Running legal at a hypergrowth tech company: Figma's international legal head Jonathan Keen on AI, expansion and EU red tape
Description
In this episode, we speak with Jonathan Keen, head of international legal at Figma - one of the fastest-growing SaaS companies in the world. Jonny leads legal across EMEA, APAC, and Japan, supporting the business through constant product innovation, geographic expansion and a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape.
He shares what it’s really like to be the legal lead at a hypergrowth company, from negotiating major enterprise SaaS deals to navigating complex EU tech regulation. Jonny gives a behind-the-scenes view of how his team supports global scale, and what he looks for in the external law firms Figma relies on.
We also dive into legal tech and AI, and why Jonny cares more about lawyers who understand tech than what tools they use. He shares his view on how AI is impacting in-house teams, and what traits set great in-house lawyers apart.
Chapters
00:40 Jonny’s role at Figma
02:00 What legal looks like inside a rocketship
04:00 A typical day (if one exists)
06:30 Enterprise SaaS negotiations: fast and slow lanes
08:40 How legal supports the business without breaking it
10:00 Working with law firms: what matters
12:30 AI and legal tech at Figma
15:00 The EU regulatory wave
18:00 The compliance burden for mid-market companies
20:00 In-house vs private practice: what AI disrupts
23:00 What he looks for in new hires
25:00 Judgement, humility and curiosity
27:00 Advice for lawyers considering a move in-house
29:30 The future: what’s next for Jonny
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