Senior Legal Counsel (Regulatory)

Overview

This role provides strategic legal guidance across UK, EU, and Middle East operations, with a focus on regulatory compliance for stablecoin, payments, and card products. You will partner closely with Product, Compliance, and GTM/Business teams to support compliant product development, draft and negotiate legal documentation, and engage with regulators and industry groups.

Responsibilities

• Advise the business on compliance and legal issues relating to structuring new and existing stablecoin, payments, and card products and features.
• Expand the product offering in line with regulatory requirements.
• Draft and maintain customer-facing legal documents, including Terms of Service, user agreements, and product-specific disclosures.
• Manage and advise on UK, EU, Middle East financial services, digital asset, and privacy regulatory requirements.
• Monitor and advise on developments from relevant regulators and their impact on the regional business, including:
  • FCA, EBA, ESMA, ECB
  • CBUAE
  • VARA
  • DFSA, FSRA
  • relevant national competent authorities
• Own the global data privacy legal function.
• Collaborate with Product and Commercial teams to design compliant product structures for retail and institutional clients, including card program agreements.
• Draft, review, and negotiate commercial agreements with counterparties, including service providers, partners, and institutional clients.
• Support card programme compliance under Visa/Mastercard network rules and relevant EEA/UK issuing frameworks.
• Ensure robust compliance with UK, EU, Middle East financial services regulation, including AML/CTF, OFAC, sanctions, and Travel Rule as applicable.
• Manage and oversee outside counsel relationships, including firm selection, matter scoping, and legal spend.
• Engage proactively with regional regulators and industry associations to advocate for clear, innovation-friendly frameworks.

Requirements

• 5+ years of PQE; qualification in England & Wales or an EU Member State.
• Dual qualification (e.g., UK + EU jurisdiction) is an advantage.
• Experience advising on digital assets (and payments), including time at a top law firm or in-house.
• Strong knowledge of the FCA regulatory framework and UK financial services law.
• Working knowledge of EU financial services regulation, including MiCA, PSD2, EMD2, and MLD5/6.
• Knowledge of at least one MENA regulatory framework.
• Hands-on data privacy expertise, with advisory experience in UK GDPR and/or EU GDPR.
• Familiarity with AML/CTF, sanctions compliance, and Travel Rule obligations in an EMEA context.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to make decisions in ambiguous situations and translate complex regulation into practical business guidance.
• Comfortable working across multiple jurisdictions simultaneously in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.

Compensation & Benefits

Not specified.

Location

• London
• Location is flexible across the UK/Europe.

Employment Type

Full Time