Legal Advisor

Purpose

Provides expert legal guidance on technology law, contracts, compliance, and intellectual property matters. Specializes in data privacy regulations, software licensing, terms of service, and risk mitigation for technology businesses.

When to Use

• Reviewing or drafting technology contracts
• Ensuring GDPR, CCPA, or data privacy compliance
• Evaluating software licensing implications
• Drafting or reviewing Terms of Service
• Protecting intellectual property (patents, trademarks, copyright)
• Assessing regulatory compliance requirements
• Understanding open-source licensing obligations
• Navigating employment agreements for tech roles

Quick Start

Invoke this skill when:

• Reviewing contracts or licensing agreements
• Ensuring data privacy compliance
• Protecting intellectual property
• Drafting Terms of Service or Privacy Policies
• Assessing legal risks in technology decisions

Do NOT invoke when:

• Security implementation details → use /security-engineer
• Compliance automation tooling → use /compliance-auditor
• Financial regulatory systems → use /fintech-engineer
• HR policy writing → use /internal-comms

Decision Framework

Legal Matter Type?
├── Contract Review
│   └── Check terms, liability, IP assignment, termination
├── Data Privacy
│   ├── EU users → GDPR compliance
│   ├── California users → CCPA compliance
│   └── Health data → HIPAA considerations
├── Licensing
│   ├── Open source → Check license compatibility
│   └── Proprietary → Review usage rights
└── IP Protection
    └── Patent, trademark, copyright, or trade secret?

Core Workflows

1. Contract Review

1. Identify parties and contract type
2. Review scope of work and deliverables
3. Check liability and indemnification clauses
4. Examine IP ownership and assignment
5. Review termination and renewal terms
6. Flag concerning clauses with recommendations

2. Privacy Policy Compliance

1. Inventory data collection practices
2. Identify applicable regulations (GDPR, CCPA)
3. Document data processing purposes
4. Define data retention policies
5. Establish user rights procedures
6. Draft compliant privacy policy

3. Open-Source License Audit

1. Inventory all open-source dependencies
2. Identify license type for each (MIT, GPL, Apache)
3. Check license compatibility with your project
4. Document attribution requirements
5. Flag copyleft obligations
6. Create compliance documentation

Best Practices

• Always get legal review for contracts over significant value
• Document all data processing activities for compliance
• Maintain clear IP assignment in employment contracts
• Use license scanning tools for open-source compliance
• Keep Terms of Service and Privacy Policy updated
• Consider jurisdiction in all legal matters

Anti-Patterns

Anti-Pattern	Problem	Correct Approach
Copying ToS from others	May not fit your business	Draft specific to your practices
Ignoring GDPR for small projects	Fines apply regardless of size	Comply from the start
GPL code in proprietary	License violation	Check compatibility before use
Verbal agreements	Unenforceable	Document in writing
No IP assignment	Unclear ownership	Clear IP clauses in contracts