Counsel
Location : Chicago
Type : Full-time
About Coinflow
Coinflow is a hypergrowth fintech startup headquartered in Chicago, dedicated to revolutionizing payments. We enable merchants and marketplaces to accept global payment methods with instant settlement, chargeback protection, and the fastest payouts infrastructure.
Over the past year and a half, we've become a trusted partner for high-growth digital businesses—powering the next generation of commerce through speed, reliability, and transparency.
Join us to help shape the future of payments in a dynamic, collaborative, and fast-paced environment where your work directly impacts our customers' success.
About the Role
We're seeking an experienced Counsel to serve as our first in-house legal hire and strategic legal partner as we scale. This is a high-impact role where you'll build our legal function from the ground up, advise on critical business decisions, and ensure we navigate the complex regulatory landscape of payments and digital assets with confidence.
You'll work directly with our leadership team on strategic matters while managing day-to-day legal needs—from commercial contracts to regulatory compliance. This role offers significant autonomy, variety, and the opportunity to shape legal strategy at a critical inflection point in our company's growth.
What You Do
Commercial & Contracts
- Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of commercial agreements including merchant agreements, partnership agreements, vendor contracts, and licensing deals
- Own the contract review process and build scalable templates and playbooks as we grow
- Partner with Sales, Product, and Operations teams to structure deals that balance risk and commercial objectives
Strategic & Corporate Matters
Serve as a trusted advisor to leadership on strategic initiatives, corporate governance, and risk managementSupport fundraising activities, M&A opportunities, and corporate transactions as they ariseAdvise on employment matters, equity compensation, and HR policiesRegulatory & Compliance
Navigate the evolving regulatory landscape for payments, fintech, and digital assets / cryptoDevelop and maintain compliance programs for money transmission, AML / KYC, and consumer protection requirementsMonitor regulatory developments and translate them into actionable guidance for the businessSupport licensing efforts and regulatory filings as neededOutside Counsel Management
Serve as the primary liaison with our outside counsel, ensuring efficient and cost-effective engagementDetermine when to handle matters in-house vs. escalate to specialistsBuild relationships with external legal partners and manage their work to control costsWho You Are
Required
JD from an accredited law school and active bar membership5+ years of legal experience, with significant exposure to fintech, payments, or financial servicesStrong understanding of payment systems, money transmission regulations, and fintech regulatory frameworksExperience drafting and negotiating complex commercial contractsProven ability to work autonomously and make sound judgment calls in ambiguous situationsExcellent communication skills and ability to translate complex legal concepts for non-legal stakeholdersComfortable working in a fast-paced startup environment with competing prioritiesStrongly Preferred
Experience with cryptocurrency, blockchain, or digital assets regulatory issuesPrior in-house experience at a high-growth startup or fintech companyFamiliarity with state money transmitter licensing and federal regulatory frameworks (FinCEN, CFPB, etc.)Experience managing outside counsel relationships and legal budgetsBackground in both transactional and regulatory workBonus Points
CIPP certification or privacy law experienceInternational payments or cross-border regulatory experiencePrior experience building a legal function from scratchWhat We Offer
Competitive salary and equity package appropriate for a Series A startupOpportunity to build and shape the legal function as we scaleDirect exposure to leadership and meaningful input on company strategyWork on cutting-edge issues at the intersection of payments, fintech, and cryptoCollaborative, transparent culture where your expertise will be valued and your impact visibleWhy Join Now?
This is a rare opportunity to join as the first legal hire at a hypergrowth fintech company. You’ll have significant autonomy, broad scope, and the chance to define how we approach legal and compliance as we scale. If you thrive in environments where you can be both strategic advisor and hands-on practitioner, this role is for you.#J-18808-Ljbffr