General Counsel / Senior Corporate Counsel

Staff Financial Group; Atlanta (GA); Hybrid; USD 255,000 - 345,000; Full time

Job summary

Staff Financial Group, based in Atlanta, seeks an experienced General Counsel / Senior Corporate Counsel to lead its legal function. The role offers significant autonomy, direct access to senior leadership, and oversight of commercial, technology, governance, M&A, privacy, and employment matters.

Hybrid work schedule with some remote days, allowing balance while handling sophisticated legal matters for financial institutions nationwide. Compensation is designed to reflect seniority and impact.

Qualifications

• J.D. from ABA-accredited law school.
• Active Georgia bar membership or eligibility for GA in-house counsel.
• 8+ years of legal experience.
• Experience drafting and negotiating commercial/tech agreements.
• Strong business judgment with practical advice.
• Excellent written and verbal communication.
• Collaborative and able to manage competing priorities.

Responsibilities

• Lead drafting, review, negotiation of master services agreements, technology subscription agreements, and related commercial contracts with financial institution clients.
• Structure and negotiate channel, referral, reseller, technology integration, and strategic partnerships.
• Negotiate information security, data protection, confidentiality, audit, and third-party risk provisions.
• Draft and negotiate vendor, technology, data, licensing, and professional services agreements.
• Advise on data rights, IP, licensing, privacy regulations, and AI matters.
• Oversee corporate governance across a multi-entity structure.
• Support acquisitions from LOIs through due diligence, closing, and post-closing integration.
• Advise on employment matters across states, disputes, insurance, leases, and general corporate matters.
• Supervise paralegal staff and establish scalable legal processes.
• Serve as primary liaison with outside counsel and manage legal spend.

Skills

Negotiation

Contract drafting

Regulatory compliance

Leadership

Communication

Education

J.D. from ABA-accredited law school

Georgia bar admission or eligibility for GA in-house counsel

Job description

General Counsel / Senior Corporate Counsel

Who: A growing financial services technology company serving hundreds of banks and credit unions nationwide is seeking an experienced attorney to lead its legal function.

What: Serve as the company's senior legal advisor, overseeing commercial and technology contracts, corporate governance, M&A, privacy, employment matters, and day-to-day legal needs.

When: This is an immediate opportunity for an experienced attorney ready to step into a highly visible leadership role with significant autonomy and direct access to senior leadership.

Where: Atlanta, Georgia, with a hybrid schedule offering the flexibility to work remotely a few days per week.

Why: This is an opportunity to leave behind billable-hour pressures while handling sophisticated legal matters, influencing business decisions, and helping a growing company scale its legal function.

Office Environment: Collaborative, fast-paced, and results-driven, with a strong emphasis on accountability, practical decision-making, and sustainable work-life balance.

Salary: Target total compensation of approximately $300,000, with the final package based on experience and qualifications.

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced General Counsel / Senior Corporate Counsel to serve as the senior legal advisor for a growing financial services technology organization. The company provides technology-enabled services and advisory solutions to financial institutions nationwide and is expanding through both organic growth and strategic acquisitions.

This individual will lead the day-to-day legal function, partner closely with executive leadership and business teams, and provide practical guidance that enables growth while thoughtfully managing risk. The role offers significant autonomy, broad exposure across the organization, and the opportunity to build scalable legal processes in a growing business.

Title will be commensurate with experience.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the drafting, review, and negotiation of master services agreements, technology subscription agreements, and related commercial contracts with financial institution clients.

• Structure and negotiate channel, referral, reseller, technology integration, and other strategic partnership agreements.

• Negotiate information security, data protection, confidentiality, audit, business continuity, and third-party risk provisions.

• Draft and negotiate vendor, technology, data, licensing, and professional services agreements.

• Advise business teams on data rights, intellectual property, licensing, privacy regulations, and artificial intelligence matters involving the company's technology platforms.

• Oversee corporate governance across a multi-entity organizational structure.

• Support acquisitions throughout the transaction lifecycle, including letters of intent, due diligence, negotiation, closing, and post-closing integration.

• Advise on employment matters across multiple states, disputes, insurance, leases, and other general corporate legal matters.

• Supervise and develop paralegal staff while establishing scalable processes for legal intake, contract management, and document retention.

• Serve as the primary liaison with outside counsel, determining when specialized expertise is appropriate and effectively managing legal spend.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an ABA-accredited law school.

• Active bar membership in good standing in at least one U.S. state, with Georgia bar admission or eligibility to register as in-house counsel in Georgia.

• 8+ years of legal experience gained at a law firm, in-house legal department, or combination of both.

• Demonstrated experience drafting and negotiating commercial and technology agreements, ideally in a high-volume environment.

• Strong business judgment with the ability to provide practical and decisive legal advice without relying on a large internal legal team.

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with the ability to explain complex legal issues clearly to non-lawyers.

• Business-minded, collaborative approach with the ability to independently manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Experience

• Financial services experience, particularly supporting banks, credit unions, or other regulated financial institutions.

• Familiarity with financial institution vendor-management and third-party risk requirements.

• Previous experience as a sole or senior in-house attorney.

• M&A experience, particularly within a private equity-backed or acquisitive organization.

• Experience supervising and developing paralegal or legal operations staff.

• Knowledge of commercial real estate transactions, sale-leasebacks, real estate valuation, appraisal, or mortgage-related regulation.