---
title: 'Legal Counsel - Derivatives at Wintermute'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/legal-counsel-derivatives-wintermute-london-xxfv0cnava5n'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-25'
---

# Legal Counsel - Derivatives at Wintermute

- **Company:** Wintermute
- **Location:** London, United Kingdom
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** hybrid
- **Posted:** 2026-10-19
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-25
- **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/wintermute-trading/764884fc-45f8-4018-9f4a-75fd77ee6d6d

## Job description

## About Wintermute

Wintermute is one of the largest crypto native algorithmic trading companies in digital assets. We provide liquidity across most cryptocurrency exchanges and trading platforms, a broad range of OTC trading solutions as well as support high profile blockchain projects and traditional financial institutions moving into crypto. Wintermute also has a Wintermute Ventures arm that invests in early stage DeFi projects. Wintermute was founded in 2017 and has successfully navigated industry cycles. Culturally, we combine the best of the two worlds: the technology standards of high-frequency trading firms in traditional markets and the innovative and entrepreneurial culture of technology startups. To Wintermute digital assets is not just another asset class, we believe in the innovative potential of blockchain, the fundamental innovations, we have a long-term view on the digital asset market and are taking a leadership position in building an innovative and compliant market. You can read more here. Working at Wintermute We are looking for a Legal Counsel - Derivatives role to support Wintermute’s rapidly growing derivatives business and expansion into traditional financial markets, with a focus on OTC derivatives. The successful candidate should have strong foundation in derivatives in traditional financial markets and be able to adapt rapidly to the entrepreneurial, varied and highly dynamic nature of Wintermute's business, including the challenges and opportunities associated with the digital assets business. Working closely with senior legal colleagues, traders and teams across risk, compliance and operations, you will take ownership of negotiations and projects across the jurisdictions in which Wintermute operates. You will have the opportunity to help shape approaches that appropriately balance the business growth objectives and legal risk.

## Key Responsibilities

- Negotiate commercial agreements: draft and negotiate documentation relating to our derivatives offerings, including ISDA Master Agreements, related credit support documentation and trade-specific confirmations,  as well as financial infrastructure agreements (particularly  tri-party custody and collateral, prime brokerage and clearing documentation); coordinate input and decisions from various stakeholders and drive contracts to completion
- External negotiations: negotiate directly with counterparties and their counsel as required
- Derivatives regulatory compliance and research: conduct legal and regulatory research and work with external advisors as required to define the legal and regulatory requirements for the firm’s trading in various products and jurisdictions
- Advisory and implementation: Ability to deliver practical, commercially focused advice
- Other legal: get involved in projects outside of OTC derivatives based on personal professional development interests and company requirements

## Experience and Qualifications

- A lawyer qualified in England and Wales, preferably with approximately 3–5 years’ post-qualification experience as a derivatives lawyer. Applications from particularly strong candidates with a different level of post-qualification experience, or an equivalent common-law qualification, will also be considered.
- Training at a Magic Circle firm, leading US law firm or other leading international firm with a recognised derivatives practice is strongly preferred. Candidates who trained in such a practice and subsequently moved in-house at a bank, broker-dealer, hedge fund or trading firm will also be considered.
- Experience must include:
- Negotiating ISDA Master Agreements and the related credit support documents (both English and New York law governed).
- Ability to document transactions in OTC derivatives (swaps, options, forwards) across a range of underlying asset classes.
- Familiarity with securities lending and repurchase master trading documentation;
- Experience with prime brokerage, custody, clearing and other financial infrastructure documentation is highly desirable.
- Ability to work effectively in a high performing setting and under tight deadlines.
- Some level of understanding of regulatory frameworks and how they apply to OTC derivatives in various jurisdictions in traditional financial markets would be helpful.

Here is why you should join our dynamic team:

- Working at one of the most innovative trading firms globally.
- Engaging projects offering accelerated responsibilities and ownership compared to traditional finance environments.
- A vibrant working culture with frequent team meals, holiday celebrations, gaming events, and company-wide outings.
- A Wintermute-inspired office in central London, featuring an array of amenities such as table tennis and foosball, personalized desk configurations, a cozy team breakout area with games and free food.
- Great company culture: informal, non-hierarchical, ambitious, highly professional with a startup vibe, collaborative and entrepreneurial.
- A performance-based compensation with a significant earning potential alongside standard perks like pension and private Health insurance.

