OPT Corporate Paralegal Jobs
Corporate Paralegal roles are a strong fit for F-1 OPT students with a pre-law background or paralegal certificate. Most positions qualify as specialty occupations for H-1B visa sponsorship, and law firms and legal departments at corporations regularly hire OPT candidates. Your 12-month OPT window, or 24-month STEM extension if applicable, gives you real runway to prove your value and secure sponsorship.
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Forge Nano is seeking an experienced and driven Corporate Paralegal to join our growing Legal team. Reporting directly to the Chief Legal Counsel, this role offers a unique opportunity to work at the center of a fast-moving, innovative technology company. You will play a critical role in supporting strategic business initiatives by managing contract administration, maintaining corporate records, advancing compliance efforts, and partnering with stakeholders across the organization on a wide range of legal and corporate matters.
The ideal candidate is a proactive, business-minded legal professional who thrives in a dynamic environment and enjoys solving complex challenges. You are highly organized, detail-oriented, and trusted to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion. Beyond strong technical skills, you are a collaborative partner who is passionate about improving processes, building scalable legal operations, and helping enable the company's continued growth, innovation, and success.
Responsibilities
Contract Management
- Draft, review, edit, and track a variety of legal agreements, including vendor contracts, customer agreements, nondisclosure agreements, service agreements, amendments, and other commercial contracts.
- Coordinate contract execution processes and maintain contract databases, records, and workflows.
- Monitor contract renewals, key deadlines, obligations, and compliance requirements.
- Support contract lifecycle management and continuous improvement of legal processes and documentation.
Corporate Governance & Compliance
- Maintain corporate records, legal entity documents, licenses, permits, and regulatory filings.
- Assist with corporate governance activities, including preparation of board and committee meeting materials, resolutions, minutes, and related documentation.
- Maintain governance records and support the administration of corporate policies and procedures.
- Support compliance initiatives, internal controls, and policy administration across the organization.
- Monitor legal and regulatory developments that may impact the business.
- Assist with public company readiness initiatives, corporate recordkeeping, and governance documentation.
Securities & Strategic Transactions Support
- Support financing activities, due diligence processes, and other strategic corporate transactions.
- Coordinate document execution, signature collection, and information requests with internal and external stakeholders.
- Assist with director and officer questionnaires, insider trading policy administration, and related compliance recordkeeping.
- Partner with Finance, Human Resources, and outside counsel to support ongoing governance and compliance requirements.
Intellectual Property Support
- Maintain intellectual property records, including patents, trademarks, and related filings.
- Coordinate with outside intellectual property counsel and internal technical teams regarding filings, renewals, and deadlines.
- Support invention disclosure tracking, confidentiality obligations, and trade secret protection efforts.
Litigation & Risk Management Support
- Assist in responding to subpoenas, claims, discovery requests, audits, investigations, and other legal matters.
- Coordinate with outside counsel, insurers, and internal stakeholders.
- Organize and maintain legal files, case records, and evidence documentation.
- Support legal hold processes, document preservation efforts, and risk management initiatives.
Legal Research & Documentation
- Conduct legal, regulatory, and industry research and summarize findings for business and legal leadership.
- Draft correspondence, legal memoranda, reports, presentations, and other legal documentation.
- Prepare and organize materials for meetings, audits, regulatory reviews, and legal proceedings.
- Support employment, commercial, corporate, compliance, and governance matters as assigned.
Legal Operations & Administrative Support
- Manage legal calendars, deadlines, filing requirements, and departmental workflows.
- Maintain legal document management systems and records repositories.
- Coordinate outside counsel engagement letters, invoices, budgets, and matter tracking.
- Assist with legal department reporting, metrics, and process improvement initiatives.
- Support internal audits, due diligence exercises, and special projects.
- Provide administrative and operational support to the Chief Legal Counsel and Executive Team as needed.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications
- Associate degree, paralegal certificate, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Minimum of 3 years of paralegal or legal support experience, preferably in an in-house corporate legal department.
- Strong knowledge of contract administration and legal document management.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Ability to manage confidential and sensitive information with discretion.
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree.
- Paralegal certification from an ABA-approved program.
- Experience supporting corporate, commercial, employment, or regulatory legal matters.
- Experience with contract lifecycle management (CLM) systems and legal operations tools.
- Familiarity with corporate governance practices and compliance programs.
