Legal Counsel & Compliance Director - Quantitative Hedgefund

Larson Maddox; Hong Kong; On-site; HKD 1,800,000 - 2,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Larson Maddox in Hong Kong seeks an experienced Legal Counsel & Compliance Director for a leading quantitative hedgefund in Asia-Pacific. The role owns fund legal matters, APAC licensing and cross‑border governance across the region.

Reporting to senior management, you will align with investment, operations and compliance teams, oversee HK and Singapore licensing, offshore structures, and data‑transfer compliance, with travel to Shanghai as needed.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of legal experience in funds, asset management or financial regulatory matters.

Responsibilities

• Lead fund formation matters and fund documentation (LPAs, subscription agreements, investment management agreements).
• Provide legal support on quantitative trading arrangements (brokerage agreements, ISDA, prime brokerage docs).
• Lead licensing, exemption analysis and ongoing regulatory matters across APAC, especially HK and Singapore.
• Advise on offshore fund and holding structures (Cayman, BVI, HK, Singapore).
• Design and maintain governance frameworks across APAC entities.

Skills

Legal expertise

APAC regulation

Cross-border governance

Contract drafting

Education

Common-law qualification

Job description

Legal Counsel & Compliance Director - Quantitative Hedgefund

A leading quantitative investment management firm is looking to appoint a senior Legal Counsel to support the continued expansion of its Asia-Pacific business.

Reporting directly to senior management, this role will take ownership of fund legal matters, APAC regulatory licensing and entity structuring, as well as cross‑border corporate governance. The individual will work closely with investment, operations and compliance teams across the region.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead legal matters relating to fund formation, LPAs, subscription agreements, investment management agreements and other fund documentation.
• Provide legal support on quantitative trading arrangements, including brokerage agreements, ISDA / prime brokerage documentation and financing arrangements.
• Lead licensing, exemption analysis and ongoing regulatory arrangements across key APAC jurisdictions, particularly Hong Kong and Singapore.
• Advise on the establishment and structuring of offshore funds and holding entities, including structures across Cayman, BVI, Hong Kong and Singapore.
• Design and maintain governance frameworks across multiple APAC entities, including business allocation, decision-making authority, reporting lines and local statutory requirements.
• Work with external counsel, regulators, tax advisers and other professional service providers across jurisdictions.
• Advise on legal issues relating to market data licensing, quantitative trading and cross‑border data transfers.
• Support AML/KYC frameworks, regulatory filings, regulatory inspections and ongoing compliance matters.

Requirements

• 8+ years of legal experience within funds, asset management or financial regulatory matters.
• Funds and/or financial regulatory experience is a must.
• Qualification in a common‑law jurisdiction is a must, ideally Hong Kong, Singapore or England & Wales.
• Demonstrable experience handling APAC financial licensing and/or ongoing regulatory matters, ideally including Hong Kong and Singapore.
• Practical experience with cross‑border corporate structures and governance across multiple legal entities.
• Familiarity with offshore fund and holding structures, ideally including at least two of Cayman, BVI, Hong Kong and Singapore.
• Strong English drafting and communication skills, with fluent Chinese.
• Must be comfortable with regular business travel to Shanghai.

Preferred Experience

• Quantitative, systematic or high‑frequency trading fund experience.
• Experience taking an APAC financial licence through the full application‑to‑approval process.
• Exposure to algorithmic trading regulation and/or cross‑border data requirements.