In-House Counsel

In-House Counsel New York, New York About Baselayer Every day, financial institutions make consequential decisions about which businesses to onboard and trust, in order to grow with confidence. Baselayer exists to make those decisions faster, more accurate, and much lessexpensive. We offer the leading AI Risk Platform that automates merchant onboarding, underwriting, and fraud prevention for over 20% of the Financial Institutions in America. By combining authoritative government data, AI agents purpose-built for web analysis, and a network powered by millions of applications, Baselayer prevents billions of dollars in merchant fraud and credit risk and instantly automates good merchant applications. About The Team As Baselayer's first In-House Counsel, you'll be a strategic partner to the business — owning our legal function from the ground up. You'll work directly with the founders and leadership team on everything from commercial contracts and regulatory compliance to data privacy and corporate governance. This is a high-ownership, high-impact role at a company operating at the intersection of AI and financial services — an area where the legal and regulatory landscape is evolving fast and getting it right matters enormously. About The Role Baselayer is growing fast, operating in a heavily regulated industry, and closing complex deals with some of the largest financial institutions in the country. We need a lawyer who can keep up — and who wants to be a true business partner, not a bottleneck. As our first in-house counsel, you'll own the full legal function from day one. That means commercial contracting, enterprise sales support, regulatory and compliance guidance, privacy and AI governance, employment matters, and board-level corporate work. You'll be embedded in the business giving practical, business-oriented advice that moves things forward rather than slowing them down. You'll build the legal infrastructure that scales with us: templates, policies, playbooks, and processes that didn't exist before you arrived. The legal surface area is genuinely interesting. Fintech regulation, AI governance, data privacy, KYB/AML compliance, equity financing, and enterprise SaaS contracting all in one seat. We move fast, we hold a high bar, and we want someone who's excited by both. What You'll Do Own and manage all commercial contracting, including customer agreements, vendor contracts, NDAs, and partnership arrangements with financial institutions Manage and administer Juro (CLM), including building and maintaining contract templates, automating CLM workflows, and ensuring the contracting process runs efficiently across the business Support enterprise sales cycles by reviewing, negotiating, and closing complex agreements with banks, credit unions, and payment processors Manage outside counsel on non-standard legal matters and complex issues, ensuring quality work product and cost-effective use of external resources Draft and manage employee offer letters, employment agreements, advisor agreements, and consulting arrangements Develop, maintain, and update internal legal policies, including acceptable use, data handling, information security, employee-facing policies, privacy policies, and terms & conditions Advise on regulatory and compliance matters relevant to fintech, financial services, and AI — including BSA/AML, KYB, data privacy (CCPA, GDPR), and emerging AI regulations Advise on corporate governance, equity matters, and board-related legal needs Partner with the product and engineering teams to ensure privacy-by-design principles and responsible AI practices are embedded in our platform Support fundraising, due diligence, and other corporate transactions as needed Monitor the regulatory landscape for developments affecting our business and proactively surface risks and opportunities to leadership Minimum Requirements JD from an accredited law school and active bar membership in good standing 5+ years of legal experience, with meaningful exposure to financial services, fintech, or SaaS — either in-house or at a law firm Deep familiarity with commercial contracts and the ability to negotiate and close deals independently Working knowledge of financial services regulations (BSA/AML, KYB/KYC, payment regulations) and data privacy laws (CCPA, GDPR) Strong judgment, clear communication, and the ability to give practical, business-oriented legal advice Comfort working in ambiguity and building processes from scratch in a fast-moving startup environment What Sets You Apart Prior in-house experience at a fintech, payments company, or financial institution Experience with AI governance, responsible AI frameworks, or emerging AI regulation Familiarity with enterprise SaaS sales cycles and the nuances of selling into highly regulated industries Experience supporting equity financings, board governance, or M&A transactions You've been the first or only lawyer at a company before — and you know what it takes to build a legal function from the ground up Work Location Based in NYC; hybrid - 4 days per week in office. Compensation Salary Range: $190,000 – $260,000 + Equity Benefits Time off when you need it: Flexible PTO so you can recharge without red tape In-person energy: We're based in NYC and meet in the office 4 days a week Competitive compensation: We pay well and back it with equity. We want you to think and act like an owner Career rocket fuel: You'll help build the foundation of a high-growth startup, working side by side with experienced founders and team members who've done it before Benefits on us: We cover 100% of your health, dental, and vision premiums. No surprise deductions from your paycheck 401(k) with company match: We match your contributions so your future self benefits too HSA contributions included: We contribute to your HSA on applicable plans, so your coverage works as hard as you do Stay healthy, stay sharp: A $250 monthly gym stipend to help you bring your best self to work, and everywhere else A seat at the table: We believe in transparency, radical candor, and giving every team member a voice