About 500 Global
500 Global is a venture capital firm founded in 2010 that invests in founders building fast-growing technology companies. With $2.1B+ in assets under management, 3,000+ portfolio companies across 80+ countries and team members in 26 countries, the firm combines Silicon Valley venture capital with deep local presence across emerging markets.
About the Role
The General Counsel, Group is the firm’s senior legal officer, owning the legal architecture of its highest-value decisions: governance, the US regulatory perimeter, entity structure and capitalisation transactions. The role advises the Board and its committees, the CEO, the COO and the shareholders, serves as Secretary of the Board and the Audit Committee, and is the named Compliance Officer for the Americas. Day-to-day business-unit legal work sits with the Unit Legal Team; the General Counsel sets the standards, templates and risk thresholds that team works to, and is measured on risk outcomes aligned to business goals, transaction execution, preservation of the US adviser’s exempt status, and development of the legal team.
Key Responsibilities
Own governance and board machinery: the Operating Agreement, Board and committee charters, written consents, officer appointments and ratifications, reserved-matters analysis, committee composition and terms, and minutes and records maintained to a standard that shortens any future diligence.
Preserve the US adviser’s exempt reporting status as products evolve, clearing every new vehicle, managed-account concept or structure against the US-adviser trigger list before it is offered to a counterparty.
Own the standing US regulatory obligations regardless of exemption, including anti-fraud, insider trading, pay-to-play, Form ADV accuracy and Regulation D, and set the sanctions-escalation triggers commercial teams operate to.
Serve as named Compliance Officer for the Americas, running the compliance program through internal resources and an outsourced provider (filings, ADV updates, policies, training), with a documented Audit Committee escalation line and an approved AML build plan.
Oversee the US adviser’s fund offering and marketing materials, investor solicitation, securities and fundraising matters through a defined red-flag review process with committed turnaround times.
Maintain the legal operating system: precleared regulatory positions, fund-marketing templates and an up-to-date trigger list, with same-day classification of unclear cases, so unit counsel can act independently on all but red-flag matters.
Lead the legal work on firm-level transactions, including acquisitions and consolidations, platform equity raises, and GP-stake and seeding structures, from structure design through diligence to close.
Co-own, with the COO, the analysis and recommendation on establishing a second adviser entity to spread regulatory risk and support managed-account capability.
Design and execute the legal entity structure supporting the firm’s business units, including transfer and allocation mechanics and transaction-driven structuring, and maintain the firm’s legal risk register and thresholds.
Advise on executive compensation, equity issuances, partner agreements and separations, and review of success-linked compensation for fundraising-facing personnel.
Manage group-level outside counsel as a portfolio: panel selection, engagement discipline and approval thresholds, reducing spend against baseline and eliminating duplicated review.
Lead and develop the legal team, delegating work previously done centrally and holding unit counsel to defined standards.
Requirements
Required Qualifications
JD or equivalent law degree; admitted and in good standing in at least one US state bar.
15+ years’ post-qualification experience, combining a leading law firm’s investment management, funds or corporate practice with senior in-house experience at an investment adviser, asset manager or venture capital / private equity firm.
Deep working knowledge of the Investment Advisers Act (including exempt reporting and venture capital adviser exemptions), Investment Company Act exclusions, Regulation D, and Form ADV, pay-to-play and marketing rules.
Experience as, or directly supporting, a Chief Compliance Officer, including running a compliance program with outsourced providers.
Track record leading firm-level transactions (M&A, equity raises, GP-stake or seeding arrangements, entity restructurings) through to close.
Experience serving as corporate or board secretary, with command of governance mechanics and committee processes.
Proven ability to build legal operating systems (templates, precleared positions, escalation protocols) that let business teams move quickly within defined risk limits.
Experience managing outside counsel with demonstrable cost and quality discipline, and leading and developing lawyers.
Commercial judgment, discretion and presence to act as a trusted adviser to the CEO, COO and Board.
Or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Benefits
Skills Required
- JD or equivalent law degree
- Admission and good standing in at least one US state bar
- 15+ years of post-qualification experience
- Experience in a leading law firm's investment management, funds, or corporate practice
- Senior in-house experience at an investment adviser, asset manager, venture capital, or private equity firm
- Deep knowledge of the Investment Advisers Act, Investment Company Act exclusions, Regulation D, Form ADV, pay-to-play, and marketing rules
- Experience as or directly supporting a Chief Compliance Officer
- Experience running a compliance program with outsourced providers
- Track record leading M&A, equity raises, GP-stake or seeding arrangements, and entity restructurings through closing
- Experience serving as corporate or board secretary
- Command of governance mechanics and committee processes
- Experience building legal operating systems, templates, precleared positions, and escalation protocols
- Experience managing outside counsel with cost and quality discipline
- Experience leading and developing lawyers
- Commercial judgment, discretion, and executive-level advisory presence
- Equivalent combination of education and experience
500 Global Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about 500 Global and has not been reviewed or approved by 500 Global.
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Flexible Benefits — Work arrangements are described as flexible and remote‑first, enabling global collaboration and work‑from‑home options. This flexibility is positioned as a meaningful perk across a distributed team.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time off is presented as generous, with references to unlimited PTO in some roles alongside vacation, sick time, and public holidays. Parental leave is also cited in certain postings.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage is characterized as comprehensive, with some roles noting plans that include immediate family. Wellness programs and allowances further support health and wellbeing in select locations.
500 Global Insights
What We Do
500 Global is a venture capital firm with over $2.7B in Assets Under Management that invests early in founders building fast-growing technology companies. We focus on markets where technology, innovation, and capital can unlock long-term value and drive economic growth. 500 Global has backed over 5,000 founders representing more than 2,600 companies operating in 80 countries. Our portfolio includes 51 companies valued at over $1 billion and 140 companies valued at over $100 million. Our 140+ plus team members are located in more than 15 countries and bring experience as entrepreneurs, investors, and operators from some of the world’s leading technology companies.
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