Note

- Although we are unable to accept fully remote candidates, we support significant flexibility in regards to working from home and working hours.
- We offer UK work permits and help with relocation

## About Wintermute

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Wintermute is an algorithmic trading firm and market maker that provides liquidity across centralized and decentralized exchanges to make digital asset markets more liquid and efficient.
- **Entity Type**: Private (no public funding rounds disclosed)
- **Headquarters**: London, UK (registered in England & Wales)
- **Founded**: Not publicly available
- **Founders**: Not publicly available

## Core Business
- **Industry**: Digital asset market making, algorithmic trading, and DeFi infrastructure.
- **Target Customers**: B2B – centralized exchanges (CEXs), decentralized exchanges (DEXs), DeFi protocols, institutional investors, and blockchain projects.
- **Mission**: “Making digital asset markets liquid and efficient.” [wintermute.com](https://www.wintermute.com/)

## Products & Services
- **OTC Trading**: Spot and derivatives trading across the widest range of digital assets via a desk that sits at the source of liquidity. [wintermute.com](https://www.wintermute.com/)
- **Market Making**: Algorithmic liquidity provision on 60+ centralized and decentralized exchanges, including support for token listing and market making services. [leviathan.news](https://leviathan.news/atlas/wintermute)
- **DeFi**: Active participation as a builder, liquidity provider, blockchain researcher, and governance contributor. Key innovations include work on MEV and the Rizzolver protocol. [wintermute.com](https://www.wintermute.com/company/careers)
- **Wintermute Ventures**: An investment arm focused on early-stage DeFi protocols, providing capital and value-add support. [wintermute.com](https://www.wintermute.com/)
- **Wintermute Node**: Platform product for counterparties, covering the full trade lifecycle. [wintermute.com](https://www.wintermute.com/company/careers)

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Over $10 billion in average daily trading volume across global venues. [cryptoslate.com](https://cryptoslate.com/wintermute-takes-aim-at-wall-streets-crypto-etf-gatekeepers/)
- **Notable Partners/Clients**: Supplies liquidity for the Fidelity Wise Origin Bitcoin Fund; whitelisted market participant for BlackRock’s BUIDL tokenized money-market fund via UniswapX. [cryptoslate.com](https://cryptoslate.com/wintermute-takes-aim-at-wall-streets-crypto-etf-gatekeepers/)
- **Growth Signals**: In August 2025, Wintermute USA secured SEC broker-dealer registration and FINRA membership, clearing the way to act as an authorized participant for digital asset ETPs. The firm also benefited from the SEC’s 2025 approval of in-kind creations/redemptions for Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs. [cryptoslate.com](https://cryptoslate.com/wintermute-takes-aim-at-wall-streets-crypto-etf-gatekeepers/)

## Competitive Advantages
- **Technology- First Edge**: Low-latency trading systems, data & market signal engineering, and top-tier infrastructure security give Wintermute a performance advantage over many competitors. [wintermute.com](https://www.wintermute.com/company/careers)
- **Cross- Ecosystem Reach**: Provides liquidity across both CEXs and DEXs, bridging traditional finance and DeFi with deep expertise in both domains. [leviathan.news](https://leviathan.news/atlas/wintermute)
- **Non-hierarchical Culture**: Flat structure where results outweigh seniority – every role is expected to have a direct revenue impact. [wintermute.com](https://www.wintermute.com/company/careers)
- **Regulatory First- Mover**: SEC broker-dealer registration positions Wintermute to compete with traditional market makers like Jane Street for ETF authorized participant roles. [cryptoslate.com](https://cryptoslate.com/wintermute-takes-aim-at-wall-streets-crypto-etf-gatekeepers/)

## Strategic Focus
- **U.S. Securities Expansion**: Leveraging the new broker-dealer license to become an authorized participant for crypto ETPs and trade securities for its own account. [cryptoslate.com](https://cryptoslate.com/wintermute-takes-aim-at-wall-streets-crypto-etf-gatekeepers/)
- **Deepening DeFi Leadership**: Continuing to build innovative protocols (Rizzolver), contribute to governance, and expand the DeFi research practice. [wintermute.com](https://www.wintermute.com/company/careers)
- **Scaling Ventures & Partnerships** Growing the BD team to onboard more blockchain projects and institutional counterparties globally. [wintermute.com](https://www.wintermute.com/company/careers)

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Non-hierarchical, informal, and direct. “We empower everyone from day 1 to act like an owner.” Results are rewarded generously, and every role is treated as revenue-generating. [wintermute.com](https://www.wintermute.com/company/careers)
- **Work Mode**: Hybrid and on-site roles available across London, New York, and Singapore. Some positions are full-time on-site. [jobs.lever.co](https://jobs.lever.co/wintermute-trading)
- **Team Dynamics**: High- performing, collaborative, and fast-paced. The company values versatility and expects all team members to make a true impact. [wintermute.com](https://www.wintermute.com/company/careers)
- **Perks**: Working lunch options, social events, and a “work hard, play hard” balance. [wintermute.com](https://www.wintermute.com/company/careers)

## Sources
1. [Wintermute Careers Page](https://www.wintermute.com/company/careers)
2. [Wintermute Job Listings (Lever)](https://jobs.lever.co/wintermute-trading)
3. [Wintermute Main Website](https://www.wintermute.com/)
4. [Leviathan News Wintermute Explainer](https://leviathan.news/atlas/wintermute)
5. [Cryptoslate: Wintermute takes aim at Wall Street’s crypto ETF gatekeepers](https://cryptoslate.com/wintermute-takes-aim-at-wall-streets-crypto-etf-gatekeepers/)

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