Senior Legal Counsel

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Market Axess is on a journey to digitally transform one of the world’s largest financial markets, enabling the shift from analog, phone-based trading to a fully electronic marketplace. Why does this matter? Because our platform makes trading fixed‑income more accessible, ultimately improving transparency, efficiency, and competition in the marketplace. Changing the way an established industry transacts is no easy feat. There will be twists and turns, because no one’s ever done this before.

But now, more than 2,000 clients around the world rely on our solutions, and that number is only expected to grow in the years ahead. We know where we’re going. How we get there is up to us. Join us and help Take Us There.

We are looking to hire a Senior Counsel in our Legal & Compliance Department. Reporting to the Associate General Counsel – Head of US Legal, this role will work closely with other members of the Company’s Legal and Compliance department in New York and globally. The successful candidate will be a key member of the US Legal team, focusing on commercial contracts, data licensing, and platform agreements.

This role will serve as a primary legal contact for business stakeholders, supporting a broad range of commercial matters while helping to modernize departmental processes through the adoption of AI and legal technology.

• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of commercial agreements, including client contracts, market data licenses, platform access agreements, and amendments for new products, customers, and fee plans.
• Advise internal business teams on and negotiate contracts with a range of vendors and suppliers.
• Manage high‑volume contractual workflow, acting as a gatekeeper and first responder to business queries, and ensuring consistency in legal documentation across departments.
• Collaborate with client services, finance, product, and marketing teams to ensure compliance and efficiency in legal documentation and processes.
• Advise on data protection, intellectual property, technology licensing, and privacy issues.
• Develop and improve contract templates, AI playbooks, and negotiation guidelines to streamline the contracting process.
• Monitor and analyze legal developments in commercial contracting and the financial services industry, providing practical guidance to stakeholders.
• Handle a range of matters typical for an in‑house legal department, such as negotiating leases, responding to subpoenas, supporting internal investigations, and assisting with transactions and due diligence.
• Contribute to departmental process improvements and champion the adoption of AI and other legal tech tools.
• Collaborate with global legal colleagues on cross‑border matters.

• JD degree and admission to practice in New York.
• 4+ years of legal experience, ideally with in‑house experience in financial services, fintech, or trading platforms.
• Extensive experience drafting and negotiating commercial agreements, including technology, licensing, and data contracts.
• Exposure to data licensing, trading platform agreements, and SaaS contracts strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to interact directly and effectively with internal business stakeholders and customers.
• Knowledge of broker dealer law a plus.
• Familiarity with, and willingness to utilize, AI tools and modernize legal processes.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to prioritize proactively in a fast‑paced environment.
• Reliable, responsive, and able to function well independently and as part of a collaborative team.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex legal issues into practical guidance for non‑legal colleagues.
• Enthusiasm for contract drafting, legal innovation, and continuous learning.
• Intellect to learn the technology of the business and apply it to legal issues.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively, balancing legal risk with business objectives.
• Willingness to do all levels of work in an ‘all hands‑on‑deck’…