Head of Legal

Reporting to the President and Chief Operating Officer, the Head of Legal will be a key senior member of the Risk Management team and lead the Legal Department at BitPay. This role requires a strategic advisor who will collaborate closely with BitPay’s product, information security, finance, people operations, engineering, sales, marketing, and compliance teams.

The Head of Legal will work closely with leadership on new product launches, development of policies and procedures, data privacy, handling transactional and contract matters, overseeing intellectual property matters (trademarks and domains), and ensuring corporate governance and licensing compliance. Additionally, the Head of Legal will support the board and address other matters that arise in a growing, innovative crypto company.

In this role, the Head of Legal will provide counsel and guidance, manage day-to-day legal requests, and oversee the budget and resource allocation for the Legal Department.

Responsibilities

• Provide ongoing, proactive, and actionable counsel and solutions to the Company including sound business decisions that align with legal requirements and mitigate risk.
• Supporting a fast-paced business with tight deadlines and multiple stakeholders and departments, delivering thorough and precise work with minimal supervision.  
• Serve as a liaison with external legal counsel and manage the task assignments and deliverables with those parties.
• Analyze and provide guidance on evolving laws, regulations, and trends impacting the business including go-to-market strategies, online terms of use, customer agreements, data privacy, ongoing compliance and communicating such guidance to stakeholders and leadership.
• Collaborate with compliance, marketing, development, sales, finance and product teams to draft, negotiate, and review a broad range of arrangements, including complex and novel agreements. 
• Contract review including working with  the Sales and other departments to progress objectives for enterprise partnership and merchant agreements and the promotion of BitPay products, including consumer facing, B2B, and the launch of new products as offered. 
• Support intellectual property, marketing, employment, corporate governance, litigation and disputes, data privacy, information security, interactions with law enforcement, and various other legal matters as needed on a daily basis in supporting all Company departments.
• Partner  with the Chief Compliance Officer and Compliance Department to support regulatory examinations and external and internal audits.
• Advise on corporate governance, potential investment and other corporate development/strategic activities as needed.
• Manage outside counsel and work with CFO and COO on legal budget and resource planning.
• Perform other related tasks and special projects as assigned.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in corporate law, either in a law firm or in-house, with a preference for experience within a fast growth cryptocurrency or financial services company. 
• Experience working in a small company with fewer than 200 employees where you have had experience supporting cross-departmental projects and opportunities.
• Demonstrated experience with regulatory bodies such as FinCEN, state money transmitter regulators, Treasury, SEC, CFTC, or similar entities.
• Familiarity with non-US regulatory frameworks and experience collaborating with non-US legal advisors.
• Substantial experience drafting and negotiating commercial contracts and transactions, interpreting regulations, and developing policies and procedures.
• Very strong individual contributor who is self motivated to complete projects in a timely manner.
• Ability to provide digestible and plain language explanations of complex legal considerations and risks, without reliance on jargon.
• Able to effectively manage work involving external parties such as regulators, examiners, auditors, consultants, and outside counsel.
• Excellent  business judgment with a strategic approach to legal and operational goals. 
• Capable of working closely with stakeholders to develop and execute strategic and operational initiatives.
• Highly disciplined, able to recommend solutions and make independent decisions with limited supervision while excelling in a fast-paced, dynamic and demanding environment.
• Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills, including project management skills.
• Team-oriented with a collaborative approach, open to diverse perspectives and cultures.
• Enthusiastic about cryptocurrency and disruptive technology.
• JD from a well regarded law school and membership in good standing in a U.S. state bar.
• Prefer candidates in the EST time zone.

What We Offer:

• Collaborate with a team of intelligent, enthusiastic individuals.
• Thrive in a rapidly expanding crypto company with global reach, where your contributions make a tangible impact.
• Work remotely with a generous vacation policy, including the opportunity to take a sabbatical and select your own holidays.
• Access to continuous learning and development opportunities, supported by professional development reimbursement.
• Competitive salary package with comprehensive benefits, including fully covered medical and dental plans for individuals. We also offer telemedicine, life insurance, disability insurance, vision coverage, 401k, travel assistance, and more!
• Option to receive payment in cryptocurrency, along with a crypto match program.
• Stock option awards available to all employees.
• Home office allowance, reimbursement for internet/cell expenses, and complimentary Amazon Prime and Spotify subscriptions.

BitPay is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.