
• Oversee legal spend and manage litigation budgets, including forecasting, insurer-covered matters, deductible strategy, and cost-control measures with panel counsel.
• Develop and maintain frameworks to assess, mitigate, and monitor legal and operational risk.
• Advise on insurance coverage, claims handling, and enterprise risk-mitigation strategies.

Intellectual Property (IP) Strategy

• Oversee IP protection in partnership with outside counsel, engineering and R&D teams.
• Manage patent portfolio strategy, trade secret protection, and IP litigation.
• Ensure safeguarding of proprietary technology critical to competitive advantage.

Governance, Regulatory & Compliance Oversight

• Oversee all corporate governance functions, including board documentation, shareholder matters, entity management, and maintenance of company policies and legal infrastructure.
• Ensure compliance with federal, California, and international laws applicable to semiconductor manufacturing and global operations, including:
• – Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) requirements
• – Export controls and trade compliance (EAR/ITAR)
• – Data privacy and security laws (CCPA/CPRA, GDPR where applicable)
• – Employment and labor regulations
• Develop, implement, and maintain company-wide compliance programs, internal audits, and employee training frameworks.
• Structure and negotiate investment, financing, and equity transactions to support corporate growth and strategic initiatives.

Commercial Enablement & Contract Management

• Drive sales enablement by providing pragmatic, risk-aligned legal guidance that accelerates deal closure, supports global customer negotiations, and removes contractual roadblocks to revenue.
• Support global sales operations with risk assessments and contract structuring.
• Oversee contracts function; draft, negotiate, and review complex commercial agreements, including:
• Supplier and vendor agreements
• Customer sales contracts (domestic & international)
• IP licensing agreements
• OEM/ODM partnerships
• NDAs, SOWs, OEM supply chain agreements

Employment & Labor Relations Support

• Advise on HR matters, including hiring, terminations, performance issues, investigations, wage and hour compliance, and California-specific employment laws.
• Support HR with policy updates, employee handbook reviews, and compliance training.
• Guide the company through disputes, claims, or agency filings (EEOC, DFEH, OSHA, etc.).

Qualifications

Education & Licensing

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school.
• Active membership in the California State Bar (required).

Experience

• 15+ years of legal practice, at least 5 years in-house at a technology or semiconductor company.
• Deep understanding of semiconductor industry regulations, supply chain dynamics, and IP considerations.
• Experience overseeing complex commercial agreements and global business operations.
• Track record leading litigation, compliance programs, and cross-functional initiatives.
• Experience supporting HR and employment law matters in California (strongly preferred).

Skills & Competencies

• Exceptional negotiation, communication, and strategic advisory skills.
• Ability to operate autonomously in a fast-paced, engineering-driven environment.
• Strong business judgment with an ability to translate legal concepts into practical actions.
• High integrity, discretion, and commitment to ethical business practices.
• Proven leadership capability and comfort influencing at executive and board levels.

Success Profile

A successful General Counsel in a semiconductor company in California is:

• Strategic: Able to anticipate legal risks and opportunities in a rapidly changing global market.
• Business-minded: Understands manufacturing, supply chain, and technical product lifecycles.
• Hands-on: Comfortable rolling up sleeves to review contracts, solve operational issues, and support HR.
• Calm under pressure: Skilled at crisis management, regulatory surprises, and urgent customer escalations.
• Collaborative: Builds trust across engineering, operations, HR, and executive leadership.

Compensation

The compensation range for this position is $250k- $280k for San Francisco Bay Area based candidates. Candidates will also be able to participate in the company annual bonus program.

The company is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applications will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.