Senior Counsel

The Internet lacks a protocol for money. Lightspark is building the tools and services to make it happen. Lightspark builds enterprise-ready infrastructure for open payments for the Internet at scale using the Lightning Network. An always-on, low-cost, universal payment network will completely transform how money is moved, enabling businesses and developers to transform existing solutions and build new financial systems, services, and processes accessible to everyone, transcending geographical restraints. Lightspark is headquartered in Los Angeles, California, but serves the world.

Lightspark is seeking a Senior Counsel to join our growing team. As a key member of our legal department, you will play a critical role in advising the company on a variety of matters, including product counseling, contracting and negotiating Lightspark’s global network rollout of UMA (Universal Money Address) and Spark, a new layer-2 scaling solution for Bitcoin. You’ll be a key driver in ensuring that our innovative products are built thoughtfully, responsibly, and in compliance with a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape. You’ll advise across the full product lifecycle — from ideation and design through launch and scaling — and help create pragmatic legal frameworks for our growing suite of products.

The ideal candidate will have significant experience with complex commercial contracting and negotiating involving multiple stakeholders, and understanding/familiarity with financial services laws, crypto/blockchain regulations, payments regulations, consumer protection rules, and data privacy, and be able to drive and manage cross-functional projects. You will report to Lightspark Group’s General Counsel. If you are ready to drive innovation and contribute to the success of a high-growth startup, we invite you to join us at Lightspark.

What you’ll be doing:

• Serve as a legal advisor to product teams for the global rollout of the UMA protocol and Spark networks, including providing practical forward-thinking counsel at every stage of product development and drafting and negotiating complex contractual arrangements with multiple stakeholders for the networks.

• Draft and negotiate product-related agreements, terms of service, disclosures, and other foundational documents.

• Advise the company on data privacy matters in coordination with compliance and security teams.

• Negotiate and draft contracts with Lightspark vendors and draft and reviewing nondisclosure agreements and other commercial agreements

What we are looking for:

• JD from an top-tier accredited law school

• Admission to practice law in the US jurisdiction in which you reside

• 5+ years of experience handling a broad range of commercial transactions

• In-house experience at a technology company and/or experience with financial services and/or crypto. Experience with crypto protocol governance is a plus.

• In-depth experience with drafting and negotiating complex commercial contracts with multiple stakeholders

• Familiarity with financial services laws or crypto/blockchain regulations, as well as payments regulations and consumer protection rules

• Familiarity with open payment networks and Layer 2 blockchain technologies like the Lightning Network, are a plus

• Strong business judgment and ability to balance legal risk with practical business needs.

• Familiarity with data privacy regulations and cybersecurity laws (GDPR, CCPA)

• A willingness to “roll up your sleeves” take ownership of matters, and to work effectively in a cross-functional and fast-paced environment with smart and creative people to build trusting relationships

• Strategic communicator and cross-functional partner with the ability to distill complex legal concepts into clear, actionable guidance, influence across teams, and align legal, product, and business objectives

Lightspark is on a mission to build an open payment protocol for the Internet at scale and therefore we’re committed to creating a more inclusive and diverse workplace to reflect the customers we serve. We welcome interest from individuals of all backgrounds and levels of experience who share our mission. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. 

We will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the State of California Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.