(SI) EMEA Digital Assets Lawyer, Vice President

BlackRock is seeking an experienced lawyer to join its Legal team, primarily focusing on digital asset products and distribution in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. The role involves innovative structuring and legal oversight of tokenised investment products, including exchange traded products, money market funds, and private assets, and their distribution across EMEA. Responsibilities include providing legal advice, drafting and negotiating contracts for digital assets, supporting new product launches, advising on cross-border distribution, identifying and managing legal risks, interpreting new regulations, and collaborating with compliance to enhance internal policies and procedures.

Must Have

• Provide legal advice and draft and negotiate contracts for digital assets, including tokenisation, staking, collateral, and service provider agreements.
• Provide legal support for new product launches.
• Advise on cross border distribution of products and services across EMEA.
• Identify, address and manage legal risks.
• Work with regulatory legal and compliance teams to interpret and implement new regulations.
• Conduct research and draft comments on regulatory proposals and consultations.
• Draft and negotiate service provider, intermediary and client contracts.
• Present to boards and governance committees.
• Collaborate with the compliance function, including enhancement of internal policies and procedures.
• Qualified lawyer with at least 5 years’ experience in a law firm and/or as a legal adviser to a digital assets financial services business.
• Experience in advising on digital asset matters including digital asset product structuring, tokenisation, staking, collateral, decentralised finance applications and other digital asset services.
• Understanding of digital assets, distributed ledger technology, staking, and decentralised finance.
• Strong analytical, written, verbal and project management skills.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as a member of team.
• Ability to work in a demanding and fast-paced environment.
• Ability to prioritise multiple tasks and projects concurrently while maintaining high standards and attention to detail.
• Ability to explain complex legal and regulatory concepts to non-lawyers.
• Ability and desire to develop expertise in new or unfamiliar areas of law.

Good to Have

• Understanding of digital ledger technologies and/or how cryptoassets operate.
• Familiarity with tokenisation technology, infrastructure and operating model, how cryptoassets operate, and decentralised finance applications.
• Demonstrated interest in asset management and advising on tokenisation, crypto asset exchange traded products and other investment products.
• Regulatory knowledge of regulations on digital assets in Europe (including UK) and Middle East.

Perks & Benefits

• Retirement investment and tools
• Access to education reimbursement
• Comprehensive resources to support physical health and emotional well-being
• Family support programs
• Flexible Time Off (FTO)

About this role

Are you an experienced lawyer searching for an exciting and challenging opportunity with the world's largest asset manager? We are seeking a lawyer to join BlackRock’s Legal team, primarily focusing on digital asset products and distribution in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. An understanding of digital ledger technologies and/or how cryptoassets operate would be very helpful. The role will have a particular focus on innovative structuring and legal oversight of tokenised investment products (including exchange traded products, money market funds and private assets) and their distribution across EMEA.

The lawyer will work in a team of over 30 lawyers in the Products and Solutions EMEA Legal team which comprises lawyers qualified in multiple countries. The team forms part of the broader EMEA Legal & Compliance department.

The lawyer will be expected to work with a high degree of proactivity and accountability. Recognising that the lawyer is also part of a broader team, the lawyer will also need to communicate and escalate appropriately. Support and training will be provided.

Responsibilities:

• Provide legal advice and draft and negotiate contracts for matters related to digital assets, including tokenisation of public and private products and assets, exchange-traded products and other collective investment products, staking, collateral and digital asset service provider agreements.
• Provide legal support for new product launches more broadly.
• Advise on cross border distribution of products and services across EMEA.
• Identify, address and manage legal risks.
• Work with colleagues in core regulatory legal team and compliance to interpret new regulations to help the businesses navigate the changing regulatory environment and to implement new regulations.
• Conduct research and draft comments on regulatory proposals and consultations.
• Draft and negotiate service provider, intermediary and client contracts.
• Present to boards and governance committees.
• Collaborate with the compliance function, including the enhancement of internal policies and procedures aimed at mitigating risk, compliance with regulatory requirements and improving operational efficiency.

Competencies and experience:

• Qualified lawyer with at least 5 years’ experience in a law firm and/or as a legal adviser to a digital assets technology, custody or other digital assets financial services business.
• Experience in advising on digital asset matters including digital asset product structuring, tokenisation, staking, collateral, decentralised finance applications and other digital asset services.
• Understanding of digital assets, distributed ledger technology, staking, and decentralised finance.
• Familiarity with tokenisation technology, infrastructure and operating model, how cryptoassets operate, and decentralised finance applications (or at least some of the above) would be helpful.
• Demonstrated interest in asset management and advising on tokenisation, crypto asset exchange traded products and other investment products.
• Regulatory knowledge of regulations on digital assets in Europe (including UK) and Middle East would be helpful.
• Strong analytical, written, verbal and project management skills and ability to (i) work with and across different business and operations teams, (ii) work effectively both independently and as a member of team, (iii) work in a demanding and fast-paced environment, and (iv) prioritise multiple tasks and projects concurrently while maintaining high standards and attention to detail.
• Ability to explain complex legal and regulatory concepts to non-lawyers.
• Ability and desire to develop expertise in new or unfamiliar areas of law.

Our benefits

To help you stay energized, engaged and inspired, we offer a wide range of employee benefits including: retirement investment and tools designed to help you in building a sound financial future; access to education reimbursement; comprehensive resources to support your physical health and emotional well-being; family support programs; and Flexible Time Off (FTO) so you can relax, recharge and be there for the people you care about.

Our hybrid work model

BlackRock’s hybrid work model is designed to enable a culture of collaboration and apprenticeship that enriches the experience of our employees, while supporting flexibility for all. Employees are currently required to work at least 4 days in the office per week, with the flexibility to work from home 1 day a week. Some business groups may require more time in the office due to their roles and responsibilities. We remain focused on increasing the impactful moments that arise when we work together in person – aligned with our commitment to performance and innovation.

About BlackRock

At BlackRock, we are all connected by one mission: to help more and more people experience financial well-being. Our clients, and the people they serve, are saving for retirement, paying for their children’s educations, buying homes and starting businesses. Their investments also help to strengthen the global economy: support businesses small and large; finance infrastructure projects that connect and power cities; and facilitate innovations that drive progress.

This mission would not be possible without our smartest investment – the one we make in our employees. It’s why we’re dedicated to creating an environment where our colleagues feel welcomed, valued and supported with networks, benefits and development opportunities to help them thrive.

For additional information on BlackRock, please visit @blackrock | Twitter: @blackrock | LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/blackrock

BlackRock is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to age, disability, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation and other protected characteristics at law.