Vice President of Legal Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Vice President of Legal roles qualify as H-1B visa specialty occupations, requiring at least a J.D. or equivalent advanced law degree. Employers file the Labor Condition Application and I-129 petition on your behalf, and bar admission in the relevant U.S. jurisdiction is typically a hard requirement before any offer clears legal review.
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Get Access To All JobsLegal Counsel, Investment Services, Vice President
About the Role
State Street is one of the world’s leading providers of financial services to institutional investors. Investment Services is a core State Street business, delivering servicing, operational, and technology solutions to asset managers, asset owners, insurance companies, and other institutional clients globally.
Joining State Street means working at the center of a sophisticated and highly regulated financial services ecosystem. Our Legal team partners with business and control leaders to address complex legal and regulatory matters, support strategic growth, strengthen client relationships, and help the business navigate an evolving investment services landscape.
We are seeking an experienced attorney to join the Investment Services Legal team supporting the Americas business. This role provides the opportunity to advise business leaders and client-facing teams on significant legal, regulatory, commercial, operational, and reputational matters across a broad range of institutional client relationships and investment servicing activities.
The successful candidate will bring strong legal judgment, commercial awareness, and the ability to translate complex legal and regulatory considerations into practical advice that supports the business while appropriately managing risk.
What You Will Be Responsible For
As Legal Counsel, Investment Services, Vice President, you will:
- Serve as a trusted legal advisor to Investment Services business leaders, client-facing teams, and control functions on legal, regulatory, commercial, operational, and governance matters.
- Advise on matters involving investment funds, investment managers, institutional asset owners, and other sophisticated financial-services clients.
- Draft, review, interpret, and negotiate complex client and commercial agreements.
- Provide practical legal guidance on significant client relationships, negotiations, new products, service enhancements, and changes to business or operating models.
- Advise on applicable securities and investment-management laws and regulations, including relevant SEC rules and regulatory developments.
- Partner with Compliance, Risk, Audit, Operations, Product, Technology, and other functions on regulatory change, governance, remediation, and strategic initiatives.
- Identify and evaluate legal, regulatory, operational, financial, and reputational risks and provide clear, commercially informed recommendations.
- Support interactions with clients, regulators, fund boards, outside counsel, and other external stakeholders, as appropriate.
- Monitor relevant legal and regulatory developments and advise business partners on potential client, product, and operational impacts.
- Contribute to the continued development of legal processes, standards, knowledge management, and risk-management practices.
What We Value
We are looking for a commercially minded attorney who can operate effectively at the intersection of law, regulation, business strategy, and client service.
The successful candidate will bring:
- Sound judgment and a practical, solutions-oriented approach to legal advice.
- The ability to identify the issues that matter most and provide clear, actionable guidance.
- Strong communication and relationship-building skills.
- The confidence and credibility to advise and appropriately challenge business partners.
- Intellectual curiosity and the ability to understand sophisticated products, clients, and operating models.
- A collaborative approach to working across Legal, business, and control functions.
- A commitment to integrity, accountability, and disciplined risk management.
Qualifications
- Juris Doctor (JD) degree and admission to practice law.
- 6+ experience practicing law within a law firm, financial institution, investment manager, asset manager, or other relevant financial-services environment.
- Strong knowledge of laws and regulations relevant to the investment-management and/or financial-services industry.
- Demonstrated ability to advise business partners on complex legal, regulatory, commercial, or client matters.
- Strong legal drafting, analytical, and problem-solving capabilities.
- Ability to translate complex legal and regulatory issues into practical, business-oriented advice.
- Strong communication skills with the ability to build credibility and effectively advise business leaders, clients, control functions, and other stakeholders.
- Experience advising registered investment funds, including mutual funds, ETFs, money market funds, or other registered investment products, preferred.
- Experience with private and alternative investment funds, including private markets, hedge funds, real estate funds, or similar structures, preferred.
- Experience advising institutional asset owners, insurance companies, or other sophisticated institutional investors, preferred.
- Experience drafting and negotiating complex commercial agreements, particularly within investment management or financial services, preferred.
- Familiarity with custody and asset servicing, including custody, fund administration, fund accounting, transfer agency, trustee services, securities lending, collateral, or related services, a plus.
- Prior law firm experience advising investment-management, institutional-investor, or financial-services clients a plus.
Why This Role Is Distinctive
This role combines the reach of a global financial institution with the opportunity to provide high-level legal advice across a sophisticated Investment Services business. You will partner with business and control leaders on complex legal, regulatory, commercial, and client matters, providing practical guidance that supports business objectives while appropriately managing risk.
For an experienced attorney seeking broader business exposure, sophisticated client relationships, and the opportunity to advise a core State Street business, this role offers a compelling next step.
Salary Range:
$120,000 - $202,500 Annual
The range quoted above applies to the role in the primary location specified. If the candidate would ultimately work outside of the primary location above, the applicable range could differ.
