Legal Counsel US
Augustus · New York City · $200,000–$300,000 (stated in the posting)
Few people get to build a bank from scratch. Even fewer get to build one at a moment when banking itself is being reinvented.
The Dollar is the best product in the history of the world - there is infinite global demand. But international fintechs and banks are left with two unsatisfying options to choose from: Either build on legacy correspondent banks that are slow and unreliable, or interface with middleware providers that neither move nor hold the dollars directly, but instead rely on underlying legacy banks themselves. At Augustus, we collapse the stack by combining two things: A real, national bank charter (in organization), and Marble, our proprietary core banking system, built around intelligence, made of code.
We are a group of ex-founders, founding employees of unicorns, and people who dropped out of university because they believe this is an industry and career defining opportunity. We are backed with more than $200M from Peter Thiel's Valar Ventures, Tiger Global, Hummingbird, QED, Creandum, and the founders of Nubank, Ramp, Deel, Circle, Fluidstack, Fuse, and Etched.
We are regulated in Europe and live with Euro and Stablecoin clearing today. Now, we are building the US team from the ground up, while continuing to grow rapidly in Europe.
The Role
As Corporate Counsel at Augustus, you own the legal backbone of the company in the US: how we’re governed, how we raise money, how equity works and how our entities are structured. You make sure the company can move fast on financings, deals and expansion without corporate housekeeping becoming the blocker.
You run board and shareholder processes, lead the legal side of financing rounds, own the cap table and equity plans, and manage our US entities. When we do deals, you run them. You report to Ro, our Global Chief Legal and Risk Officer, and work closely with Finance, People and the founders. The team is small, so you own your area fully and make the calls yourself.
What You'll Do
Run governance: board and shareholder meetings, resolutions and consents, bylaws and charter, corporate records.
Lead financings end to end, from term sheet to closing, together with outside counsel.
Own equity: cap table, option plan, grants and exercises, 409A coordination, investor rights.
Manage US entity structure and filings, including the corporate side of licensing and regulatory processes.
Run M&A, strategic investments and partnerships from diligence to closing.
Build the systems once: templates, approval matrices and a clean data room, so routine work doesn’t need you.
Who Will Thrive At Augustus
We believe that throwing smart people with high agency at big problems produces the best outcomes. We’re building a modern correspondent bank, and we win by having a better team. The people who succeed here share the following traits:
American Dream: You’d rather shoot for gold than settle for mediocrity. You pick the harder goal and stay optimistic when the odds are against you. If it feels easy, we aimed too low.
Live Player: You don’t need permission. You rebuild what’s broken without being asked, challenge how things are done, and move before the perfect moment.
Ever to Excel: You can’t accept good enough and you take your work personally. When it matters, you do what it takes and keep raising the bar for yourself and your team.
Genuine: You play for the company, not your title or turf. Low ego, low drama, no politics. You say it straight, also upwards and always assume good intent.
This Role Is For You If:
You’ve closed financings and deals and want to own the process, not just one workstream.
You like a clean cap table and a board deck that’s ready a week early.
You’re comfortable making the call yourself, with no partner to check with.
You want to see how a bank is built from the inside.
This Is Not For You If:
You want to stay a pure deal lawyer and never touch the housekeeping.
You need a team of associates or a precedent bank before you can start.
You want a narrow practice. This role covers whatever the company needs next on the corporate side.
Hard Requirements
Must Haves:
J.D. and admission to a US state bar (New York preferred).
5+ years of corporate legal experience, split between a leading law firm (emerging companies/VC, M&A or capital markets) and at least 2 years in-house at a startup.
Hands-on experience with venture financings, equity plans and corporate governance.
Based in New York or willing to relocate.
Strong preference:
In-house experience at a fintech
Pay transparency
Compensation packages at Augustus include base salary, equity, and benefits. New hire offers are made based on a candidate’s experience, expertise and geographic location. The annual US base salary range for this role is USD 200,000 - USD 300,000.
What We Offer
Career Growth: You will be given more responsibility and pushed to grow faster than ever before.
Network: Your peers are brilliant, highly motivated people. These people will be foundational in your future opportunities.
Real Participation: Employees are shareholders. You will think and act like an owner.
Perks & Benefits: Relocation support, visa support, the latest Apple gear (MacBook + AirPods), lunch benefit, gym benefit, a beautiful office in the heart of the city, 4x on-/offsites per year, and an annual development budget.
Additional to the global benefits above, we offer localized benefits such as comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance and a 401(k) retirement plan for our US team.
Augustus is committed to creating an inclusive environment where people from all backgrounds can thrive and where different viewpoints and experiences are valued and respected. Augustus will consider all applications for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, national origin, religious beliefs, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, neurodiversity, disability, age, parental or veteran status.