General Counsel

SQA Solution; Menlo Park (CA); Hybrid; USD 300,000 - 420,000; Full time

Job summary

SQA Solution is seeking an experienced General Counsel in Menlo Park, CA, to lead global legal, compliance, and regulatory functions in a hybrid capacity (onsite 2–3 days/week). The role advises senior leadership and the Board on governance, risk, and strategic corporate matters for a fast-moving technology business.

The ideal candidate has 12+ years of in-house leadership in fintech or regulated tech, JD with active bar, and strong expertise in complex commercial agreements, IP, privacy,

Qualifications

• JD or equivalent law degree from an accredited institution and active bar membership.
• 12+ years of legal leadership in fintech, financial services, payments, SaaS, or regulated tech.

Responsibilities

• Lead global legal and compliance strategy in alignment with business objectives and risk tolerance.
• Advise the Board and executive leadership on governance, risk, financings, M&A, and corporate structuring.
• Oversee complex commercial and technology agreements, including licensing, partnerships, APIs, and infrastructure.
• Counsel Product and Engineering on legal/regulatory considerations for new products and technologies.
• Lead regulatory/compliance matters across multiple jurisdictions including AML/KYC, privacy, and licensing.
• Manage litigation, investigations, regulatory inquiries, disputes, and crisis response.
• Oversee IP strategy, licensing, outside counsel, and legal operations budgets.
• Build and scale legal/compliance/contracting functions with policies, playbooks, templates, and tech.
• Partner cross-functionally on employment law and workforce compliance.

Skills

Executive leadership

Regulatory compliance

Corporate governance

Contract negotiation

Cross-functional collaboration

Strategic advisory

Regulatory affairs

Communication

Financial services knowledge

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Bar admission

Job description

Location: Menlo Park, CA; hybrid (onsite 2–3 days/week)

Type: Full-time

This executive role will lead the company's global legal, compliance, and regulatory functions and serve as a key advisor to senior leadership and the Board. The General Counsel will oversee corporate governance, commercial transactions, regulatory matters, compliance, intellectual property, employment, litigation, and legal operations across a fast-moving, international technology business.

Responsibilities:

• Lead global legal and compliance strategy in alignment with business objectives and risk tolerance.
• Advise the Board and executive leadership on legal, regulatory, governance, financing, M&A, restructuring, and risk matters.
• Oversee complex commercial and technology agreements, including licensing, partnerships, APIs, infrastructure, and financial services-related arrangements.
• Counsel Product and Engineering teams on legal and regulatory considerations for new products, integrations, and emerging technologies.
• Lead regulatory and compliance matters across multiple jurisdictions, including securities, payments, privacy, AML/KYC, sanctions, and licensing.
• Manage litigation, investigations, regulatory inquiries, disputes, enforcement matters, and crisis response.
• Oversee intellectual property strategy, technology licensing, outside counsel, legal budgets, and legal operations.
• Build and scale legal, compliance, and contracting functions, including policies, playbooks, workflows, templates, and legal technology.
• Partner cross-functionally on employment law, workforce compliance, investigations, and other business-critical legal matters.

Qualifications:

• JD or equivalent law degree from an accredited institution and active membership in good standing with at least one applicable bar association.
• 12+ years of legal experience, including substantial in-house leadership experience in fintech, financial services, payments, SaaS, digital assets, or another highly regulated technology environment.
• Prior experience as General Counsel, Deputy General Counsel, or a comparable senior legal executive in a global or rapidly scaling organization.
• Deep experience with complex commercial and technology agreements, product counseling, intellectual property, and technology licensing.
• Strong knowledge of regulatory frameworks affecting financial services, digital assets, payments, securities, AML/KYC, sanctions, privacy, and related areas.
• Experience advising executive teams and Boards on governance, legal strategy, risk, financings, M&A, and corporate structuring.
• Proven experience managing multi-jurisdictional legal and compliance matters and scaling legal/compliance functions.
• Experience overseeing litigation, investigations, regulatory inquiries, disputes, crisis response, outside counsel, and legal budgets.
• Strong executive judgment, communication, negotiation, leadership, and cross-functional partnership skills.
• Experience within digital assets, blockchain, fintech infrastructure, or adjacent financial technology sectors (preferred).
• Experience engaging with regulators, policymakers, industry groups, or standards organizations (preferred).
• Background in cross-border operations, privacy/financial crime/export-control compliance, open-source licensing, capital markets, or legal technology (preferred).