Counsel, Commercial

Coinbase, Inc.; Phoenix (AZ); Hybrid; USD 184,000 - 216,000; Full time

Job summary

Coinbase, Inc. is seeking an experienced Commercial Counsel to join its Business Legal team and steer the legal strategy behind our payments partnerships.

You will own end-to-end execution on complex, first-of-its-kind transactions that drive Coinbase's growth and shape the crypto industry's standards. You will draft and negotiate tailored commercial agreements with fintechs and banks, collaborate across functions to accelerate deals, and build scalable playbooks to balance risk and speed while

Qualifications

• JD and active U.S. state licensure with 5+ years of transactional experience.
• Experience drafting and negotiating complex fintech and payments agreements.
• Ability to advise in highly regulated financial services environments.

Responsibilities

• Draft, negotiate, and execute tailored commercial agreements with strategic partners.
• Develop novel agreement frameworks balancing risk with speed.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to close deals quickly with various teams.
• Build scalable playbooks and risk-mitigation for payments portfolio.
• Coordinate with internal and external counsel to resolve issues.

Skills

Transactional law

Fintech payments

Drafting agreements

Regulatory navigation

AI in legal

Education

JD / U.S. state licensure

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.

Required Skills and Experience:

• 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—$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.