Legal Counsel

As a member of the Legal team at Longbridge US Office, you will play a critical role in providing strategic legal and commercial support across our businesses in the United States and globally.

Responsibilities

• Advise on legal risks and opportunities related to day-to-day securities brokerage 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 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 assist with group transactions that directly involve the US business.
• Advise on securities regulatory and licensing requirements applicable to Longbridge’s US businesses, including broker-dealer registration, investment adviser registration, SRO membership, and the rules of the SEC, FINRA, CFTC, FinCEN, and other regulators.
• Liaise with regulators, external counsel, and 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 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.
• Monitor legal and regulatory developments impacting the business and develop strategies to ensure compliance.
• Collaborate with the Chief Compliance Officer on responses to SEC, FINRA, and state regulatory inquiries, audits, investigations, and enforcement actions.
• 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.
• Provide legal guidance on US entity corporate governance matters, including board and shareholder resolutions, maintenance of corporate records, and company policies.
• 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.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams (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.

Requirements

• 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; 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.
• Hands-on experience advising a registered broker-dealer on SEC and FINRA rules is required.
• 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.
• Collaborative team player with an entrepreneurial mindset and the ability to work independently.
• Strong communication, analytical, negotiation, and drafting skills, with a proactive approach to risk mitigation.

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

Bonus: Chinese language skills are a plus for interacting with internal stakeholders (Product & Engineering) in Asia, but not required.