Deputy General Counsel

About the Company:

Tools for Humanity (TFH) designs and builds technology behind World. World is building a real human network designed to accelerate people in the age of AI. As bots and autonomous agents reshape the internet, people, institutions, and applications need a trusted way to confirm who is a real human while preserving privacy. The TFH and World tech stacks make this possible: the Orb verifies real, unique people, World ID proves it privately, and World App puts these capabilities, and more, in people’s hands. Together, they add a human layer to an AI-driven internet.

World is already running at a global scale. More than 17 million people across 160 countries have verified with World ID, and more new Orb verifications take place each week. World App is already among the most used wallets globally. Developers are integrating World ID to build safer online experiences and create spaces where real people can participate, earn, and be recognized in ways AI simply can’t replicate.

Founded in 2019, TFH has more than 400 people across hardware, software, AI, cryptography, mobile engineering, and global operations. Our teams come from OpenAI, Tesla, SpaceX, Apple, Google, Stripe, Meta, Coinbase, Palantir and MIT Media Lab. We’re backed by leading investors, including a16z, Khosla Ventures, Bain Capital Crypto, Blockchain Capital, Variant, Tiger Global, and Coinbase Ventures, as well as prominent operators and founders across fintech and AI.

TFH and World have been featured on the cover of TIME Magazine, highlighted in Fast Company’s Next 5 in Fintech, and explored in a Bloomberg deep dive. The New York Times, Bankless and TechCrunch have all recognized our collective progress in identity, cryptography, AI, and global-scale hardware deployment. Our leadership is also named to the Time AI 100. Learn more about the newest product launches from our Liftoff event.

About the Team:

Our Legal team is dedicated to supporting the World Network by managing Tools for Humanity’s legal affairs globally. We collaborate across the company to advance the blockchain project and enhance our products, including the Orb (our hardware device), World ID, World App, and World Chain. We value creativity, curiosity, a sense of humor, and a shared sense of urgency.

Location:

San Francisco, California (in person)

Reports to:

General Counsel

Key Responsibilities

Regulatory Strategy & Government Engagement

• Lead the company’s global regulatory strategy across financial services, crypto-assets and blockchain, digital identity, consumer protection, payments, platform and technology regulation, and other legal and regulatory frameworks applicable to the company’s products, services, and operations.

• Advise executive leadership on complex and emerging regulatory issues involving digital assets, token issuance and distribution, blockchain networks, wallets and payments, digital identity, consumer protection, financial services, artificial intelligence, and other emerging technologies.

• Develop and lead strategies for regulatory engagement, licensing and registration matters, supervisory relationships, regulatory examinations, investigations, enforcement actions, and related government inquiries across multiple jurisdictions.

• Lead significant regulatory inquiries, examinations, investigations, and enforcement matters, coordinating strategy across Legal, Policy, Communications, Product, Compliance, and Market Operations.

• Monitor global legislative, regulatory, and enforcement developments, assess their potential impact on the company and the World network, and translate emerging risks and opportunities into practical, business-oriented guidance.

Litigation, Investigations & Dispute Resolution

• Lead the company's global litigation strategy across commercial, regulatory, employment, privacy, consumer protection, intellectual property, and other disputes.

• Manage significant litigation, arbitrations, investigations, enforcement actions, and other high-risk matters from strategy through resolution.

• Direct outside counsel, oversee litigation budgets, and advise executive leadership on legal, business, and reputational risk.

Compliance & Ethics

• Lead the company's global compliance and ethics program, including risk assessment, policies, controls, testing, training, investigations, and reporting to executive leadership and the Board.

Crisis Management & Cross-Functional Advisory

• Lead the legal response to significant litigation, regulatory, and enforcement matters.

• Develop crisis-response frameworks and lead the legal response to high-impact litigation, regulatory, enforcement, and compliance matters.

• Serve as the primary legal partner for Trust & Safety on non-privacy matters and advise executive leadership on strategic litigation and regulatory issues.

• Partner closely with Product, Market Operations, Commercial, Privacy, Corporate, Employment, and Policy teams to support product launches, regulatory engagement, and business initiatives.

Building the Function

• Build, mentor, and lead high-performing Regulatory, Litigation and Compliance teams.

• Build scalable litigation, regulatory, and compliance operations, including playbooks, response frameworks, matter management, reporting, litigation holds, knowledge management, and other systems that improve organizational readiness, consistency, responsiveness, and effectiveness.

• Develop documentation, training, and self-service resources that enable the business to identify, manage, and appropriately escalate legal and compliance risk.

About You:

Relevant Experience

• 10-15+ years of experience as a regulatory, litigation, investigations, or enforcement attorney at a leading law firm, government agency, or in a senior in-house legal role supporting a technology company or other highly regulated business.

• This role will primarily lead the company’s global regulatory and litigation work, including matters involving financial services, crypto-assets and blockchain, digital identity, consumer protection, and emerging technologies, while also overseeing investigations, enforcement matters, and related crisis response. We are seeking candidates with deep expertise in regulatory and/or litigation matters, and sufficient breadth to lead across the broader portfolio; equally deep experience in every subject area is not required.

• Significant experience managing complex litigation, regulatory inquiries and examinations, government investigations, and/or enforcement matters across multiple jurisdictions.

• Experience advising executive leadership on high-stakes legal, regulatory, business, and reputational issues.

Strategic Judgment

• Exceptional business judgment and the ability to balance legal risk, operational realities, and business objectives.

• Comfortable operating in ambiguous, fast-moving legal and regulatory environments where clear precedent may not exist.

• Strong executive presence and sound judgment under pressure.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Proven ability to build trusted relationships across legal, product, policy, communications, security, and executive leadership.

• Excellent communicator capable of translating complex legal and regulatory issues into practical, business-oriented guidance.

• Experience building or scaling legal teams, processes, and operational frameworks in a fast-growing organization.

• A collaborative, low-ego working style.

Credentials

• Juris Doctor from a top-tier law school

• Membership in at least one U.S. state bar

In Person

• Ability to work in-person from San Francisco, CA

What We Offer:

• Collaborative, creative office space in San Francisco

• Flexible, unlimited PTO

• Monthly phone reimbursement or company-provided device

• 3 meals/day served in house

• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and mental health coverage

• 401(k) plan with employer match

• Commuter benefits and professional development stipend

The reasonably estimated salary for this role at TFH ranges from $297,500 - $350,000, plus a competitive long term incentive package. Actual compensation is based on factors such as the candidate’s skills, qualifications, and experience.

In addition, TFH offers a wide range of best-in-class, comprehensive, and inclusive employee benefits for this role, including healthcare, dental, vision, 401(k) plan and match, life insurance, flexible time off, commuter benefits, professional development stipend, and much more.

By submitting your application, you consent to the processing and internal sharing of your CV within the company, in compliance with the GDPR.