Chief Legal & Administrative Officer - Single Family Office, New York, USA

Chief Legal & Administrative Officer – Single Family Office, New York, USA

An exclusive opportunity has arisen within a highly private and entrepreneurial Single Family Office based in the United States, supporting a successful technology entrepreneur and their family. The Family Office exists to support and manage the Principal’s complex personal, professional, philanthropic, and lifestyle-related affairs, coordinating a broad range of matters and ensuring seamless execution across a highly bespoke set of requirements.

Reporting directly to the Principal, CEO, and CFO, the successful candidate will serve as a trusted legal and strategic advisor and senior member of the Family Office. This is a rare opportunity to build the Family Office’s legal function from the ground up — establishing the legal infrastructure and processes, determining what should be handled internally versus through outside counsel, building appropriate governance and policies, and developing relationships with outside counsel and other advisors — while also taking a hands‑on role across the wider operations of the Family Office.

The role will suit an entrepreneurial builder rather than a lawyer looking to inherit an already-established legal department — someone who likes to build and solve problems, and who is energized by creating infrastructure rather than simply administering it. The successful candidate will be comfortable operating with significant autonomy in a fast-evolving environment where not everything is already defined, navigating complex and highly sensitive matters, and moving fluidly between strategic advice and detailed execution. Strong commercial judgment, emotional intelligence, discretion, and a genuine willingness to “roll up their sleeves” will be essential to success in this role.

Primary Purpose and Function

The Chief Legal & Administrative Officer is fundamentally a senior legal leader — a General Counsel-type profile — with broad administrative and operational responsibilities across the Family Office. Acting as a trusted advisor and right hand to the Principal and management team, this role leads the legal function while also supporting administrative, operational, human resources, and special‑project matters as they arise.

This position will build the Family Office’s legal infrastructure from the ground up, creating a function that can scale as the Family Office evolves, and ensuring the organization operates within applicable legal and regulatory frameworks across the Family Office and affiliated entities.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

Legal and Strategic Leadership

• Build and lead the Family Office’s legal function from the ground up, serving as chief legal advisor to the Principal and leadership team.
• Determine which matters should be handled internally versus through outside counsel, and establish the processes and infrastructure to support this.
• Develop and manage relationships with outside counsel, advisors, and service providers across all areas of legal need.
• Advise leadership on legal risk related to strategic initiatives, transactions, restructuring, and other major decisions.
• Oversee legal matters spanning real estate, personal and corporate contracts, employment, disputes, and regulatory matters.
• Ensure sound corporate governance, including entity management, delegated authority, approval protocols, and policy frameworks.

Operational and Administrative Leadership

• Serve as a trusted member of the leadership team, supporting the Principal and CEO and CFO across a broad and evolving range of matters.
• Partner with leadership to translate priorities into practical operating plans, aligning legal, people, and business objectives.
• Drive coordination across legal, human resources, finance, and other support functions as needed.
• Support special projects and organizational initiatives, applying sound judgment in a fast‑moving, evolving environment.
• Provide oversight of the human resources function, ensuring compliance with applicable labor and employment laws.
• Partner with leadership on workforce planning and organizational design as the Family Office grows.
• Guide leadership on employee relations matters, workplace investigations, and other sensitive personnel issues.

Risk, Compliance & Governance

• Oversee risk management and compliance frameworks across the Family Office and affiliated entities.
• Monitor changes in legal and regulatory requirements and ensure timely organizational response.
• Present legal, risk, and governance updates to the Principal and leadership team.
• Promote a culture of integrity, discretion, and accountability.

Skills and Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) required, with admission to a US State Bar; New York Bar admission is preferred but not mandatory.
• 20+ years of progressive in‑house legal leadership experience, ideally advising a founder, entrepreneur, UHNW individual or family, controlling shareholder, or similarly sophisticated Principal.
• Strong experience managing outside counsel and external advisors.
• Demonstrated ability to build legal functions, infrastructure, processes, or teams from the ground up, rather than operate within an already-established framework.
• Genuine entrepreneurial mindset, with strong ownership, initiative, and a hands‑on, low‑ego approach.
• Comfort operating with significant autonomy in an evolving environment where not everything is already defined.
• Strong commercial judgment and emotional intelligence, with the ability to operate as a trusted advisor rather than simply a technical legal specialist.
• Experience in a family office, founder‑led environment, private office, or similarly complex and highly confidential environment is highly desirable.
• High integrity, discretion, and the ability to handle highly confidential and highly bespoke matters spanning the Principal’s personal, professional, and family affairs.
• Strong professional references and a demonstrated record of performance and leadership.

Additional Requirements

• Must be authorized to work in the United States and willing to undergo a background investigation consistent with applicable law.
• Willing to travel to properties and other locations as needed.
• Able to work in a remote and/or hybrid environment, with in‑person availability as required.

REF: AGR1125