Summary
1inch is a DeFi ecosystem, and this role provides senior legal and compliance support across its international group. The Senior Corporate Counsel will develop the global compliance framework, advise on corporate, commercial, employment and cross-border matters, and oversee investigations, governance and regulatory risk. The role also supports People/HR, negotiates commercial agreements, and advises on data protection and privacy. Applicants need at least 8 years of relevant legal experience, a law degree and a professional legal qualification or admission to practise in a recognized jurisdiction; experience with DIFC/UAE law or DeFi is a plus. The location is Dubai, UAE.
The posting
As published on 1inch.io. Pulled from the employer's site and shown as they wrote it.
1inch is the DeFi ecosystem building financial freedom for everyone. 1inch products help users and builders trade, hold and track digital assets - with the self-custody, comprehensive security and the intuitive user experience they need to unlock the potential of true crypto ownership. 1inch protocols and APIs provide core infrastructure across the DeFi industry and beyond. So if you're someone who thinks big, moves fast and wants to make an impact right from day one, then get ready to join our industry-changing team.
Your mission
As Senior Corporate Counsel, you will own legal and compliance matters across our international group. You will act as a senior legal advisor across multiple jurisdictions, covering corporate and commercial matters, People and employment, governance, compliance and cross-border legal matters.
A significant part of your role will be owning and continuously developing our global compliance framework, including KYC/KYB, AML/CFT, sanctions, third-party compliance and investigations. You will work closely with People, Finance, Operations, Product, IT and other business functions to turn legal and regulatory requirements into practical solutions, policies and controls.
What you’ll do
- Own and continuously develop the group’s compliance framework, including KYC/KYB, AML/CFT, sanctions, third-party due diligence, ethics and related policies and controls.
- Oversee risk-based compliance decisions and investigations, and coordinate responses involving regulators, law enforcement, fraud, scams and other high-risk matters.
- Monitor compliance risks, drive remediation and report to RiskCo, ExCo and relevant Boards, working closely with Product, IT and other business functions.
- Oversee compliance vendors, tooling and processes, and promote compliance awareness across the organization.
- Advise on corporate, commercial and cross-border legal matters, including group structuring, entity management, governance, intercompany arrangements, transactions and international expansion.
- Provide legal guidance across the group’s jurisdictions, including DIFC/UAE operations, and coordinate external counsel where local expertise is required.
- Support Board and shareholder matters, and provide legal oversight of the group’s corporate and statutory obligations.
- Act as the primary legal advisor to People/HR across the full employment lifecycle, employment and contractor models, employee relations, investigations and terminations. Advise on global workforce structures and cross-border employment, ensuring contracts, policies and practices reflect applicable local requirements.
- Draft, review and negotiate vendor, customer, partner and other commercial agreements, providing practical advice on contractual and commercial risk.
- Advise on data protection and privacy requirements across international operations, coordinating specialist advice where required. Shape the global policy framework, translate legal requirements into practical controls, and proactively identify and mitigate material legal risks.
What you’ll need
- You have 8+ years of relevant legal experience.
- You hold a university degree in Law (LLB, JD or equivalent) and a professional legal qualification or admission to practise law in at least one recognized jurisdiction.
- You have strong corporate, commercial and employment law experience in an international and cross-border environment.
- You have demonstrated experience advising People/HR and organizations operating through multiple legal entities and jurisdictions.
- You have experience owning or operating compliance frameworks, with practical knowledge of KYC/KYB, AML/CFT, sanctions and third-party due diligence.
- You have strong commercial contracting, negotiation and stakeholder-management skills.
- You have sound knowledge of data protection and privacy requirements relevant to international organizations.
- You exercise sound legal judgment and translate complex requirements into practical, business-oriented solutions.
Nice to haves
- Experience with DIFC/UAE law and regulations.
- experience in Defi / Crypto
- Experience building or scaling compliance frameworks across multiple jurisdictions, and experience interacting with regulators, law enforcement or external investigators.
- Experience with international corporate restructurings, investments or M&A.
- ICA, ACAMS, CIPP or an equivalent compliance/privacy qualification.
1inch is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to evaluating all candidates on the basis of their skills, experience, and potential — regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, age, religion, disability, or any other characteristic. We believe diverse teams build better products, and we welcome applications from all backgrounds.