Counsel, Corporate and Regulatory

About the role

This role focuses on both corporate governance and regulatory strategy for the Stellar Development Foundation. You will oversee the legal lifecycle of the Foundation and its subsidiaries, ensuring compliance with corporate filings and maintaining official records. This includes acting as an internal resource for governance matters across all operating jurisdictions.

A significant part of the position involves providing regulatory guidance. You will analyze the evolving legal landscape of blockchain, tokenization, digital assets, and decentralized finance, offering high-level interpretations of new laws and guidance that impact the Stellar ecosystem. This requires tracking litigation and enforcement actions within the broader industry to identify emerging risks and shifts in legal definitions.

Success in this position means effectively navigating a fast-paced legal environment while supporting the Foundation's mission to promote financial access through blockchain technology. The ideal candidate will bring a calm demeanor to challenging tasks and demonstrate a commitment to understanding and applying complex regulatory frameworks within the crypto space. Prior experience in-house at a crypto company or a major financial institution is particularly valued.

The base salary for this position ranges from $140,000 to $235,000, with the final amount depending on the candidate's knowledge, skills, experience, and location.

Skills that matter here

• corporate governance counsel: This involves managing the legal lifecycle of the Foundation and its subsidiaries, including filings and maintaining good standing across operating jurisdictions.
• regulatory strategy and advice: The role requires providing expert analysis on the legal status of blockchain, digital assets, and decentralized finance, and interpreting new regulations.
• J.D. degree: This is a fundamental requirement for the legal counsel position.
• U.S. state bar membership: Candidates must be actively licensed to practice law in at least one U.S. state.
• 5+ years of legal practice: This experience should include corporate and regulatory practices, with familiarity in blockchain-relevant law.
• Mission alignment: The role seeks individuals motivated by blockchain technology and promoting financial access, aligning with SDF's non-profit mission.

Who this role suits

• Someone who thrives in a rapidly changing legal and technological landscape.
• An individual with a meticulous approach to corporate compliance and record-keeping.
• A person capable of providing clear, high-level interpretations of complex regulatory information.
• A professional who remains composed and confident when facing challenging legal tasks.

From the employer

In this role, you will:

• Provide corporate/corporate governance counsel:
• Entity Management: Oversee the legal lifecycle of the Foundation and its subsidiaries, ensuring all corporate filings, registrations, and "good standing" requirements are met across all operating jurisdictions.
• Corporate Secretarial Duties: Help to maintain official corporate records and serve as an internal governance resource.
• Provide regulatory strategy and advice:
• Regulatory Analysis: Assist as an internal subject matter expert on the evolving global legal status of blockchain, tokenization, digital assets and decentralized finance.
• Interpretive Guidance: Provide high-level legal interpretations of new guidance, interpretation, rules and legislation that impact the Stellar ecosystem’s long-term viability.
• Precedent Monitoring: Track and analyze litigation and enforcement actions within the broader blockchain industry to identify emerging legal risks or shifts in "Control" and "Decentralization" definitions.

You have:

• Credentials: J.D. degree and an active member of at least one U.S. state bar.
• Experience: 5+ years of legal practice, with experience in corporate and regulatory practices, with a familiarity of the areas of law relevant to blockchain. In house experience at a crypto company, a top-tier firm or a major financial institution is especially desirable.
• Mission alignment: You are motivated by blockchain technology and a desire to promote financial access and you appreciate SDF’s role as a non-profit foundation.
• Calm and cool: We work in an area defined by fast-paced developments and rapidly evolving areas of law, and some tasks will be easy while others will be challenging. Throughout, we want you to be confident and comfortable…and bonus points for a great sense of humor.

Bonus Points if:

• Basic crypto savvy. You own crypto, have a wallet and can navigate a few defi protocols!
• A great sense of humor (we already said that, but we really mean it!)

We offer competitive pay with a base salary range for this position of $140,000 - $235,000, depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and location. In addition, we offer lumen-denominated grants along with the following perks and benefits:

USA Benefits/Perks:

• Competitive health, dental & vision coverage with most plans covered at 100% for the employee + any dependents
• Flexible time off + 15 company holidays including a company-wide holiday break
• Generous paid parental leave for all parents, plus paid pregnancy disability leave for birthing parents.
• Gym reimbursement ($80 per month)
• Life & ADD (up to $50K)
• Short & Long term disability
• 401K with 4% match
• Health & Dependent Care FSA Accounts
• Commuter benefits with $250/month employer contribution
• Health Savings Account (HSA) with monthly employer contribution
• Family building benefits through Kindbody
• Wellbeing benefits (One Medical, Rightway, Headspace)
• L&D budget of $1,500/year
• Daily lunch and snacks in office
• Company retreats