Head of Legal

Job Description

Join a stellar team of leaders and experts in fintech, blockchain, cryptography, infrastructure, and security to build the next generation of core banking systems.

We're hiring our Head of Legal to own and drive every legal matter at Dfns. You'll have a broad mandate: commercial contracts, IP and patents, litigation, HR and employment law, and regulatory affairs across every market in which we operate. As the legal leader of the company, you'll build the frameworks, playbooks, and processes that let a fast-growing, global team scale without losing speed or rigor.

A core part of this role is regulatory affairs. Dfns operates at the intersection of fintech and digital asset infrastructure, in a landscape that shifts constantly across the EU, US, APAC, and beyond. We expect you to dig into every applicable regulation, understand it deeply, and translate it into clear product requirements, partnering directly with our CPO and product team to turn compliance obligations into product features and competitive advantages when it makes sense. You'll be the bridge between regulators and the product roadmap.

This role blends strategic leadership with hands-on execution. You'll report to our CEO and work closely with Sales, Product, Engineering, Security, People, Finance, and the executive team to support our growth internationally.

Responsibilities

• Act as the legal force multiplier for the leadership team, surfacing risks, proposing solutions, and shipping them.

• Draft, review, and negotiate commercial contracts (SaaS agreements, NDAs, MSAs, DPAs, partnership deals, vendor contracts).

• Work closely with sales and product teams to support deal flow and business growth.

• Oversee the legal aspects of vendor onboarding, including KYB and other due diligence checks.

• Build and execute Dfns' IP strategy, including trademark, copyright, and patent portfolios in collaboration with external IP counsel.

• Manage any disputes, claims, or litigation, leading pre-litigation strategy, settlement discussions, and risk mitigation.

• Advise the People team on employment contracts, policies, and labor law across the jurisdictions in which we hire, and support sensitive HR matters, investigations, and global mobility arrangements.

• Monitor, analyze, and operationalize every regulation relevant to Dfns globally (MiCA, DORA, GDPR, AML/CFT, US state and federal frameworks, UK FCA, MAS, VARA, and emerging crypto/fintech regimes worldwide).

• Partner directly with the CPO and product team to translate regulatory requirements into clear product specifications and features.

• Lead engagement with regulators, industry bodies, and policy stakeholders, and maintain a living regulatory map of the markets we serve.

• Develop and maintain playbooks, templates, and scalable legal processes as we grow.

• Manage and coordinate external counsel relationships across jurisdictions, optimizing for performance, expertise, and cost.

Requirements

• 10+ years of legal experience, with meaningful exposure across commercial contracts, IP, regulatory, and employment matters, ideally with significant in-house experience in fast-growing tech companies.

• Admitted to practice law in France. Multi-jurisdictional expertise is strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated track record drafting and negotiating complex B2B agreements.

• Entrepreneurial mindset able to self start, champion new ideas, and execute end-to-end.

• Deep, hands-on expertise with regulatory affairs in fintech, crypto, payments, or financial services, and a clear appetite for regulatory deep dives.

• Strong working knowledge of IP/patent strategy, litigation management, and employment law in France and at least one major Dfns hiring jurisdiction.

• Proven ability to translate complex legal and regulatory requirements into actionable product and business inputs.

• Familiarity with SaaS, fintech, and blockchain businesses.

• Experience operating in a remote-first environment across multiple time zones. Pragmatic approach to balancing speed, risk, and business priorities.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the gravitas to engage regulators and operate at the executive level.

• Fluent in English and French, other languages are a plus.

Process

• Intro call with Co-CEO (30 min)

• Personality and cognitive tests (45 min)

• Focus interviews with the hiring panel (90-120 min):

  • Commercial law and contracts

  • Regulatory affairs and product translation

  • Work ethics

  • Culture fit check

• Final interview with CEO (30 min)

• Reference calls and background checks

Terms

• Title: Head of Legal

• Salary: €80,000-140,000 per year (full-time)

• Equity: 100-300 stock options vested over 4 years

• Benefits: Healthcare, pension plan, and travel expenses

• Location: France or EU (remote-first, office optional)

• Equipment: MacBook Pro + essentials