Counsel - Litigation

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The team

Payward’s Litigation team manages one of the most complex and high-volume global dockets in the crypto industry, spanning consumer arbitrations, commercial disputes, class actions, employment matters, mass arbitration proceedings, and regulatory enforcement. We are a lean, execution-oriented team that operates with urgency, holds itself to an exceptionally high standard, and solves hard problems at scale.

We are looking for a lawyer who wants to do real work — not supervise it. This Counsel will sit at the center of our U.S. consumer dispute docket, owning a high volume of matters from intake through resolution, while contributing to team-wide process improvements and operating in a tech-forward litigation environment. This role will also carry a supporting portfolio of labor and employment disputes in close coordination with Kraken's Employment Legal function.

This role reports to Payward’s Deputy General Counsel and Head of Litigation. The successful candidate will work closely with our AGC and Head of U.S. Litigation Programs to support Payward’s mission to deliver accessible, trusted financial services to millions of customers globally.

The opportunity

• Own and manage a high-volume docket of consumer arbitrations (JAMS), small claims matters, federal and state litigation matters, and customer complaints across U.S. jurisdictions from intake through resolution.
• Draft and file pleadings, motions, case strategy memos, demand responses, and settlement correspondence with minimal supervision.
• Assess claims at intake, evaluate exposure, recommend resolution strategy, and execute towards resolution.
• Work cross-functionally with Customer Engagement, Compliance, Product, and Operations teams to identify upstream drivers of consumer disputes and flag systemic issues.
• Maintain accurate, current matter records in the team’s matter management system and contribute to docket reporting and metrics.
• Coordinate with and supervise outside counsel on matters requiring external support, including managing budgets, timelines, and deliverables.
• Assist on complex matters, class action proceedings, and ad hoc team projects as needs arise.
• Contribute to the team’s process improvement and automation initiatives, consistent with the team’s commitment to operating at scale without proportional headcount growth.

Skills you should HODL

• JD from an accredited law school; admission to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction (in good standing)
• At least 6 years of litigation experience at a law firm, in-house legal department, or government agency in a litigation role
• Meaningful exposure to consumer financial services matters, arbitrations, small claims, BBB complaints, customer dispute resolution, or analogous proceedings
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Comfort operating independently on a high-volume, fast-moving docket; you are organized, self-directed, and don’t drop balls
• A proactive, entrepreneurial mindset and an opportunity-making attitude; you use the law to increase the company’s optionality, not just to say no
• Genuine interest in crypto and digital assets
• Experience deploying AI to up-level your legal work

Nice-to-haves

• In-house experience at a fintech, crypto, or other high-growth technology or financial services company
• Familiarity with mass arbitration defense, experience at the major arbitral forums (AAA, JAMS, NAM, etc.), motions to compel arbitration, and consumer class actions
• Experience working with consumer protection frameworks: EFTA, UDAP, state consumer protection statutes, state privacy statutes (e.g., CIPA, CCPA, Illinois’s BIPA. etc.)
• Comfort with legal technology and tools
• Trial experience — you’re comfortable jumping into a consumer arbitration and taking it all the way to trial on your own
• Experience working with outside vendors for e-discovery
• Experience working with expert witnesses
• Experience in a remote-first work environment

Unless a specific application deadline is stated in the job posting, applications are accepted on an ongoing basis.

Please note, applicants are permitted to redact or remove information on their resume that identifies age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.

We consider qualified applicants with criminal histories for employment on our team, assessing candidates in a manner consistent with the requirements of the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.

Kraken is powered by people from around the world and we celebrate all Krakenites for their diverse talents, backgrounds, contributions and unique perspectives. We hire strictly based on merit, meaning we seek out the candidates with the right abilities, knowledge, and skills considered the most suitable for the job. We encourage you to apply for roles where you don't fully meet the listed requirements, especially if you're passionate or knowledgable about crypto!

We may ask candidates to complete job-related skills or work->

As an equal opportunity employer, we don’t tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind. Whether that’s based on race, ethnicity, age, gender identity, citizenship, religion, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, veteran status or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state or local laws.

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