Legal Counsel
Wintermute
Legal
London, UK
Posted on Aug 30, 2024
About Wintermute
Wintermute is one of the largest crypto native algorithmic trading companies in digital assets. We provide liquidity across most cryptocurrency exchanges and trading platforms, a broad range of OTC trading solutions as well as support high profile blockchain projects and traditional financial institutions moving into crypto. Wintermute also has a Wintermute Ventures arm that invests in early stage DeFi projects.
Wintermute was founded in 2017 and has successfully navigated industry cycles. Culturally, we combine the best of the two worlds: the technology standards of high-frequency trading firms in traditional markets and the innovative and entrepreneurial culture of technology startups. To Wintermute digital assets is not just another asset class, we believe in the innovative potential of blockchain, the fundamental innovations, we have a long-term view on the digital asset market and are taking a leadership position in building an innovative and compliant market. You can read more here.
Nature of the role
We are looking for a Legal Counsel who will focus on supporting Wintermute’s various businesses such as OTC and on-exchange trading. The candidate should either have experience in digital asset markets or in traditional financial markets and can easily adapt to the entrepreneurial, varied and highly dynamic nature of Wintermute's business, as well as to the challenges and opportunities specific to the cryptocurrency business. This role will work closely with the business (BD and traders), Risk and other legal team colleagues and will cover all jurisdictions where Wintermute and its counterparties are currently active. You will have the opportunity to shape templates and approaches that best balance the business growth objectives and risk.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead legal-commercial negotiations: draft and negotiate agreements in relation to our business lines (OTC, liquidity provision, exchange agreements, trading agreements, software agreements, and others)
- Regulatory research & compliance guidance: work closely with the legal and compliance teams to monitor the legal and regulatory landscapes across jurisdictions; support financial regulatory compliance under each regulatory regime (FCA, MAS, SEC, CTFC, ESMA etc.); advise and support guidance on regulation of decentralized finance and protocols
- Help with the design and implementations of efficient processes and tools required for cross-department collaboration, regulatory compliance or new licensing
- Other legal projects: get involved in a wide range of wider legal topics depending on skills, preferences and company needs, including commercial disputes/litigation, employment, and corporate projects
Hard Skills Requirements
- 2-5 years of experience practicing law (qualified) at a top-tier law firm or as in-house counsel for a firm specialized in financial services, fintech and/or crypto;
- Experience working in a high-performance, dynamic and high-growth environment is strongly preferred; self-motivation and drive is essential
- Strong grasp of commercial law in relation to financial services, e.g. OTC agreements (spot, derivatives and structured products is a strong advantage), lending agreements, financial services contracts, trading agreements and others
- General knowledge of regulatory themes in relation to proprietary trading and financial services. Deeper understanding of regulatory aspects in some of the key jurisdictions (UK, Singapore, US, Europe) is a plus, as well as some familiarity with crypto regulatory topics
- General understanding of the crypto industry is a plus, i.e. types of tokens, token governance, DAOs, blockchain foundations; willingness to learn quickly is critical
- Curiosity and interest to learn other areas of law and business quickly
- Proven ability to see the bigger picture and commercial strategy; quickly understand new functional areas and have a cross-functional mindset
- Ability to be nimble and apply legal concepts to problem-solve, especially in respect of novel issues
- Strong interest and curiosity in algorithmic trading and decentralized finance
- Detail oriented, commercial hands-on attitude to legal and business problems
- Experience with MS Office. Willingness to quickly learn new tools as required, e.g. Slack, Google Suite, CRM, CLM (Ironclad and/or Spotdraft)
Join our dynamic team and benefit from:
- Working at one of the most innovative trading firms globally.
- Engaging projects offering accelerated responsibilities and ownership compared to traditional finance environments.
- A vibrant working culture with frequent team meals, holiday celebrations, gaming events, and company-wide outings, including our annual Wintermute weekend getaway.
- A Wintermute-inspired office in central London, featuring an array of amenities such as table tennis and foosball, personalized desk configurations, a cozy team breakout area with games and free food.
- Great company culture: informal, non-hierarchical, ambitious, highly professional with a startup vibe, collaborative and entrepreneurial.
- A performance-based compensation with a significant earning potential alongside standard perks like pension and private Health insurance.
Note:
- Although we are unable to accept fully remote candidates, we support significant flexibility in regards to working from home and working hours.
- We offer UK work permits and help with relocation
