Staff General Counsel

Overview

The organization is seeking a Staff General Counsel to serve as its first in-house legal hire. This is a build role responsible for establishing and owning the legal function across commercial agreements, banking and payment network relationships, employment matters, corporate governance, and regulatory affairs. The role requires operating as a business partner focused on practical legal risk management.

Responsibilities

• Own commercial contracts, including merchant agreements, partner contracts, vendor relationships, and NDAs
• Negotiate and maintain banking and card network agreements that underpin the organization’s business
• Manage corporate governance, including board matters, equity, cap table, and entity structure
• Ensure employment law compliance across the organization’s jurisdictions
• Drive regulatory strategy in coordination with the CCO, with focus on how legal and compliance intersect
• Build legal infrastructure, including outside counsel relationships, contract management systems, and internal policies

Requirements

• 7+ years of legal experience, with significant time in fintech, payments, or financial services
• JD and active bar membership
• Experience negotiating and structuring commercial agreements in a financial services context
• Working knowledge of payments regulation, card network rules, and banking partner dynamics
• Strong judgment to quickly approve appropriate actions and clearly reject inappropriate ones
• Ability to operate as a generalist; no specialized legal team required to get work done

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior in-house experience at a payment facilitator, processor, or regulated fintech
• Experience handling a fundraise, M&A process, or significant regulatory matter independently
• Experience with high-compliance merchant verticals such as gaming, gambling, telehealth, or crypto, or a prior BigLaw background with a transition to in-house
• Demonstrated ability to treat legal as a function that moves the business forward
• Ability to distinguish real risk from theoretical risk and make timely decisions when warranted
• Experience building scalable legal infrastructure rather than creating bottlenecks

Compensation & Benefits

• Unlimited PTO with trust to manage your own time
• Wellness budget covering dental and vision, plus a free Equinox membership
• Team-led running and spin groups
• Apple hardware
• Relocation package if not already local

Location

Los Angeles office (with a globally distributed team)

Additional Information (Hiring Process)

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools may be used to support parts of the hiring process, including reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, and assessing responses to identify potential inconsistencies or verification signals. These tools support the recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are made by humans.