Legal Counsel

Overview

A high-growth fintech organization is seeking a Legal Counsel to provide strategic legal advice with a focus on financial products and partnerships. This role involves navigating complex legal and regulatory challenges in cross-border payments, cryptocurrency, foreign exchange, and technology sectors. The position requires partnering closely with product, engineering, compliance, and business teams to enable rapid growth while managing risk effectively.

Responsibilities

• Advise product and engineering teams on legal and regulatory aspects of product design, development, and launch, especially payment and banking products.
• Translate complex regulatory requirements into clear, actionable guidance to support compliant product development.
• Collaborate with business and compliance teams to develop and execute licensing and market entry strategies across multiple jurisdictions.
• Oversee license applications and provide forward-thinking regulatory guidance on payments, money transmission, cryptocurrency, foreign exchange, and cross-border transactions globally.
• Identify regulatory risks and develop pragmatic solutions to mitigate them while supporting business objectives.
• Provide comprehensive legal support on corporate governance, board matters, employment and HR issues, privacy, intellectual property, fundraising, strategic transactions, and other corporate legal needs.
• Assess and develop mitigation strategies for legal and business risks across the organization.
• Serve as a strategic business partner to leadership, product, engineering, and growth teams.
• Manage external counsel and consultants to deliver cost-effective, high-quality legal services.
• Build scalable legal processes and frameworks to support rapid company growth.
• Contribute to building a collaborative, high-performing legal function.

Requirements

• JD from an accredited law school and bar membership in good standing.
• Minimum 7 years of legal experience, including significant fintech or financial services background; 15+ years preferred for senior counsel level.
• Strong knowledge of financial services and payments regulations.
• Proven ability to provide practical, business-oriented legal advice balancing risk and commercial objectives.
• Experience collaborating with product, engineering, compliance, and business teams.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Self-starter who thrives in fast-paced, ambiguous environments and takes ownership.
• Strong project management skills with ability to manage multiple priorities and execute quickly.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with cryptocurrency and/or Banking as a Service products.
• Background in startup or high-growth company environments.
• Significant experience with international regulatory regimes and cross-border transactions.
• Collaborative team player with strategic legal thinking and anticipation of challenges.
• Comfortable making sound decisions with imperfect information.
• Intellectual curiosity and courage in legal problem-solving.
• View legal work as an enabler of business growth, not just risk mitigation.

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive salary and benefits package.
• Equity participation in a rapidly growing company.
• Opportunity to work at the forefront of fintech innovation.
• Chance to make a significant impact on global financial infrastructure.
• Collaborative work culture emphasizing personal and professional growth.

Location

Not specified.

The organization is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.