Legal Counsel

Wayoh; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 230,000 - 280,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

Job summary

A leading fintech company in Irvine, CA seeks an experienced Legal Counsel to provide strategic legal guidance and support for business operations. The ideal candidate will have 5–7+ years of experience in fintech or banking, with expertise in corporate governance, compliance, and contract negotiation. This is a full-time, on-site role offering a competitive salary of $230,000.00 to $280,000.00 per year.

Qualifications

• 5–7+ years of legal experience in fintech or banking.
• Proven ability to provide strategic legal advice.
• Deep understanding of financial regulations.

Responsibilities

• Act as primary legal advisor to the CEO and leadership.
• Draft and negotiate legal agreements for business transactions.
• Oversee compliance with applicable laws.

Skills

Business communication

Business negotiation

Contract drafting

Compliance understanding

Legal research

Interpersonal skills

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Job description

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This range is provided by Wayoh. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

$230,000.00/yr - $280,000.00/yr

Direct message the job poster from Wayoh

Institution: Fintech

Role: Legal Counsel

Location: Irvine, CA

Our client, a Fintech that offers a Next Generation Business Card program that redefines the future of modern finance is looking for an accomplished Legal Counsel to join its growing team as a key strategic business partner.

This individual will provide expert legal guidance and advice to senior leaders across various departments and play a pivotal role in driving the company's legal strategy, product strategy, and regulatory guidance. As the go-to in-house Legal Counsel, you will collaborate directly with the CEO and other C-suite executives, advising on a broad range of corporate legal issues and ensuring the company’s compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

The ideal candidate will have strong business communication and business negotiation skills, with expertise in navigating legal commercial fintech/banking challenges common in fintech start-up environments. You will be comfortable managing day-to-day commercial banking business legal matters, from M&A, contracts and negotiations to risk management, intellectual property, and corporate governance. Please note that this a fully on-site role based in Irvine, CA.

Responsibilities:

• Act as the primary legal advisor to the CEO, senior leadership, and key stakeholders on corporate, commercial, banking, and fintech-related matters.
• Provide practical, strategic legal guidance on contracts, business transactions, regulatory compliance, risk mitigation, and corporate governance.
• Draft, negotiate, and review a wide range of legal agreements, including commercial contracts, partnership deals, NDAs, employment agreements, control agreements, and escrow agreements.
• Review and interpret corporate organizational documents (e.g., operating agreements, bylaws, resolutions) and provide guidance on matters involving corporate authority, signing authority, and fiduciary roles.
• Conduct legal research and analysis on statutes and regulations relevant to business and consumer deposit accounts, fintech operations, and commercial banking, including (but not limited to) UCC, Regulation E, Regulation D, Regulation CC, and related laws.
• Oversee legal aspects of corporate compliance programs, ensuring adherence to applicable laws and minimizing legal and regulatory risks.
• Advise internal teams on day-to-day legal questions tied to operations, trust and estate matters, court orders, and other banking-related issues.
• Collaborate with external counsel on specialized legal matters as needed.
• Proactively identify and address legal risks associated with fintech growth, such as intellectual property, fundraising, and employment law matters.
• Support internal teams with legal training, updates on regulatory developments, and best practices.
• Assist in investigating and resolving client complaints, including fact-gathering, document review, and assessment of legal exposure.

Requirements:

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school and active membership in good standing with a U.S. state bar.
• 5–7+ years of legal experience in fintech, banking, payments, or related financial services—ideally with exposure to both startup and established corporate environments.
• Proven ability to provide strategic legal advice across a wide range of corporate, commercial, and regulatory matters.
• Strong contract drafting, review, and negotiation skills, with experience handling complex commercial agreements and operational documents.
• Deep understanding of financial regulations impacting deposit products, fintech services, and bank operations (e.g., UCC, Regulation E, Regulation D, Regulation CC, ECOA, UDAAP).
• Experience managing legal issues related to corporate governance, risk management, and compliance frameworks.
• Ability to translate complex legal concepts into practical guidance for non-legal stakeholders.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills; comfortable working directly with executives and cross-functional teams.
• A proactive, solution-oriented mindset with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-moving, high-growth environment.
• Collaborative approach with a willingness to roll up your sleeves and take on a wide range of legal work.
• Experience engaging with external counsel on specialized legal matters as needed.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Director

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Legal

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Inferred from the description for this job

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

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