Senior Legal Counsel

About Us

About The Role

1. Licensing & Regulatory Execution

• **Regulatory Lead:** Execute the end-to-end licensing process across multiple jurisdictions, including direct engagement with **VARA**, **CBUAE**, and other financial regulators where applicable.
• **Global Compliance:** Provide comprehensive legal support for UAE and EU operations, ensuring all products align with applicable regulatory requirements and international standards.
• **Regulatory Ownership:** Proactively identify licensing, regulatory perimeter, and product-structure issues, and provide clear recommendations on how the business should proceed.

2. Team Leadership & Development

• **People Management:** Lead and mentor a small team **(1–2 legal specialists)**, overseeing their daily output, quality of work, and professional growth.
• **Function Scaling:** Design and implement **"Legal Ops"** workflows to prepare the team for future expansion and ensure efficient knowledge sharing.
• **Internal Education:** Act as a coach for the wider business, conducting training for Product and Sales teams on legal risks, regulatory requirements, and compliance.

3. Product & Crypto-Fiat Operations

• **Fintech Integration:** Architect legal frameworks for **Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS)**, card issuing or sponsorship models, payment rails, and complex banking partnerships.
• **Convergence Specialist:** Serve as the lead SME for the intersection of TradFi and Digital Assets, including wallets, trading, fiat ramps, liquidity, and settlement flows.
• **Product Ownership:** Work independently with Product, Compliance, Finance, and Operations teams to turn complex legal requirements into clear, practical business decisions.

4. High-Stakes Negotiations & Corporate

• **Contract Mastery:** Lead negotiations for high-stakes agreements with global liquidity providers, banking partners, payment partners, technology providers, and strategic counterparties.
• **Independent Drafting:** Independently draft, review, and negotiate complex multi-party agreements, taking ownership of the process from first draft to signing.
• **Corporate Governance:** Manage global corporate structures, intercompany agreements, and support investment rounds.

Requirements

• **Experience:** 7+ years as Legal Counsel, with a solid background in **Regulated Fintech, Banking, Payments, or Crypto**.
• **Ownership Mindset:** Strong ability to work independently, take initiative, and drive complex legal matters to completion with minimal supervision.
• **Proactive Approach:** Demonstrated ability to identify legal and regulatory risks early, propose solutions, and move matters forward without waiting for detailed instructions.
• **Leadership Potential:** Prior experience managing at least one direct report or a strong track record of mentoring junior colleagues.
• **Domain Mastery:** Deep understanding of financial services regulation, global payment rails and multi-jurisdictional licensing. Experience with **VARA** or **CBUAE** is a strong plus.
• **Drafting Excellence:** Exceptional skills in drafting complex multi-party agreements.
• **Language:** Professional fluency in English.
• **Mindset:** A proactive **"**builder**"** who is ready to take ownership, operate independently, and transition from a senior individual contributor to a team leader as the company scales.

The Umo Standard

• **Dynamic Work Environment:** Vibrant offices and strong local teams across Lisbon, Dubai, Kyiv, and Lviv — with openness to remote for the right fit.
• **Rest & Recovery:** 24 days of annual leave, dedicated paid sick leave, and observance of Public Holidays to keep you at your best.
• **Recharge Week:** After your first year with us, enjoy two consecutive 4-day work weeks annually — a built-in reset to help you sustain peak performance for the long run.
• **Full Setup:** Top-of-the-line hardware and a home office stipend so you can do your best work anywhere.
• **Growth Ecosystem:** A dedicated learning budget and a clear, accelerated path toward executive-level leadership within the UMO ecosystem.
• **Impact & Ownership:** Your work directly shapes the product and company direction — not just executes it.