Full-Time

Founding Counsel

Posted on 5/20/2025

ModernFi

ModernFi

11-50 employees

Advisory funding allocations to FDIC-member banks

Compensation Overview

$160k - $350k/yr

New York, NY, USA

In Person

Onsite presentation may be required during recruitment.

Category
Legal & Compliance (2)
,
Required Skills
Risk Management
Requirements
  • 5–8+ years of experience, ideally with a mix of law firm and in-house roles, particularly at a technology or fintech company
  • Hold a JD from a prominent law school as well as a bar admission
  • Confident in contract negotiation and legal strategy, especially in regulated or B2B enterprise contexts
  • Thoughtful and pragmatic in your approach to legal risk, with the ability to advise on what’s essential, what’s flexible, and what to push back on
  • Comfortable working cross-functionally and explaining legal concepts to non-legal stakeholders
  • Entrepreneurial — excited to build from the ground up, work through ambiguity, and be part of a founding team
  • Experience with banks, credit unions, or financial infrastructure is a strong plus
Responsibilities
  • Own all core legal responsibilities as the first in-house legal hire, including revising, reviewing and negotiating client contracts, vendor agreements, NDAs, and employment documents
  • Advise on legal risk, particularly in reviewing contractual agreements from institutional bank and credit union partners and vendor relationships
  • Support due diligence processes from customers, vendors, and investors with clear, efficient, and consistent legal review
  • Partner with internal teams on employment-related legal needs, such as offer letters and policy documentation
  • Prepare for and support fundraising activities, including working with outside counsel and managing investor diligence
  • Contribute to ModernFi’s compliance posture, especially regarding frameworks relevant to FDIC, NCUA, OCC, and Federal Reserve guidance on risk management for third-party relationships
  • Represent ModernFi on external legal and compliance calls with banks, credit unions, and other partners
  • Build the internal legal infrastructure — processes, templates, and policies — that will scale with the company
Desired Qualifications
  • Familiarity with regulatory and compliance frameworks for financial services (e.g., GLBA, SOC 2, FFIEC)
  • Experience supporting early-stage fundraising or venture-backed startups

ModernFi helps banks and financial institutions manage funding and balance sheets. It provides advisory services and allocates funds to FDIC-member banks, guiding funding markets and asset-liability management. The process involves offering insights, controls, processes, monitoring, and educational materials to help clients conduct due diligence and manage third-party risks, while charging consulting, management, and performance-based fees. ModernFi is not a bank and does not offer deposits; instead, it works with FDIC-insured banks to support their funding needs. The company differentiates itself by focusing on specialized funding-market strategies for institutional clients and by combining advisory services with fund allocation to optimize balance sheets and regulatory compliance. Its goal is to simplify complex funding and ALM topics for banks, helping them improve financial health while managing risk.

Company Size

11-50

Company Stage

Series B

Total Funding

$57.7M

Headquarters

New York City, New York

Founded

2022

Simplify Jobs

Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • $30M Series B from Canapi and Andreessen Horowitz fuels deposit network expansion.
  • Gale Simons-Poole's FDIC expertise strengthens regulatory compliance as Head of Regulatory Affairs.
  • Rodney Hood's NCUA chairmanship bolsters credit union deposit network launch.

What critics are saying

  • IntraFi Network erodes ModernFi's share with 2,000+ established bank relationships.
  • FDIC revokes pass-through insurance on ModernFi networks post-SVB, causing outflows.
  • NCUA audits halt ModernFi CUSO operations due to compliance gaps in 3-6 months.

What makes ModernFi unique

  • ModernFi CUSO launches first deposit network for credit unions with extended NCUA insurance.
  • NBID network captures 40% of reciprocal deposit market via bank collaboration since 2025.
  • API-driven integrations like Q2 Platform enable seamless sweep and reciprocal programs.

