Senior Corporate & Commercial Counsel @ High-Growth Trading Platform (New York)

Overview

Whistler Partners is representing a fast-growing technology company building a new kind of digital asset trading experience. The business combines real-time investor engagement with trading functionality, creating a platform where users can discover, share, and act on market strategies. As the company continues to scale, it's expanding its legal team to support increasingly sophisticated commercial relationships, strategic transactions, and corporate initiatives.

The company is seeking a Senior Corporate & Commercial Counsel to join as its second attorney, reporting directly to the General Counsel.

This is an opportunity for a commercially minded lawyer to take meaningful ownership of complex legal work, partner closely with executive leadership, and help shape the legal function of a rapidly growing business.

Why This Role?

Be the second lawyer in the room, not one of twenty.

This is a rare opportunity to join a lean legal team where your work will have a direct impact on how the company operates and grows. You'll work side by side with the General Counsel, lead negotiations on major strategic partnerships, and take primary responsibility for commercial contracts across the business. The role offers significant autonomy without sacrificing access to senior leadership. You'll have a direct line to decision-makers and the opportunity to influence important business initiatives from the legal side. It's particularly compelling for an attorney who enjoys sophisticated transactional work but wants to move beyond executing deals and become a trusted advisor to the business. You'll also play a role in building the legal infrastructure needed to support the company's next stage of growth, from contract templates to negotiation processes and internal workflows.

Key Responsibilities

• Commercial Contracts: Draft, review, negotiate, and execute complex commercial agreements, including vendor contracts, enterprise licensing agreements, technology agreements, data/API arrangements, and marketing agreements.
• Strategic Partnerships: Take the lead on significant partnership negotiations, serving as a primary legal point of contact and helping structure agreements that advance commercial objectives while managing legal risk.
• Corporate Governance: Support the General Counsel on general corporate matters, board preparation, subsidiary management, and ongoing governance requirements.
• Corporate Transactions: Assist with potential debt and equity financings and other strategic corporate initiatives.
• Cross-Functional Advisory: Work closely with Product, Marketing, Operations, Business Development, and Finance teams to address legal questions, support product initiatives, and enable commercial execution.
• Legal Operations: Help develop and refine contract templates, negotiation playbooks, approval processes, and other internal legal workflows as the company scales.
• Risk Management: Provide practical, business-oriented legal advice that balances legal protection with the need to move quickly in a competitive technology environment.

About You

• J.D. from an accredited U.S. law school.
• Active New York Bar admission in good standing.
• 4–8 years of relevant legal experience , with a strong emphasis on commercial contracts and a solid foundation in corporate matters.
• Experience at a leading law firm, particularly BigLaw, an in-house legal department at a technology company, or a combination of both.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage complex commercial negotiations from initial drafting through execution.
• Strong drafting, negotiation, and issue-spotting skills.
• Sound commercial judgment and the ability to distinguish between material legal risks and issues that can be addressed pragmatically.
• Confidence working directly with senior executives and stakeholders across different business functions.
• A proactive, independent working style and comfort taking ownership in a fast-moving environment.
• Strong communication skills and an ability to translate complex legal questions into actionable business advice.
• Experience in fintech, financial services, trading platforms, or consumer technology is a plus.
• Familiarity with Web3, digital assets, cryptocurrency, or related regulatory considerations is helpful but not required .
• Ability to work full-time, on-site in New York City.

TL;DR

Senior Corporate & Commercial Counsel | New York City | On-Site | 4–8 Years

A fast-growing digital asset trading platform is looking for a strong corporate and commercial attorney to become the second lawyer on its legal team.

You'll report directly to the General Counsel, lead sophisticated commercial and strategic partnership negotiations, advise business leaders, and support corporate governance and financing matters.

The ideal candidate brings strong transactional training, excellent commercial judgment, and the confidence to operate independently.

The draw: Real ownership, senior-level exposure, sophisticated commercial work, and the opportunity to help build a legal function at a company entering its next stage of growth.

About Whistler Partners

Matchmakers, Not Headhunters

Whistler Partners is a boutique matchmaking firm focused on counseling the best and the brightest attorneys over the course of their careers. We believe that the right move comes from working closely with talent to curate their long-term career paths. When it comes to career advice, what matters is not the size of the agency but the strength of your individual recruiter. We readily admit that we are elite and only work with the best – after all, a little elitism is okay when it comes to your career.

Employers love us because we are picky about whom we represent, and attorneys love us because we get them their dream jobs.