Legal Counsel

Job Description

As a Legal Counsel at Longbridge US Office, you will play a critical role in providing strategic legal and commercial support across the our businesses in the United States and globally. You will be responsible for rendering strategic legal and commercial guidance, ensuring compliance with US federal and state regulatory requirements, mitigating legal risks, and supporting the company's ordinary businesses. In this capacity, you will collaborate with compliance team, finance team, business teams, and other departments to address complex legal matters in a dynamic and rapidly evolving financial and technology industry environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Legal Advisory and Business Support
  • Advise on legal risks and opportunities related to the day-to-day securities brokerage business activities, including broker-dealer operations, margin lending, securities trading, asset management, AI-driven products, digital assets services, investment adviser services and other financial and technology services.
  • Provide front-line legal support to the US brokerage, product, and operations teams on customer-facing terms, disclosures, and trading-platform features.
  • Advise on the launch and ongoing operation of US securities products and services
  • Support digital innovation initiatives, including the development of AI-powered platforms, cryptocurrency/digital asset products, and data-driven services.
  • Provide legal support for US-entity corporate matters and, on an as-needed basis, assist group transactions that directly involve the US business.
• Regulatory Compliance and Risk Management
  • Advise on securities regulatory and licensing requirements applicable to Longbridge's businesses in the United States, including broker-dealer registration, investment adviser registration, SRO membership, and the rules of the SEC, FINRA, CFTC, FinCEN, and other applicable regulators. Liaise with regulators, external counsel as well as in-house compliance officers as needed.
  • Provide legal guidance on US regulations governing AI applications in financial services, including emerging federal and state-level AI governance frameworks.
  • Advise on cryptocurrency and digital asset regulations, including compliance with applicable SEC/CFTC jurisdictional requirements, token classification, and evolving federal and state crypto licensing regimes.
  • Advise on data security, privacy, and cybersecurity matters, including compliance with US federal frameworks and state laws such as CCPA/CPRA, and other applicable data protection regulations.
  • Monitor legal and regulatory developments, including securities and broker-dealer rulemaking, impacting the business and develop strategies to ensure compliance.
  • Collaborate with the CCO with respect to responses to SEC, FINRA, and state regulatory inquiries, audits, investigations, and enforcement actions.
• Contract Negotiation and Documentation
  • Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of agreements, including client agreements, vendor contracts, commercial contracts, AI/technology licensing agreements, digital asset service agreements, data processing agreements, trade confirmations, and product term sheets.
  • Develop and maintain legal and contractual templates to standardize and streamline documentation processes.
• Corporate Governance
  • Provide legal guidance on the US entity's corporate governance matters, including board and shareholder resolutions, maintenance of corporate records, and company policies, as required.
• Litigation and Dispute Resolution
  • Oversee and manage external counsel in litigation and dispute resolution processes, including securities-related disputes, customer claims, data breach incidents, and regulatory enforcement actions.
  • Develop strategies for dispute resolution, ensuring the protection of the company's interests while minimizing legal risk.
• Leadership and Collaboration
  • Work closely with cross-functional teams (e.g., Compliance, Finance, Operations, Product and Technology, and HR) to provide comprehensive legal support across the US business.
  • Liaise regularly across business areas to ensure alignment of legal strategies and policies.
  • Represent the Legal Department in fiduciary forums, risk committees, and board meetings as required.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited US law school, or equivalent law degree from a recognized and reputable institution.
• Licensed to practice law in at least one US state (required), admission to the New York or Texas Bar is strongly preferred.
• 3-7 years of post-qualification legal experience.
• Strong experience in corporate, commercial, and regulatory matters in the US; demonstrated exposure to securities and broker-dealer regulation, investment adviser regulation, financial services, fintech, AI/machine learning businesses, cryptocurrency/digital assets, and/or data security and privacy is required.
• Hands-on experience advising a registered broker-dealer on SEC and FINRA rules is a must.
• Strong preference for in-house experience at a securities brokerage or broker-dealer; experience at a bank, financial institution, fintech, or technology company is also valued.
• Solid understanding of the legal and regulatory landscape for US securities laws and broker-dealer and investment adviser regulation, as well as AI applications
• Familiarity with cryptocurrency and digital asset regulations, including token offerings, exchange licensing, stablecoin frameworks, and DeFi-related legal risks.
• Working knowledge of data security laws and cybersecurity compliance, including incident response obligations, vendor risk management, and cross-border data transfer requirements.
• Up-to-date knowledge of legal, regulatory, and market developments in the financial industry.
• A collaborative team player with an entrepreneurial mindset and the ability to work in ward e..??
• Strong communication, analytical, negotiation, and drafting skills, with a proactive approach to risk mitigation.

Job Location: Dallas, TX (Preferred) or New York

Bonus Point: Chinese language is a bonus point to interact with internal stakeholders (Product & Engineering) in Asia, but not a must