Senior Legal Counsel

About the role

This role involves collaborating with product, compliance, and business teams to integrate legal and regulatory requirements into new product designs and launches. The Senior Legal Counsel will provide practical, business-oriented advice on various legal matters, including securities, AML/ATF, payments, and consumer protection, helping teams make informed decisions while balancing legal and operational considerations.

A key part of the position is leading regulatory initiatives, which includes supporting examinations, audits, licensing work, and policy development, as well as engaging with regulators. The counsel will also identify opportunities to use AI and automation to streamline legal processes, enabling faster business operations.

Success in this role means operating independently within a lean team, making decisions even with incomplete information, and advancing work without constant supervision. The ideal candidate will possess strong communication skills to translate complex legal issues into clear, actionable guidance for non-legal stakeholders across the company.

The salary for this role is between $140,000 and $156,000 USD.

Skills that matter here

• fintech: Experience in fintech is crucial for understanding the specific regulatory environment Shakepay operates within.
• payments: Knowledge of payment regulations is necessary to advise on product development and compliance.
• financial services: Background in financial services provides a foundation for addressing the legal and regulatory challenges of the business.
• crypto: Understanding cryptocurrency regulations is central to guiding Shakepay's offerings and ensuring compliance.
• AML/ATF: Advising on Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorist Financing matters is a core responsibility for regulatory compliance.
• securities: Expertise in securities law is required to navigate regulations impacting Shakepay's financial products.

Who this role suits

• A Canadian-qualified lawyer with at least five years of experience, preferably in a fast-paced technology or financial services environment.
• Someone who can operate autonomously, make decisions with partial information, and drive projects forward without extensive oversight.
• An individual with business-oriented legal judgment, who prioritizes product and business outcomes while effectively managing risk.
• A clear communicator capable of translating complex legal concepts into practical advice for non-legal teams.

From the employer

What you’ll be doing

• Partner with Product, Compliance and business teams to help design and launch new products, translating complex legal and regulatory requirements into practical solutions.
• Advise on a broad range of legal and regulatory matters across securities, AML/ATF, payments, consumer protection and other areas impacting Shakepay's business.
• Lead regulatory initiatives, including supporting examinations, audits, licensing work, policy development and engagement with regulators.
• Provide practical, business-oriented advice to leaders across the company, helping teams navigate ambiguity and make informed decisions while balancing legal, regulatory and operational considerations.
• Identify opportunities to leverage AI, automation and scalable processes to improve how legal work gets done and enable the business to move faster.
• Support the team on a variety of other legal matters as needed, including commercial agreements, corporate governance, employment and strategic projects.

Who we’re looking for

• Canadian-qualified lawyer with 5+ years of experience, ideally in fintech, payments, financial services, crypto, or a fast-moving technology company.
• Able to operate independently in a lean team, make decisions with incomplete information, and move work forward without heavy oversight.
• Business-oriented legal judgment: you start from the product or business outcome, then help the team understand risk, options, and a recommended path.
• Comfortable advising product and operational teams directly, including on ambiguous questions where there may not be a perfect answer.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to turn complex legal issues into clear, practical guidance for non-legal stakeholders.