Back to Aave jobs
A

Legal Counsel, Commercial

New York
Legal

Job Description

#### How you can make an impact:

  • Draft, review and negotiate a broad range of commercial agreements, including strategic partnerships, technology and software agreements, integrations, vendor and service agreements
  • Partner closely with Business Development, Product and other teams to structure complex commercial arrangements and develop practical legal solutions that enable new partnerships and products
  • Support the negotiation and execution of strategic partnerships with financial institutions, fintechs, infrastructure providers and other participants across the digital asset ecosystem
  • Provide legal support throughout the lifecycle of partner integrations and strategic initiatives, from initial structuring and negotiation through implementation and launch
  • Advise teams across the business on contract interpretation, rights, obligations and commercial risk
  • Support acquisitions, asset purchases, acqui-hires and other strategic transactions from initial evaluation through signing and completion
  • Conduct and coordinate legal due diligence, identifying key risks and translating findings into clear, practical recommendations
  • Draft, review and negotiate transaction documentation, including NDAs, LOIs, term sheets, purchase agreements, IP transfer arrangements and other ancillary documents
  • Work closely with senior stakeholders and external counsel on transaction structuring, negotiation and execution
  • Advise on corporate, commercial and intellectual property considerations arising from strategic transactions
  • Support post-transaction matters, including the transfer and integration of contracts, intellectual property and other assets
  • Develop and improve commercial templates, contracting processes and legal playbooks to enable the business to move efficiently and at scale

---

#### Let’s connect if you have:

  • 4+ years of experience as a practising lawyer, with a strong background in corporate and commercial law and experience handling complex transactions
  • Experience working in fintech, crypto or digital assets, with a strong understanding of the commercial and legal environment
  • Strong experience drafting and negotiating complex commercial agreements
  • Experience advising on acquisitions, corporate transactions and other complex commercial arrangements
  • Working knowledge of digital asset regulatory frameworks, including securities law issues and token classification, as they bear on deal structuring and diligence
  • Familiarity with DeFi protocols and on-chain/DAO governance structures, including where they arise as transaction counterparties or acquisition targets
  • Experience conducting legal due diligence and drafting and negotiating transaction documentation
  • Experience structuring transaction consideration involving tokens, as distinct from standard cash or equity consideration
  • Experience within a leading law firm and/or an in-house legal team within a technology or financial services environment
  • Strong commercial judgment and the ability to identify material legal risks and translate them into practical recommendations
  • Ability to operate autonomously, manage multiple workstreams and take ownership of transactions from start to finish
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the confidence to work with senior internal and external stakeholders
  • Experience working across multiple jurisdictions and coordinating specialist external counsel where required
  • Preference is for this role to be based in New York, NY, and relocation assistance is available for the right candidate.

About Aave

First seen: September 17, 2026
Last updated: September 20, 2026