Role overview

Coinbase is seeking a Commercial Counsel to lead legal strategy for the company’s most significant payments partnerships. You will manage end-to-end legal execution on complex, precedent-setting transactions that connect Coinbase with banks, payment networks, fintechs, and strategic partners across the financial ecosystem. This role is central to accelerating Coinbase’s growth through innovative deal structures in the payments space.

Key responsibilities

Draft, negotiate, and execute highly customized commercial agreements with strategic partners and sophisticated counterparties in the payments and fintech sectors, including novel deal structures.
Develop innovative agreement frameworks and provide practical, business-focused legal counsel that balances risk management with operational speed and flexibility.
Collaborate across Business Development, Sales, Product, Engineering, Finance/Tax, and Compliance teams to address complex challenges, strengthen partnerships, and close transactions efficiently.
Create scalable commercial playbooks and risk-mitigation strategies that streamline deal timelines and expand business flexibility across the payments portfolio.
Recognize legal issues beyond your core expertise and coordinate resolution by engaging specialists within the Coinbase legal team and external counsel as needed.

Requirements

Minimum five years of transactional legal experience either in-house at a company or at a leading law firm, with a Juris Doctor degree (or equivalent qualification) and an active license to practice in a U.S. state.
Demonstrated expertise in drafting, structuring, and negotiating complex commercial agreements involving fintechs, banks, payment processors, payment networks, and payment issuers or acquirers.
Proven capability to work effectively in highly regulated financial services environments and translate shifting regulatory requirements into actionable business guidance.
Established track record of independently managing a large deal pipeline while maintaining high standards in contract drafting and risk evaluation.
Ability to apply generative AI tools responsibly, maintaining appropriate human oversight to produce business-ready work and deliver measurable gains in efficiency, cost, and quality.

What makes this role worth considering

Coinbase operates as a remote-first organization with quarterly in-person “surge” sessions designed for intensive collaborative work. You will operate at the intersection of finance, technology, and emerging regulatory landscapes, working on transactions that establish industry precedent in cryptocurrency and payments. This role offers the opportunity to shape commercial frameworks during a transformative period for financial technology.