Commercial Contracts Attorney — M&A Diligence

$90–100/hrrate as listed

Review real-world commercial agreements and M&A diligence scenarios, annotating deal-risk provisions and writing the rationales that teach AI systems how a transactional lawyer thinks. Contract work through micro1, fully remote, with observed rates of $90–100/hr.

Summary, eligibility guidance and screening preparation are prepared by Sidequest from the platform's posting. Check the source listing before applying.

The work

You will spend your time doing what you already do in a data room, but with the reasoning made explicit. Tasks typically involve reading a contract or excerpt, flagging the provisions that would matter to a buyer or seller — change-of-control, anti-assignment, termination for convenience, exclusivity, MFN, indemnification caps and baskets, auto-renewal and notice mechanics — and then writing a short, defensible rationale for why each issue is material or merely boilerplate. Other tasks ask you to grade or correct an AI-generated diligence summary: was the consent trigger caught, was the severity rating right, did the model confuse a permitted-assignment carve-out with a hard consent requirement?

Severity calibration is the core skill. The customer cares less about whether you can spot a clause than whether you can say, in two or three sentences, how it changes deal economics or closing mechanics in a specific transaction posture — stock purchase versus asset deal, a target with 400 customer contracts, a lease with a landlord consent right on the critical path. Commercial leases and SaaS agreements come up regularly.

What the screen measures

micro1 runs an AI-led interview before human review. Expect it to probe verifiable specifics: where you practiced, deal sizes, how many diligence matters you staffed or managed, what your data-room workflow looked like. Follow-up questions get more granular than the first question suggests, so vague answers about "reviewing contracts" tend to end the conversation. The screen also tests evaluation judgment — you may be given a clause and asked to rank its severity, or shown a flawed summary and asked what is wrong with it. JD and active bar membership (or jurisdictional equivalent) are checked.

Logistics

Fully remote, contractor engagement, asynchronous task queues
Flexible hours; most contributors commit 10–20 hrs/week, some more when project volume allows
Observed pay band $90–100/hr, not guaranteed — rates vary by project and assessed depth
No AI or machine-learning background required; onboarding covers the annotation conventions

What they look for

commercial contract review
m&a diligence
legal risk assessment
contract drafting and negotiation
written communication
verbal communication
contract annotation
practical legal judgment
familiarity with contractual provisions (change-of-control, assignment, termination, exclusivity, mfn, indemnification, renewal)
attention to detail
structured feedback delivery
experience with virtual data rooms
exposure to saas/technology agreements
contract analytics tools
explanation of complex legal concepts

Before you apply

Would you pass this screen?

Drawn from what this listing actually requires. Answered in your browser — nothing is sent to us, and we do not store your answers.

Do you hold a Juris Doctor (JD) degree and are you currently an active member of at least one U.S. state bar, or hold an equivalent legal qualification (e.g., solicitor qualification in the UK, equivalent in another jurisdiction)?
JD and active bar membership · required
Do you have at least 5 years of professional experience in commercial contract drafting, negotiation, or diligence review, either at a law firm or in-house?
5+ years M&A/commercial contract experience · required
Have you reviewed and analyzed contracts in virtual data rooms as part of actual M&A transactions (not simulations or training exercises)?
Virtual data room diligence in live transactions · required
Are you able to work remotely and have reliable access to a computer, internet connection, and a secure environment to review confidential legal documents?
Remote work capable · preferred
Are you available to work as an independent contractor on a flexible hourly basis (estimated $90–100/hr) without a long-term employment commitment?
Availability for contractor hours · preferred

0 of 5 answered

Included with this listing

Interview prep — 11 questions

Matched to what this platform's screening actually measures. Answer each out loud in 60–90 seconds: claim → concrete example → implication.

What it tests: Whether the candidate has actually sat in live M&A diligence (not just hypothetical contract review), can distinguish material deal-breakers from noise, and can articulate risk in language a transaction professional would understand and act on.
A strong answer: The answer names a real transaction phase (pre-LOI, post-LOI, post-signing), specifies one or two concrete clause issues (e.g., customer consent thresholds that would trigger termination, IP assignment carve-outs), explains why those mattered to deal economics or timeline, and describes the mechanism used to flag it (data room memo, summary schedule, deal team presentation).
Where people lose it: Candidate describes contract review in isolation—reviewing a contract file without naming the transaction context, the deal stakeholders who relied on the analysis, or the business consequence if the risk materialized. This signals classroom knowledge, not battle-tested judgment.