This is a remarkable opportunity for a top-notch lawyer to join the Steward team as General Counsel, helping to connect regenerative farms with the capital they need to grow. To date, Steward has raised over $7m for more than 50 agricultural businesses around the country, and we are only getting started. Our rapidly expanding network of over 1,200 impact-driven lenders agrees, as lending campaigns hosted on the Steward platform sell out in mere hours.
A critical role at a turning point of growth for Steward, the General Counsel will lead all legal and compliance operations across the Steward group of companies and all departments within each entity. The General Counsel will provide strategy-shaping input on a range of functions, from managing the contractual and legal matters relating to Steward’s lending practices, to developing effective processes and policies for Steward and its employees. They will also oversee the execution of general clerical tasks, such as maintaining relevant filings and preparing legal documentation.
The General Counsel will be a key advisor to the leadership team in all legal and compliance matters, leveraging their expertise to direct Steward management on best practices. A core member of the Business Operations team, the General Counsel will be involved in the continued growth of Steward’s product, tools, and CRM.
The opportunity for the General Counsel to influence the direction of the Company is immeasurable. Independence and agency are not only abundant at Steward, they are encouraged. We promote an environment of balance and flexibility, having been a remote team from the start. Our mission and our values are paramount at Steward, and this role provides ample opportunity to make a direct impact on one's colleagues, the overall direction of the Company, and our greater mission of bringing more capital to regenerative farms. Truly, an extraordinary opportunity for the right individual.
Responsibilities:
- Business Operations
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- Oversee all legal matters of the business, acting as Steward's legal representative
- Develop and implement policies, procedures, and general best practices for early-stage company
- Work with Steward's management to develop a policy around the Company's level of risk tolerance, and ensure adherence in all planning and decision-making
- Analyze legal risks, opportunities, and options, and implement changes as appropriate related to the organization’s goals, mission, and business lines
- Draft, review, and manage a variety of complex commercial agreements including partnership agreements, software licenses, loan agreements, promissory notes, and security agreements
- Maintain entities in compliance with annual federal and state filings
- Track market developments in the sectors relevant to the Company's business, i.e. commercial lending
- Oversee board communications, as well as meeting agendas, minutes, and resolutions
- Coordinate with external legal counsel as and when needed
- Product
- Coordinate with technology team on privacy, security, and data management & protection
- Advise on product compliance practices and the legal considerations within
- Services
- Oversee review of outgoing loan agreements and other lending documents for accuracy and completeness
- Support applications for regulatory licensing
Required Experiences & Competencies:
- Valid US state license to practice law
- At least 7+ years’ work experience, preferably in both a law firm and an in-house setting
- Background in commercial lending, securities, real estate, and corporate law
- Experience with commercial loan transactions
- Experience with UCC Article 9
- Experience with mortgage lending
- Ability to thrive in a remote, asynchronous, start-up environment across multiple time zones
- Ability to work well in both a highly collaborative but also independent environment
- Highly effective verbal and written communication skills
- A high degree of professional ethics and integrity
- Aligned values with Steward around environmental sustainability and fixing our food systems
Preferred Experiences & Competencies:
- Advising start-up stage companies
- Advising senior management
- Managing other legal professionals
- FinTech and SaaS businesses
- New product development processes and roll-out
- Overseeing litigation
- Managing board communications
- Lending licensing requirements across various states
- Banking licensing requirements
- Privacy and Data Protection
