Theo Arnold

About Theo Arnold

In-house attorney with substantial experience leading legal teams and advising executives on the highest-impact issues in AI/SaaS, corporate governance, M&A, finance, commercial transactions, employment, and litigation. Early legal hire at a high-growth AI/SaaS unicorn; currently Director, Legal.I build practical legal programs that scale, especially where the law is evolving. As ClickUp\'s Head of AI Legal, I built our AI legal framework from the ground up and oversee everything in Legal that involves AI at ClickUp - from our best-in-class AI offerings Brain and Super Agents to negotiating with AI vendors to establishing Responsible AI guidelines and governance.Known for translating complex legal and regulatory risk into plain-English guidance that helps product, engineering, sales, and leadership teams move quickly and confidently.Core strengths: AI governance & policy; corporate governance & subsidiaries; international expansion; M&A (asset/equity); commercial contracting & procurement; credit facilities and financings; litigation/dispute management; employment/HR counseling; board and executive advising; outside counsel management; process design and legal operations leadership.

Experience

1. Director, Legal

   ClickUp

   Feb 2025 — Present

   In-house counsel at a growth-stage AI/SaaS unicorn.Head of Legal for AI / Responsible AI: Built ClickUp’s AI legal framework from the ground up, including AI policies, governance, and risk programs for internal development and use, customer use, and vendor services. Founded and lead the AI Governance Board and AI Review & Appeals processes; lead cross-functional teams on AI risk and compliance.Corporate & Global Expansion: Led the company’s evolution from a single U.S. entity to a multinational corporate structure. Manage global subsidiaries and local counsel; oversee entity management and corporate governance across all jurisdictions; advise on international expansion strategy.M&A Leadership: Lead M&A transactions (equity and asset deals), including deal structuring, diligence, and outside counsel management, delivering faster deal cycles and reduced outside counsel spend.Commercial / Procurement & Vendor Contracts: Designed and implemented the legal procurement process, contract templates, and negotiation playbooks; negotiate complex vendor agreements and advise internal stakeholders on risk, terms, and strategy. Managed junior attorney and legal operations resources.Finance / Credit Facilities: Primary legal owner for loan facilities and corporate financings; led cross-functional teams on multiple eight- to nine-figure financings, including a $175M facility.Litigation & Dispute Management: Oversee outside counsel and strategy for disputes and “bet-the-company” matters.Employment / People Leadership: Member of the People Leadership Team; set and advise on global employment and HR policies.

Education

• University of Michigan Law School

  Doctor of Law (JD)

  2008 — 2011

• UC San Diego

  BA, Economics

  2000 — 2005

Skills

• Courts
• Entity Formations
• Criminal Law
• Bankruptcy
• Legal Writing
• Litigation
• Corporate Law
• Entrepreneurial and Startup Law
• Franchise Law
• Appeals
• Legal Research
• Commercial Litigation
• Teaching
• Trade Secrets
• Westlaw