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Benefits

Health Insurance

Dental Insurance

Vision Insurance

Unlimited Paid Time Off

Company Equity

Growth & Insights and Company News

Headcount

6 month growth

2%

1 year growth

13%

2 year growth

-1%
ModernFi
Nov 21st, 2025
Experienced Regulator and Risk Leader, Gale Simons-Poole, Joins ModernFi as Head of Regulatory Affairs

Experienced regulator and risk leader, Gale Simons-Poole, joins modernfi as Head of Regulatory Affairs. Longtime regulatory leader to further strengthen ModernFi's financial services governance, risk management, and regulatory relationships as the company continues to scale NEW YORK, NY - ModernFi, the leading technology provider for deposit management, today announced the appointment of Gale Simons-Poole, a distinguished leader in financial risk management and regulatory oversight, as Head of Regulatory Affairs. Mrs. Simons-Poole most recently served as Chief Risk Officer at BHG Financial, where she led regulatory and compliance matters for BHG lending programs and scaled BHG's enterprise risk program. Prior to BHG, she spent seven years with Promontory Financial Group, advising bank clients from community to money center banks, nonbank lenders, fintech companies, and financial services organizations. Gale's extensive experience in bank supervision includes 24 years with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) where she was a Deputy Regional Director in Risk Management Supervision. In this capacity, she oversaw risk management for several southeastern states and gained recognition for her expertise in supervisory and compliance matters. "I am thrilled to join the ModernFi team at this critical time as the company scales its deposit network services with hundreds of financial institutions," said Mrs. Simons-Poole. "I look forward to further strengthening ModernFi's regulatory relationships and risk programs and building on the company's mission to help financial institutions compete, grow, and thrive in an ever evolving regulatory landscape." Mrs. Simons-Poole joins a team deeply focused on delivering the highest standards of compliance, governance, and safety. She will work closely with current ModernFi board advisors and former regulators, Rodney Hood, former Acting Comptroller of the Currency and former NCUA Chairman, and Gene Ludwig, 27th Comptroller of the Currency, to further deepen ModernFi's compliance and regulatory framework. Through her time working with banks at the FDIC and Promontory, she has gained unique insight into the challenges financial institutions face of managing business risk and evolving technology solutions. "Gale's deep regulatory and industry experience will be invaluable as ModernFi's growth continues to accelerate," said Paolo Bertolotti, Cofounder and CEO of ModernFi. "She brings extensive knowledge of portfolio management, regulatory supervision, and enterprise risk management. We are beyond excited to welcome Gale to the team and for her to continue our focus on advancing our compliance and regulatory affairs within the financial services ecosystem." During her time with the FDIC, she completed Harvard's John F Kennedy School of Government Federal Executive Leadership Program and the FDIC's Women's Executive Leadership Program. Gale holds an MBA from Louisiana Tech University and a bachelor's degree from Black Hills State University. About ModernFi ModernFi empowers financial institutions of all sizes to better serve their communities. Through ModernFi, banks and credit unions can grow, retain, and manage their deposit base by sourcing deposits, sweeping funds, and providing additional security to depositors. Backed by Canapi, Andreessen Horowitz, ICE, and leading banks and credit unions, the firm provides financial institutions with market-leading deposit management built on a modern tech stack and a foundation of compliance. Learn more at modernfi.com. Media ModernFi [email protected]

ModernFi
Jul 30th, 2025
ModernFi Secures $30M Series B Funding

ModernFi announced a $30 million Series B funding round led by Canapi Ventures, with participation from Andreessen Horowitz, Curql, Remarkable Ventures, and new investor Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. This brings ModernFi’s total funding to over $60 million. The investment highlights ModernFi's role in deposit stability and liquidity management for U.S. banks and credit unions, helping them grow deposits and enhance depositor security in a changing banking landscape.

ModernFi
May 21st, 2025
"Create 2025" Summit Recap: Shaping the Future of Credit Unions and Fintechs

Last week, ModernFi, alongside its partners Suncoast and Clutch, had the privilege of hosting the inaugural "Create 2025" summit, a gathering of leading credit unions and fintechs to collaborate on solutions to support a stronger, more innovative credit union ecosystem.

Business Wire
Nov 20th, 2024
Leading Credit Unions Fund ModernFi CUSO to Drive Deposit Growth via the First Credit Union Deposit Network

ModernFi CUSO, the preeminent solution for credit union deposit and member growth, is proud to announce the close of its latest funding with new inves

Business Wire
Aug 29th, 2024
ModernFi Announces Partnership with Tru Treasury to Support Credit Union Growth in Business Banking

ModernFi is thrilled to announce our partnership with Tru Treasury to deliver transformative balance sheet management tools for credit unions.

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