Senior Legal Counsel
On-siteDubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates or Singapore, Singapore
Job Summary
Advise product and business teams on the design, structuring, and launch of new crypto, web3, and fintech products while balancing commercial goals against regulatory requirements. Assess how emerging products fit within applicable frameworks, flag licensing needs, and produce clear analysis on token classification, derivatives, and DeFi to turn complex rules into practical business positions. Lead end-to-end license applications, including preparing submissions, responding to regulator questions, and tracking conditions. Embed compliance into product design by addressing AML, KYC, sanctions, and travel rule considerations, and review marketing materials for promotional and disclosure compliance. Track regulatory developments across multiple jurisdictions, translate them into actionable guidance, and help build scalable internal playbooks. Draft commercial contracts, respond to inquiries from internal teams and regulators, and coordinate with local counsel on multi-jurisdictional matters.
Required Qualifications
- Qualified lawyer
- 4 to 7 years PQE
- ideally in house
- direct experience advising crypto or web3 businesses
- Strong working knowledge of the regulatory frameworks that apply to crypto, web3, fintech, or financial services
- ability to apply them to real products rather than in the abstract
- Working knowledge of financial promotions and advertising or marketing regulation as it applies to financial or crypto products
- including paid placement, sponsorship, and disclosure requirements
- Familiarity with the regulation of trading, brokerage, or market infrastructure activities
- ability to recognise when a product crosses into a regulated activity
- Track record across regulatory, licensing, product, and commercial work
- rather than a single specialism
- Comfort working across multiple jurisdictions
- a willingness to get up to speed quickly on unfamiliar regimes
- with support from local counsel where needed
- Ability to work autonomously and reliably under tight deadlines in a fast paced, high performance environment
- Clear written and verbal communication
- with the ability to explain regulatory issues to non lawyers
- and to work with global teams across time zones
- A practical, solution oriented approach
- with the initiative to spot issues early and propose workable answers
- Strong organizational skills
- with the ability to manage competing priorities and multiple matters at once
- Fluency in English
Desired Qualifications
- Experience with licensing or registration for crypto, payments, or financial services providers
- for example VASP or other crypto-asset service provider regimes
- Familiarity with frameworks across more than one region
- for example MiCA, UK and US regimes, or APAC, EMEA and LATAM markets
- Working knowledge of AML and KYC obligations
- sanctions, and consumer or data protection rules as it applies to financial and crypto products
- Experience engaging directly with regulators
- Ability to speak and write in Chinese
- Other languages are welcome
- Awareness of the regulatory issues raised by the use of AI in financial or crypto products
- is welcome but not required
Hiring someone like this?
Get your role in front of qualified candidates on Sorce.