General Counsel

RQD Clearing LLC • New York, NY

12d • $250,000 - $300,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

RQD is seeking a General Counsel to serve as the company’s senior legal executive and a trusted advisor to the CEO, Board of Directors, and leadership team. This role requires deep, hands-on experience with SEC and FINRA regulation applicable to broker-dealers, particularly carrying, clearing, and custody businesses. The General Counsel will advise on regulatory strategy, examinations, commercial agreements, product development, corporate governance, financings, employment matters, disputes, and global regulation. This is a highly practical and hands-on role. The successful candidate must be able to analyze complex regulatory issues, make clear recommendations, and work closely with Compliance, Risk, Operations, Technology, Finance, and commercial teams.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school.
• Active membership in good standing in at least one U.S. state bar.
• Approximately 8 or more years of relevant legal experience.
• Significant experience advising SEC- and FINRA-regulated broker-dealers.
• Deep working knowledge of the regulatory framework applicable to carrying, clearing, custody, or self-clearing broker-dealers.
• Direct experience with SEC, FINRA, exchange, or other securities-regulatory examinations or investigations.
• Strong knowledge of broker-dealer financial responsibility, customer protection, supervision, margin, books and records, and clearing obligations.
• Experience advising senior executives and Boards of Directors.
• Experience negotiating sophisticated financial-services or technology agreements.
• Ability to provide practical, independent advice without excessive reliance on outside counsel.

Nice To Haves

• Prior experience as a General Counsel, Deputy General Counsel, Chief Legal Officer, or senior regulatory counsel at a regulator, clearing firm, broker-dealer, exchange, ATS, custodian, market maker, fintech, or other regulated securities business.
• Experience working at the SEC, FINRA, an exchange, or another securities regulator.
• Familiarity with SEC Rules 15c3-1, 15c3-3, 17a-3 and 17a-4, Regulation T, FINRA margin rules, and applicable clearing-agency requirements.
• Experience with securities lending, fully paid lending, portfolio margin, options, omnibus accounts, foreign financial institutions, digital assets, or tokenized securities.
• Experience supporting capital raises, private equity investors, and high-growth companies.

Responsibilities

• Serve as RQD’s senior legal advisor on SEC and FINRA rules applicable to broker-dealers, clearing firms, carrying firms, and custody businesses.
• Advise on customer protection, net capital, margin, books and records, supervision, regulatory reporting, clearing arrangements, custody, and financial responsibility requirements.
• Support new products and business initiatives, including securities lending, fully paid lending, portfolio margin, overnight trading, digital assets, tokenized securities, and international client arrangements.
• Lead or oversee SEC and FINRA inquiries, investigations, and enforcement matters.
• Partner with Compliance and Risk on client activity, account restrictions, customer exits, low-priced securities, market manipulation concerns, omnibus accounts, and cross-border activity.
• Negotiate and draft clearing, custody, brokerage, securities-lending, technology, vendor, strategic partnership, and other complex commercial agreements.
• Advise on corporate governance, Board matters, financings, strategic investments, acquisitions, and other corporate transactions.
• Oversee employment matters, litigation, claims, investigations, subpoenas, privacy, cybersecurity, intellectual property, and outside counsel.
• Build scalable legal processes, templates, policies, and approval frameworks.
• Identify and communicate material legal and regulatory risks to senior management and the Board.

Benefits

• UnitedHealthcare medical coverage (multiple plan tiers, including HDHP options) — company covers 90% of premium costs, effective your first day of employment.
• Dental and Vision included.
• Health Savings Account (HSA) and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) options
• Paid Time Off — 20 accrued vacation days/yr, 6 sick days/yr (with carryover), 2 personal days/yr, and 1 volunteering day/yr
• 401(k) with a strong employer match — 100% match on the first 4% of employee contributions, immediately vested
• Competitive compensation
• Equity participation
• Annual discretionary performance bonus
• Equity compensation

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree