Counsel, Commercial

Coinbase; Los Angeles (CA); Hybrid; USD 183,855 - 216,300; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity and bonus eligibility

Medical, dental, and vision benefits

401(k) plan

Job summary

Coinbase is looking for a Commercial Counsel to join the Business Legal team in Los Angeles. This role involves leading the legal strategy for critical payments partnerships and managing the execution of complex agreements that push the boundaries of the crypto industry.

The ideal candidate will possess over 5 years of legal experience, particularly in negotiating and drafting agreements within the fintech sector, along with a strong grasp of regulatory frameworks. This is an opportunity to work in a dynamic, remote-first environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of transactional legal experience in-house or at a leading law firm.
• Expertise in drafting and negotiating complex agreements with fintechs and financial institutions.
• Ability to navigate regulated financial environments and provide commercial guidance.

Responsibilities

• Draft and negotiate commercial agreements with strategic partners in payments.
• Provide business-centric legal advice while balancing risk and flexibility.
• Partner with cross-functional teams to solve complex legal issues.

Skills

Transactional legal experience

Drafting complex commercial agreements

Knowledge of financial services regulations

High-volume deal management

Utilizing generative AI responsibly

Education

JD or equivalent with active license

Job description

Ready to do the most impactful work of your career? At Coinbase, we are uncompromising on our mission to increase economic freedom. The bar is high, the environment is intense, and we like it that way. This isn’t a place for complacency, it’s a place to be pushed past your perceived limits. If you’re ready to build the future of finance alongside people who refuse to settle for "good enough," you belong here. Coinbase is a remote-first, but not remote-only company. Expect to get together quarterly for intense in-person working sessions called “surges.” Learn more about working at Coinbase.

We’re hiring a Commercial Counsel to join our Business Legal team and lead the legal strategy behind Coinbase’s most important payments partnerships. This team powers the deals that connect Coinbase to banks, payment networks, fintechs, and strategic partners across the financial ecosystem. You’ll own end-to-end legal execution on complex, first-of-their-kind transactions that set precedent for the crypto industry and directly accelerate Coinbase’s growth.

What you’ll do

• Own drafting, negotiation, and execution of highly tailored commercial agreements with strategic partners and sophisticated counterparties in the payments and fintech space, including first-of-their-kind deal structures.
• Drive novel agreement frameworks and deliver practical, business-centric legal advice that balances risk with speed and flexibility.
• Partner cross-functionally with Business Development, Sales, Product, Engineering, Finance/Tax, and Compliance to solve complex problems, build partnerships, and close deals quickly.
• Build scalable commercial playbooks and risk-mitigation strategies that accelerate deal timelines and increase business flexibility across the payments portfolio.
• Identify legal issues that extend beyond your core expertise and drive resolution by coordinating with specialists across the Coinbase legal team and outside counsel.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of transactional legal experience in-house or at a leading law firm, with a JD (or applicable equivalent) and an active license in a U.S. state.
• Demonstrated expertise drafting, structuring, and negotiating complex commercial agreements with fintechs, banks, payment processors, payment networks, and/or payment issuers/acquirers.
• Proven ability to navigate highly regulated financial services environments and translate evolving regulatory landscapes into actionable commercial guidance.
• Track record of independently managing a high-volume deal pipeline while maintaining precision in drafting and risk assessment.
• Utilizes generative AI responsibly, maintaining human oversight to deliver business-ready outputs and drive measurable improvements in workflow efficiency, cost, and quality.

Pay Transparency Notice: Base salary varies by location (see range below). Total compensation may also include equity and bonus eligibility, and benefits (medical, dental, vision, 401(k)).

Annual base salary range (excluding equity and bonus): $183,855 USD - $216,300 USD

• Application Limit: Candidates may submit a maximum of 3 applications within a 6-month period.
• Equal Opportunity Employer: Coinbase is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information. Applicants with criminal histories will be considered consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws.
• US Applicants: View Employee Rights, Know Your Rights, and E-Verify Notice of Participation.
• Accommodations: If you are an individual with a disability who needs a reasonable accommodation, email us your request and contact info at accommodations[at]coinbase.com. Need screen reading technology? Click here to download a free compatible screen reader and view the tutorial.
• Data Privacy & Arbitration: By submitting your application, you agree to our Candidate Privacy Notice. US applicants: By submitting your application, you agree to Arbitration of Disputes.
• AI Disclosure: Coinbase is piloting an AI tool based on machine learning technologies to conduct initial screening interviews to qualified applicants. The tool simulates realistic interview scenarios and engages in dynamic conversation. Coinbase is also piloting an AI interview intelligence platform to transcribe and summarize interview notes, allowing our interviewers to fully focus on you as the candidate. Coinbase will not use AI to make decisions impacting employment.