General Counsel

Job description

About Masterworks: Masterworks is a fintech platform that allows anyone to invest in SEC-qualified shares of multi-million dollar paintings by names like Banksy, Basquiat, and Picasso. Since launching in April 2019, we have securitized over $1.5 billion in world-class artworks. Masterworks has been covered by major media publications such as The New York Times, CNBC, The Wall Street Journal, and the Financial Times. Our employees are based out of our offices at 1 World Trade Center in the Financial District of New York City. Why Masterworks? Do you thrive on disruption? Do you want to live at the cutting edge of finance, technology, and art? Are you passionate about democratizing alternative investments? Do you enjoy meaningful work that has a noticeable impact on business performance? If you answered "Yes" to any of the above, we'd love to hear from you! Position Overview: Masterworks is seeking a General Counsel to take over primary responsibility for the company's legal function, reporting directly to the CEO. This is a hands-on, individual contributor role rather than a traditional management position: the successful candidate will personally handle the substantial majority of day to day legal work rather than delegate it to a team of junior attorneys. The outgoing General Counsel will remain available on a consulting basis during the transition, providing support and mentoring as needed, but the new General Counsel will be expected to own the legal function independently. You will shape the company's legal strategy, drive its securities offerings and other corporate transactions, and support compliance with applicable U.S. federal securities laws, all while rolling up your sleeves on day to day drafting, negotiating, and problem solving. Our ideal candidate is a sharp, rigorous, intellectually versatile lawyer who learns fast, solves problems creatively, and delivers practical answers in a fast paced environment, and who can inspire confidence and trust among business teams who will look to you as their primary source of legal guidance. Key Responsibilities: Developing financial products and offering features, personally preparing and reviewing offering materials, overseeing ongoing Regulation A reporting and related SEC filings, and supporting compliance with U.S. federal securities laws across the company's offering, trading, and investor communication activities Assisting with regulatory analysis relating to the company's investment vehicles and new product structures Structuring and executing corporate transactions, including financings, strategic partnerships, and reorganizations, typically as the primary attorney driving the deal from start to finish (with outside counsel and consulting support available as needed) Negotiating commercial arrangements and agreements directly with business partners, vendors, and service providers Maintaining governance over the Company and its investment vehicles, and partnering with the Chief Compliance Officer to develop and implement compliance policies, procedures, and controls Providing hands on legal support across employment and HR matters, intellectual property, data privacy, Terms of Use, marketing review, and other general corporate matters, working cross functionally with the financial operations, marketing, HR, and art acquisition teams Maintaining and building on the legal function's infrastructure, including templates, processes, and outside counsel relationships, to support continued growth and any future legal hires Requirements and Preferred Skill Sets: Hands on experience with securities offerings is strongly preferred, ideally including Regulation A, Regulation D, or registered offerings; familiarity with the Securities Act of 1933 and the Investment Company Act of 1940 is a plus Approximately 7 years of legal experience, including training at a nationally recognized law firm in capital markets, corporate finance, or M&A, followed by in house experience in a similar area Comfortable operating as an individual contributor, personally executing matters end to end rather than relying on a large in house team, while still commanding credibility with the executive team and business partners; the outgoing General Counsel will be available on a consulting basis for support and mentoring during the transition A securities, capital markets, M&A, funds, or general corporate background is strongly preferred J.D. with strong academic credentials; admitted to a U.S. state bar in good standing Demonstrated facility with technology, including fluency with AI tools and a genuine interest in integrating them into legal workflows A business minded professional capable of balancing legal and compliance considerations with commercial objectives Exceptional attention to detail, analytical rigor, practical judgment, and excellent written and verbal communication skills Measurements of Success: Effective execution of all corporate transactions, including securities offerings by affiliated issuer entities Quality and speed of turnaround supporting the business teams Successful implementation and maintenance of governance and compliance policies and procedures Ability to independently manage a broad and varied workstream with minimal day to day supervision Effective cross functional collaboration and trust built with internal business partners, measured by their feedback Benefits at Masterworks: Daily catered lunches Free admission to art museums and galleries Health, dental, and vision coverage with FSA options PTO and 401k Happy hours, company outings, and more!