Associate General Counsel, Canada

Ready to be pushed beyond what you think you’re capable of?

At Coinbase, our mission is to increase economic freedom in the world. It’s a massive, ambitious opportunity that demands the best of us, every day, as we build the emerging onchain platform — and with it, the future global financial system.

To achieve our mission, we’re seeking a very specific candidate. We want someone who is passionate about our mission and who believes in the power of crypto and blockchain technology to update the financial system. We want someone who is eager to leave their mark on the world, who relishes the pressure and privilege of working with high caliber colleagues, and who actively seeks feedback to keep leveling up. We want someone who will run towards, not away from, solving the company’s hardest problems.

Our work culture is intense and isn’t for everyone. But if you want to build the future alongside others who excel in their disciplines and expect the same from you, there’s no better place to be.

Our Legal team is seeking an experienced Canadian attorney with over seven years of legal practice, specializing in Canadian financial services, securities, and crypto regulations. This role demands expertise in navigating complex regulatory environments. While expertise in digital currency and blockchain technology is not required, the attorney must have the ability to quickly learn about the products and services offered by Coinbase. The successful candidate will be responsible for providing comprehensive legal advice throughout the product life cycle, managing licensing and registration for Canadian entities, and guiding cross-functional teams through global growth initiatives. The role requires an individual who excels in a fast-paced environment, demonstrates exceptional problem-solving skills, and possesses the ability to align legal strategies with business objectives while ensuring compliance with both local and international regulations.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Work with business teams on securing required licenses and registrations for our Canadian entity and businesses.
• Provide full product life-cycle counseling for a variety of global consumer and institutional products, and practical advice on associated legal issues and risks, complex agreement structures and company policies in a risk-tolerant, but compliance-oriented environment.
• Stay abreast of and advise on digital currency and blockchain technology legal and regulatory issues.
• Lead and assist with complex and global cross-functional efforts, driving and ensuring cross-functional alignment with other stakeholders (Local Management, Product/Engineering, Business Development, Finance/Tax, Compliance).
• Effectively collaborate with those same cross-functional teams and legal colleagues to solve problems, build partnerships, and close deals quickly.
• Proactively solve problems for the business as they plan and execute on an aggressive global growth plan, develop scaled strategies for addressing risk in business-centric ways and build commercial processes that allow the business flexibility and freedom to move quickly.
• Operate in a fast paced, demanding environment and quickly adjust to meet leadership's needs.
• Recognize priority initiatives and effectively manage your clients and your advice to scale your advice and provide the right level of guidance for the request at hand.
• Look around corners and creatively solve problems for the business as they plan, build, and execute their transactional and product roadmap.
• Be a business partner, not just an attorney.
  
  

What We Look For In You

• Currently practicing as an attorney in Canada, with active Canadian bar registration and 7+ years of legal experience.
• Interest in digital currency and blockchain technology.
• Expertise and experience working with Canadian financial services, securities, and crypto regulators
• Experience counseling product teams in launching technology products and have a clear understanding of the legal underpinnings supporting these products.
• Experience working and leading with cross-functional, globally located teams.
• Familiarity with relevant money transmission laws, travel rules, global banking regulations, securities regulations, client money regimes and/or commodities regulations outside of Canada
• Experience advising clients on risk mitigation across technology product platforms.
• Experience working with and presenting to VP-level leadership.
• Comfortable challenging the status quo and preconceived notions of what is possible.
• Excellent judgment, analytical rigor, clear communication, and business pragmatism.
• Top-notch analytical skills with experience owning projects from concept to finish.
• Creativity, comfort and experience with oral solutions that help scale financial services businesses and technology solutions that help scale practices.
• Comfort with risk-taking and creative problem-solving.
• Intellectual curiosity and flexibility.
• Team-oriented and collaborative.
  
  

Pay Transparency Notice: The target annual salary for this position can range as detailed below. Full time offers from Coinbase also include target bonus + target equity + benefits (including medical, dental, and vision).

Pay Range

$213,000—$237,500 CAD

Commitment to Equal Opportunity

Coinbase is committed to diversity in its workforce and is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sex, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation or any other basis protected by applicable law. Coinbase will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state and local law. For US applicants, you may view the Know Your Rights notice here. Additionally, Coinbase participates in the E-Verify program in certain locations, as required by law.

Coinbase is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the employment process, please contact us at accommodations[at]coinbase.com to let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. For quick access to screen reading technology compatible with this site click here to download a free compatible screen reader (free step by step tutorial can be found here).

Global Data Privacy Notice for Job Candidates and Applicants

Depending on your location, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) may regulate the way we manage the data of job applicants. Our full notice outlining how data will be processed as part of the application procedure for applicable locations is available here. By submitting your application, you are agreeing to our use and processing of your data as required. For US applicants only, by submitting your application you are agreeing to arbitration of disputes as outlined here.