Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Anchorage Digital is a crypto platform that enables institutions to participate in digital assets through custody, staking, trading, governance, settlement, and the industry's leading security infrastructure. They are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Regulatory Licensing Attorney to serve as the firm’s primary subject matter expert on CFTC and NFA firm-level licensing, guiding the business through the end-to-end registration lifecycle and the evolving regulatory landscape of the Commodity Exchange Act.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary legal expert on the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) and NFA Rules, advising the firm on the obligations associated with being a licensed firm
• Lead the end-to-end strategy for obtaining and maintaining regulatory licenses, including managing the registration lifecycle and navigating complex exemption frameworks
• Draft, review, and negotiate complex margin lending agreements with sophisticated institutional counterparties
• Draft, review, and negotiate specialized regulatory agreements, including ISDA/CSA documentation, and disclosure documents required for regulatory compliance
• Partner with Trading, Operations, Risk, and Engineering teams to embed CFTC/NFA compliance requirements directly into trading workflows and platform architecture
• Proactively monitor and interpret shifts in CFTC mandates and NFA interpretive notices, advising the executive team on necessary pivots to business strategy
• Lead the legal response to regulatory inquiries and NFA examinations, managing the preparation, document production, and strategic communication with regulators
• Act as a prolific individual contributor on complex projects, such as launching new derivative asset classes or navigating cross-border regulatory shifts
• Drive the development of internal 'Rules-to-Workflow' frameworks to prevent regulatory breaches, ensuring the firm’s 'right to operate' remains uncompromised
• Strong understanding of Anchorage Digital’s strategy to successfully lead regulatory licensing projects while taking into consideration the goals of the team you are supporting
• As progress is made on the licensing applications, making sure knowledge is shared across the appropriate teams
• Ability to prioritize work based on company’s goals and communicate the ‘why’ behind your work
• Build close cross-functional relationships with product, engineering, operations, and other teams to develop new products, improve existing businesses, identify and resolve legal issues, structure complex agreements, and improve efficiency
• Strong communication skills (internally and externally)
• Ability to be client-facing while working with cross-functional teams on multiple projects internally

Skills

• J.D. degree with a focus on financial services, commodities, or corporate law
• 4+ years of experience practicing law, with at least 3+ years specifically focused on CFTC and NFA regulatory matters
• Deep knowledge and practical experience with the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) and the Dodd-Frank Act (Title VII)
• Technical proficiency in derivatives, including a solid understanding of OTC products, margin lending, and the legal life cycle of futures and swaps
• Excellent communication, drafting, and negotiation skills, with specific experience handling ISDA/CSA documentation or clearing agreements
• Demonstrated experience working closely with the business and cross-functional teams (Trading, Engineering, and Risk) to build new financial products, solve complex jurisdictional issues, and strategize for scale
• Enthusiasm for crypto and a foundational understanding of how digital assets intersect with CFTC/NFA jurisdiction and the evolving global regulatory landscape
• Demonstrated experience with close attention to detail and the ability to manage complex licensing applications and regulatory audits simultaneously
• The ability to execute with moderate supervision, balancing aggressive commercial growth targets with the necessity of rigorous legal and regulatory compliance
• Previous in-house legal experience at a fintech firm, hedge fund, major financial institution, or a specialist regulatory practice at a top-tier law firm
• Familiarity with market infrastructure, including electronic trading platforms, central clearing, and the operational complexities of margin and collateral management
• You were emotionally moved by the soundtrack to Hamilton, which chronicles the founding of a new financial system

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