Counsel, Commercial (Institutional Legal)

📋 Description

• • Join Coinbase, a pioneering company at the forefront of increasing economic freedom globally, as a Counsel, Commercial (Institutional Legal) based in the UK. This role is integral to our mission of building the future global financial system through the emerging onchain platform.
• • You will be a key member of the Institutional Legal team, focusing on UK markets and serving sophisticated professional trading clients, including banks, brokers, hedge funds, market makers, and other institutional entities.
• • This is an opportunity to work within a small, highly experienced team comprised of legal professionals with diverse backgrounds in traditional finance and fintech, reporting directly to the Head of the Institutional Legal team.
• • The role encompasses a broad range of institutional products, including prime brokerage, exchange, trading, custody, derivatives, and financing products, requiring a lawyer with robust product development, regulatory, and negotiation expertise.
• • We are seeking a candidate with a strong foundation in traditional prime brokerage, securities financing, and/or derivatives sectors, coupled with a genuine curiosity, flexibility, and adventurous spirit to make a significant impact at the dynamic intersection of crypto and global financial markets.
• • Your primary responsibilities will involve negotiating groundbreaking, bespoke agreements with strategic partners and sophisticated counterparties within the finance, payments, and digital currency sectors.
• • You will provide comprehensive legal counsel throughout the entire product life cycle for various global prime brokerage, custody, and derivatives-related products.
• • Offer practical advice on associated legal issues and risks, navigate complex agreement structures, and ensure adherence to company policies within a risk-tolerant yet compliance-focused environment.
• • Proactively stay informed about and advise on the evolving legal and regulatory landscape surrounding digital currency and blockchain technology.
• • Lead and actively contribute to complex, global, cross-functional initiatives, ensuring alignment with key stakeholders across Institutional Sales, Business Development, Product/Engineering, Finance/Tax, and Compliance departments.
• • Foster effective collaboration with these cross-functional teams and fellow legal colleagues to collaboratively solve challenges, build strong partnerships, and expedite deal closures.
• • Anticipate and proactively address business challenges as the company executes an aggressive global growth plan, developing scalable strategies for risk management in a business-centric manner.
• • Design and implement commercial processes that empower the business with the flexibility and freedom to operate and innovate rapidly.
• • "Look around corners" to creatively identify and solve problems for the business as they plan, build, and execute their transactional and product roadmaps.
• • Act as a true business partner, offering strategic legal insights and solutions that drive commercial success, rather than solely functioning as a legal advisor.
• • Contribute to a culture of continuous improvement, actively seeking feedback and embracing challenges to elevate your own capabilities and those of the team.
• • Embrace the intensity and high-caliber environment at Coinbase, where collaboration with exceptional colleagues is paramount, and a drive to excel is expected.
• • Participate in mandatory in-person team and company-wide offsites held multiple times annually to foster collaboration, connection, and alignment, demonstrating commitment to team cohesion and strategic direction.
• • This role offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of finance at the intersection of cutting-edge technology and traditional markets, demanding a proactive, business-minded, and legally astute professional.