Head of Legal - US

Sokin•New York, NY

About The Position

We are seeking an experienced and commercially focused Head of Legal (US) to lead Sokin’s legal function for the United States market and provide strategic counsel across all areas of the US business. The successful candidate will be responsible for shaping and executing Sokin’s US legal strategy, ensuring compliance with US laws and regulations, supporting commercial growth, and protecting the organisation’s interests as it scales across the US. You will serve as a trusted advisor to the US leadership team and key cross-functional stakeholders, bringing a practical and solutions-oriented approach to legal, regulatory, and governance matters in a dynamic payments environment. You will also partner closely with Sokin’s broader global leadership and legal stakeholders to ensure US initiatives align with the company’s overall objectives and risk appetite. About Us Sokin is a next-generation B2B financial services provider, enabling businesses to make and receive global payments with greater speed, lower cost, and total transparency. Our mission is simple: we’re simplifying global business - so businesses thrive wherever they choose to grow. We deliver services across: · Global payments and receivables · Foreign Exchange (FX) · Treasury management · Finance reconciliations We are rapidly expanding, with established presence in EMEA, APAC, and North America. Backed by a strong global infrastructure and industry-leading partners, we are redefining how businesses move money worldwide. Our clients span industries from sports and entertainment to logistics and travel, and our community is growing rapidly. As we continue to expand, we’re building a team of exceptional people who share our ambition to transform the future of global payments.

Requirements

Qualified US attorney (JD) admitted to practice in at least one US jurisdiction (New York preferred).
5+ years’ post-qualification experience (or equivalent) with relevant experience in fintech, payments, financial services, or a highly regulated environment.
Demonstrated experience supporting US financial services licensing (application and/or ongoing compliance lifecycle), ideally in payments/fintech or another regulated financial services environment.
Experience partnering closely with Compliance/Risk teams and working effectively with regulators and external counsel.
Strong understanding of US commercial contracting and the ability to advise effectively in a fast-paced, scaling business.
Proven ability to partner with senior stakeholders, simplify complex legal issues, and provide practical, business-oriented guidance.
Experience building or scaling legal processes (templates, playbooks, contract workflows) and managing external counsel effectively.
Please note, candidates will need to have the right to work in the jurisdiction that they are looking to work in.

Responsibilities

Develop and lead Sokin’s US legal strategy, ensuring alignment with business objectives and applicable US regulatory requirements.
Provide expert legal advice to US leadership on a wide range of issues including commercial contracts, product and distribution models, data protection/privacy, intellectual property, employment matters, and litigation/disputes.
Partner with business, compliance, risk, and product teams to support US product development and go-to-market, ensuring legal risks are identified early and managed pragmatically.
Own the relationship with US external counsel, optimising for quality, speed, and cost-effectiveness.
Lead and coordinate Sokin’s US licensing strategy in partnership with Compliance and business leadership, supporting the company’s ability to operate and scale in the US market.
Manage the legal workstream for licensing applications, renewals, ongoing reporting and change management, including oversight of external counsel and internal stakeholders.
Support regulatory readiness activities such as exams, audits, supervisory requests, and regulator communications, ensuring consistent documentation, issue escalation, and remediation tracking.
Help shape and maintain US-facing policies, controls, and governance that support licensing obligations and risk management.
Negotiate and draft key US commercial agreements including customer terms, supplier agreements, partnerships, and platform/technology contracts.
Support strategic initiatives in the US market, including new partnerships, vendor onboarding, and operational scaling.
Enable revenue growth while safeguarding the company’s legal and ethical standards, balancing risk management with commercial pragmatism.
Establish and evolve a fit-for-purpose US legal operating model, including playbooks, templates, contract lifecycle processes, and training for commercial teams.
As the business grows, help define hiring needs and contribute to building a high-performing legal capability in the US (in-house and/or hybrid with external counsel).