Work Environment
This position is based on-site at Forge Nano's Thornton, Colorado office and operates primarily in a professional office environment. The role routinely uses standard office equipment, including computers, phones, printers, scanners, and related technology. The successful candidate will work closely with the Chief Legal Counsel and collaborate regularly with cross-functional teams across the organization. Occasional attendance at meetings, training sessions, or company events may be required.
Physical Requirements
This position is primarily sedentary but may occasionally require lifting files, access filing systems, and moving materials weighing up to 20 pounds.
Travel
No regular travel is required for this position.
Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: $55.00 - $65.00 per hour, and eligible for overtime based on manager approval. The salary range for this non-exempt position will be based on the candidate's experience, qualifications, and alignment with internal equity among current employees.
Benefits Offered:
- Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
- Life and Disability Insurance
- LTD and STD Insurance
- FSA and HSA
- 401(k) Retirement Match
- Paid Time Off (PTO) & Floating Holidays
- Paid Holidays
- Paid Parental Leave
Forge Nano Inc. is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable law.
Position Summary
Forge Nano is seeking an experienced and driven Corporate Paralegal to join our growing Legal team. Reporting directly to the Chief Legal Counsel, this role offers a unique opportunity to work at the center of a fast-moving, innovative technology company. You will play a critical role in supporting strategic business initiatives by managing contract administration, maintaining corporate records, advancing compliance efforts, and partnering with stakeholders across the organization on a wide range of legal and corporate matters.
The ideal candidate is a proactive, business-minded legal professional who thrives in a dynamic environment and enjoys solving complex challenges. You are highly organized, detail-oriented, and trusted to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion. Beyond strong technical skills, you are a collaborative partner who is passionate about improving processes, building scalable legal operations, and helping enable the company's continued growth, innovation, and success.
Responsibilities
Contract Management
- Draft, review, edit, and track a variety of legal agreements, including vendor contracts, customer agreements, nondisclosure agreements, service agreements, amendments, and other commercial contracts.
- Coordinate contract execution processes and maintain contract databases, records, and workflows.
- Monitor contract renewals, key deadlines, obligations, and compliance requirements.
- Support contract lifecycle management and continuous improvement of legal processes and documentation.
Corporate Governance & Compliance
- Maintain corporate records, legal entity documents, licenses, permits, and regulatory filings.
- Assist with corporate governance activities, including preparation of board and committee meeting materials, resolutions, minutes, and related documentation.
- Maintain governance records and support the administration of corporate policies and procedures.
- Support compliance initiatives, internal controls, and policy administration across the organization.
- Monitor legal and regulatory developments that may impact the business.
- Assist with public company readiness initiatives, corporate recordkeeping, and governance documentation.
Securities & Strategic Transactions Support
- Support financing activities, due diligence processes, and other strategic corporate transactions.
- Coordinate document execution, signature collection, and information requests with internal and external stakeholders.
- Assist with director and officer questionnaires, insider trading policy administration, and related compliance recordkeeping.
- Partner with Finance, Human Resources, and outside counsel to support ongoing governance and compliance requirements.
Intellectual Property Support
- Maintain intellectual property records, including patents, trademarks, and related filings.
- Coordinate with outside intellectual property counsel and internal technical teams regarding filings, renewals, and deadlines.
- Support invention disclosure tracking, confidentiality obligations, and trade secret protection efforts.
Litigation & Risk Management Support
- Assist in responding to subpoenas, claims, discovery requests, audits, investigations, and other legal matters.
- Coordinate with outside counsel, insurers, and internal stakeholders.
- Organize and maintain legal files, case records, and evidence documentation.
- Support legal hold processes, document preservation efforts, and risk management initiatives.
Legal Research & Documentation
- Conduct legal, regulatory, and industry research and summarize findings for business and legal leadership.
- Draft correspondence, legal memoranda, reports, presentations, and other legal documentation.
- Prepare and organize materials for meetings, audits, regulatory reviews, and legal proceedings.
- Support employment, commercial, corporate, compliance, and governance matters as assigned.
Legal Operations & Administrative Support
- Manage legal calendars, deadlines, filing requirements, and departmental workflows.
- Maintain legal document management systems and records repositories.
- Coordinate outside counsel engagement letters, invoices, budgets, and matter tracking.
- Assist with legal department reporting, metrics, and process improvement initiatives.
- Support internal audits, due diligence exercises, and special projects.
- Provide administrative and operational support to the Chief Legal Counsel and Executive Team as needed.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications
- Associate degree, paralegal certificate, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Minimum of 3 years of paralegal or legal support experience, preferably in an in-house corporate legal department.
- Strong knowledge of contract administration and legal document management.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Ability to manage confidential and sensitive information with discretion.
Preferred Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree.
- Paralegal certification from an ABA-approved program.
- Experience supporting corporate, commercial, employment, or regulatory legal matters.
- Experience with contract lifecycle management (CLM) systems and legal operations tools.
- Familiarity with corporate governance practices and compliance programs.
Work Environment
This position is based on-site at Forge Nano's Thornton, Colorado office and operates primarily in a professional office environment. The role routinely uses standard office equipment, including computers, phones, printers, scanners, and related technology. The successful candidate will work closely with the Chief Legal Counsel and collaborate regularly with cross-functional teams across the organization. Occasional attendance at meetings, training sessions, or company events may be required.
Physical Requirements
This position is primarily sedentary but may occasionally require lifting files, access filing systems, and moving materials weighing up to 20 pounds.
Travel
No regular travel is required for this position.
Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: $55.00 - $65.00 per hour, and eligible for overtime based on manager approval. The salary range for this non-exempt position will be based on the candidate's experience, qualifications, and alignment with internal equity among current employees.
Benefits Offered:
- Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance
- Life and Disability Insurance
- LTD and STD Insurance
- FSA and HSA
- 401(k) Retirement Match
- Paid Time Off (PTO) & Floating Holidays
- Paid Holidays
- Paid Parental Leave
Forge Nano Inc. is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable law.
See all OPT Corporate Paralegal Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Corporate Paralegal Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as a Corporate Paralegal
Target corporate legal departments over small firms
Large corporations with in-house legal teams are far more likely to sponsor H-1B visas than small law firms. Their HR infrastructure handles immigration petitions regularly, and they have the resources to cover filing fees and attorney costs.
Clarify your OPT authorization upfront
When applying, state clearly that you have OPT work authorization and your exact end date. Employers need this to plan around your timeline. Hiding it creates friction later and can derail an offer you have already invested time earning.
Highlight your specific practice area expertise
Employers sponsor paralegals who are difficult to replace. Specializing in corporate governance, M&A due diligence, or securities compliance makes you a stronger sponsorship candidate than a generalist with broad but shallow experience across multiple practice areas.
Get your paralegal certificate if you do not have one
A NALA or NFPA paralegal certificate strengthens your H-1B specialty occupation argument significantly. USCIS looks for credentials that establish the role requires specialized knowledge, and a recognized certificate is concrete evidence supporting that determination.
Apply at least six months before your OPT expires
H-1B petitions for October 1 start dates must be filed in April. If your OPT ends before October, you need a cap-gap or an employer willing to file early. Starting your search six months out gives you enough lead time to work through this.
Build your network inside legal professional associations
Paralegal associations hold local chapter events where in-house legal teams actively recruit. Attending these regularly puts you in front of hiring managers at companies that sponsor visas, often before a role is posted publicly anywhere.
Corporate Paralegal OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work as a Corporate Paralegal on OPT?
Yes. Corporate Paralegal roles qualify for F-1 OPT work authorization as long as the position is directly related to your field of study, typically pre-law, legal studies, business, or a related major. You must have a job offer before your OPT start date and ensure your employment is properly reported through your DSO to SEVP.
Do Corporate Paralegal jobs qualify for H-1B sponsorship?
Many do, but not all. USCIS requires the role to meet the specialty occupation standard, meaning it normally requires at least a bachelor's degree in a specific field. Paralegals at large law firms and corporate legal departments with defined educational requirements tend to qualify. Roles described as clerical or administrative, where no specific degree is required, are harder to sponsor.
Where can I find Corporate Paralegal jobs that sponsor OPT students?
Migrate Mate is the best place to start. It filters specifically for employers who sponsor international candidates on OPT and H-1B, so you are not spending time applying to roles where sponsorship is off the table. Browse Corporate Paralegal listings on Migrate Mate to find employers who have already indicated they are open to sponsoring work visas.
Does a STEM OPT extension apply to Corporate Paralegal roles?
It depends on your degree. If your undergraduate or graduate degree is in a STEM-designated field, such as a technology-related legal specialty or a qualifying business degree, you may be eligible for the 24-month STEM OPT extension. Most traditional legal studies degrees are not STEM-designated, so confirm your CIP code with your DSO before counting on the extension.
What documents do I need to start a Corporate Paralegal job on OPT?
You will need your EAD card, a valid I-20 with OPT authorization noted, your passport, and your visa stamp. Your employer will also run an I-9 verification on your first day. Make sure your OPT start date on your EAD matches or precedes your first day of work, as starting even one day early is an authorization violation.