Legal Counsel - Hedgefund

Larson Maddox; Hong Kong; On-site; HKD 1,500,000 - 3,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Larson Maddox is seeking a commercially minded Legal Counsel to join a leading global hedge fund in Hong Kong. You will provide day-to-day legal support to investment and trading teams across multiple strategies, delivering pragmatic guidance in a fast-paced, front-office environment.

The role offers significant autonomy and visibility, partnering with portfolio managers, traders, risk and compliance, and senior management.

Qualifications

• Must have substantial experience advising in hedge funds, derivatives, or investment management.
• Strong commercial orientation to balance legal risk and business objectives.
• Comfortable working directly with investment and trading professionals.
• Proven ability to operate independently within a lean legal team.
• Experience across multi-strategy hedge funds or desk-facing teams is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day legal support to investment and trading teams across multiple strategies.
• Advise on trading, financing, fund-related, and regulatory matters.
• Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of commercial, investment, and trading documentation.
• Partner with front-office professionals on new business initiatives and product launches.
• Assess legal and regulatory risks while delivering practical, commercially focused guidance.
• Coordinate with external counsel and manage cross-border legal matters.

Skills

Commercial mindset

Financial products knowledge

Front-office collaboration

Lean team independence

Stakeholder management

Education

Common law qualification

Job description

A leading global hedge fund is seeking to hire a commercially minded Legal Counsel to join its growing Asia platform. This is a rare opportunity to work directly with investment, trading, and business stakeholders in a fast-paced, front-office-facing environment.

The successful candidate will provide legal support across a broad range of hedge fund and trading activities, partnering closely with portfolio managers, traders, risk, compliance, operations, and senior management. The role offers significant autonomy and visibility within the business and would suit someone who enjoys operating as a trusted adviser rather than a purely documentation-focused lawyer.

Key Responsibilities

Hedge Fund Legal Counsel

• Provide day-to-day legal support to investment and trading teams across multiple strategies and asset classes
• Advise on trading, financing, fund-related, and regulatory matters
• Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of commercial, investment, and trading documentation
• Partner closely with front-office professionals on new business initiatives, strategic projects, and product launches
• Assess legal and regulatory risks while delivering practical, commercially focused guidance
• Coordinate with external counsel where appropriate and manage cross-border legal matters

Ideal Background

We are interested in candidates from one of the following backgrounds:

• Multi-strategy hedge fund, single-manager hedge fund or quantitative trading firm in house counsels
• Global Markets Legal or desk-facing legal team within a leading investment bank
• Top-tier private practice lawyer with significant hedge fund, derivatives, investment management, or financial markets experience

Requirements

• Approximately 8-20 years of post-qualification experience
• Strong understanding of financial products and investment strategies
• Commercial mindset with the ability to balance legal risk and business objectives
• Comfortable working directly with investment and trading professionals
• Experience operating independently within a lean legal team
• Common law qualification preferred (Hong Kong, England & Wales, US, Australia, etc.)