Legal Counsel

Job Description

Job Description

Legal Counsel
Contracts │ Compliance │ Strategic Counsel   Location
On-Site │ Charlotte, NC (HQ) Experience Required
5+ Years in Legal / Corporate Counsel People Manager
No (Manages Outside Counsel) Reports To
CEO Classification
Full-Time, Exempt Department
Legal Travel
Minimal Direct Reports
None (initially) About the Role
DingoBlu is seeking an experienced Legal Counsel to serve as the company's primary in-house legal resource, supporting a broad range of commercial, product, and compliance matters. This is a hands-on, high-visibility role for someone who enjoys working directly with business teams to move deals forward, protect the company, and keep pace with a fast-growing fintech organization.
You will negotiate and manage vendor and client contracts, own the legal terms governing our products and services, review marketing materials for legal and regulatory compliance, and manage the relationships and budgets for our outside counsel resources. You will also work closely with the legal and compliance department of our FDIC-insured bank partner and lead the company's trademark and intellectual property protection efforts. Given DingoBlu's position in the financial technology and banking space, experience with banking, payments, or consumer financial services law is strongly preferred.
What You'll Own
Contract Negotiation & Management

• Serve as the primary point person for negotiating legal terms on vendor contracts, including NDAs, MSAs, SOWs, and procurement agreements.
• Draft, review, and negotiate client and partner service agreements, ensuring terms appropriately balance business objectives and legal risk.
• Maintain a contract playbook and standard templates to streamline negotiation and improve turnaround time.
• Track key contract obligations, renewal dates, and risk provisions across the company's active agreement portfolio.

Product Terms & Consumer-Facing Documentation

• Own and maintain the Terms and Conditions, Terms of Service, and related legal documentation for DingoBlu's products and services.
• Partner with Product and Engineering to ensure new features and offerings are properly documented and legally compliant prior to launch.
• Draft and maintain privacy policies, disclosures, and consumer agreements in coordination with applicable banking and fintech regulations.
• Monitor changes in consumer protection and financial services law and update product documentation accordingly.

Marketing & Advertising Compliance

• Review marketing materials, advertising campaigns, and promotional content for legal and regulatory compliance prior to publication.
• Advise Marketing on claims substantiation, required disclosures, and UDAAP (unfair, deceptive, or abusive acts or practices) considerations.
• Partner with Compliance to ensure marketing practices align with applicable banking, lending, and consumer financial protection regulations.

Outside Counsel Management

• Identify, engage, and manage relationships with outside counsel across practice areas (corporate, regulatory, litigation, IP, employment).
• Oversee outside counsel budgets, scope matters appropriately, and manage spend against forecast.
• Evaluate outside counsel performance and make recommendations on engagement and firm selection.
• Coordinate the flow of information between outside counsel and internal stakeholders on active matters.

Bank Partner Coordination

• Work closely with the legal and compliance department of DingoBlu's FDIC-insured bank partner(s) on program agreements, product approvals, and ongoing regulatory obligations.
• Serve as the primary legal liaison for bank partner reviews of new products, features, marketing materials, and consumer disclosures.
• Coordinate with bank partner counsel on compliance requirements, audit requests, and reporting obligations under the partnership agreement.
• Track and manage amendments, renewals, and escalations under the bank partnership agreement in collaboration with internal compliance and outside counsel.

Intellectual Property Protection

• Own the company's trademark strategy, including clearance searches, filings, prosecution, and portfolio maintenance in coordination with outside IP counsel.
• Monitor for potential trademark infringement and unauthorized use of DingoBlu's brand, and manage enforcement actions as needed.
• Protect proprietary technology, software, and trade secrets through appropriate confidentiality, assignment, and licensing agreements.
• Review and negotiate IP-related terms in vendor, partner, and client agreements, including licensing, ownership, and assignment provisions.
• Advise Product and Engineering on IP considerations for new features, ensuring appropriate protections are in place prior to launch.

Regulatory & Corporate Support

• Support the company's compliance function on matters related to banking partnerships, licensing, and financial services regulation.
• Advise leadership on corporate governance matters, entity maintenance, and general corporate legal questions.
• Assist with risk assessment and mitigation planning for new products, partnerships, and business initiatives.
• Respond to and help manage disputes, claims, and other legal matters that arise in the ordinary course of business.

What We're Looking For
Required

• 5+ years of experience in a similar in-house counsel or law firm role, with substantial experience in commercial contract negotiation.
• J.D. from an accredited law school and active bar membership in good standing (North Carolina bar, or ability to obtain in-house counsel registration).
• Demonstrated experience drafting and negotiating vendor agreements, client/customer service agreements, and Terms and Conditions.
• Experience reviewing marketing and advertising content for legal and regulatory compliance.
• Experience managing outside counsel relationships, budgets, and matter workflows.
• Experience working with bank or financial institution partners, including their legal and compliance teams, on program agreements and product approvals.
• Working knowledge of trademark and intellectual property protection, including filings, enforcement, and licensing.
• Strong working knowledge of general commercial law, contract law, and corporate governance principles.
• Excellent negotiation, drafting, and communication skills, with the ability to translate legal risk into practical business terms.
• Sound business judgment and the ability to work independently in a fast-paced, resource-lean environment.

Preferred

• Background in banking, payments, consumer financial services, or fintech, with familiarity with related regulatory frameworks.
• Experience supporting product launches and reviewing consumer-facing product documentation.
• Familiarity with data privacy, consumer protection, and UDAAP considerations in financial services.
• Prior experience as first or early legal hire at a startup or high-growth company.

Domain Expertise We Value Domain Relevant Skills & Focus Areas Contract NegotiationVendor Agreements, MSAs, SOWs, Client Service Agreements, NDAs, RedliningProduct & Terms DraftingTerms of Service, Privacy Policies, EULAs, Product Disclosures