Employees are eligible to participate in State Street’s comprehensive benefits program, which includes: our retirement savings plan (401K) with company match; insurance coverage including basic life, medical, dental, vision, long-term disability, and other optional additional coverages; paid-time off including vacation, sick leave, short term disability, and family care responsibilities; access to our Employee Assistance Program; incentive compensation including eligibility for annual performance-based awards (excluding certain sales roles subject to sales incentive plans); and, eligibility for certain tax advantaged savings plans.
About State Street
Across the globe, institutional investors rely on us to help them manage risk, respond to challenges, and drive performance and profitability. We keep our clients at the heart of everything we do, and smart, engaged employees are essential to our continued success.
We are committed to fostering an environment where every employee feels valued and empowered to reach their full potential. As an essential partner in our shared success, you’ll benefit from inclusive development opportunities, flexible work-life support, paid volunteer days, and vibrant employee networks that keep you connected to what matters most. Join us in shaping the future.
As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we consider all qualified applicants for all positions without regard to race, creed, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, age, disability, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, citizenship, marital status, domestic partnership or civil union status, familial status, military and veteran status, and other characteristics protected by applicable law.
Job Application Disclosure:
It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
Legal Counsel, Investment Services, Vice President
About the Role
State Street is one of the world’s leading providers of financial services to institutional investors. Investment Services is a core State Street business, delivering servicing, operational, and technology solutions to asset managers, asset owners, insurance companies, and other institutional clients globally.
Joining State Street means working at the center of a sophisticated and highly regulated financial services ecosystem. Our Legal team partners with business and control leaders to address complex legal and regulatory matters, support strategic growth, strengthen client relationships, and help the business navigate an evolving investment services landscape.
We are seeking an experienced attorney to join the Investment Services Legal team supporting the Americas business. This role provides the opportunity to advise business leaders and client-facing teams on significant legal, regulatory, commercial, operational, and reputational matters across a broad range of institutional client relationships and investment servicing activities.
The successful candidate will bring strong legal judgment, commercial awareness, and the ability to translate complex legal and regulatory considerations into practical advice that supports the business while appropriately managing risk.
What You Will Be Responsible For
As Legal Counsel, Investment Services, Vice President, you will:
- Serve as a trusted legal advisor to Investment Services business leaders, client-facing teams, and control functions on legal, regulatory, commercial, operational, and governance matters.
- Advise on matters involving investment funds, investment managers, institutional asset owners, and other sophisticated financial-services clients.
- Draft, review, interpret, and negotiate complex client and commercial agreements.
- Provide practical legal guidance on significant client relationships, negotiations, new products, service enhancements, and changes to business or operating models.
- Advise on applicable securities and investment-management laws and regulations, including relevant SEC rules and regulatory developments.
- Partner with Compliance, Risk, Audit, Operations, Product, Technology, and other functions on regulatory change, governance, remediation, and strategic initiatives.
- Identify and evaluate legal, regulatory, operational, financial, and reputational risks and provide clear, commercially informed recommendations.
- Support interactions with clients, regulators, fund boards, outside counsel, and other external stakeholders, as appropriate.
- Monitor relevant legal and regulatory developments and advise business partners on potential client, product, and operational impacts.
- Contribute to the continued development of legal processes, standards, knowledge management, and risk-management practices.
What We Value
We are looking for a commercially minded attorney who can operate effectively at the intersection of law, regulation, business strategy, and client service.
The successful candidate will bring:
- Sound judgment and a practical, solutions-oriented approach to legal advice.
- The ability to identify the issues that matter most and provide clear, actionable guidance.
- Strong communication and relationship-building skills.
- The confidence and credibility to advise and appropriately challenge business partners.
- Intellectual curiosity and the ability to understand sophisticated products, clients, and operating models.
- A collaborative approach to working across Legal, business, and control functions.
- A commitment to integrity, accountability, and disciplined risk management.
Qualifications
- Juris Doctor (JD) degree and admission to practice law.
- 6+ experience practicing law within a law firm, financial institution, investment manager, asset manager, or other relevant financial-services environment.
- Strong knowledge of laws and regulations relevant to the investment-management and/or financial-services industry.
- Demonstrated ability to advise business partners on complex legal, regulatory, commercial, or client matters.
- Strong legal drafting, analytical, and problem-solving capabilities.
- Ability to translate complex legal and regulatory issues into practical, business-oriented advice.
- Strong communication skills with the ability to build credibility and effectively advise business leaders, clients, control functions, and other stakeholders.
- Experience advising registered investment funds, including mutual funds, ETFs, money market funds, or other registered investment products, preferred.
- Experience with private and alternative investment funds, including private markets, hedge funds, real estate funds, or similar structures, preferred.
- Experience advising institutional asset owners, insurance companies, or other sophisticated institutional investors, preferred.
- Experience drafting and negotiating complex commercial agreements, particularly within investment management or financial services, preferred.
- Familiarity with custody and asset servicing, including custody, fund administration, fund accounting, transfer agency, trustee services, securities lending, collateral, or related services, a plus.
- Prior law firm experience advising investment-management, institutional-investor, or financial-services clients a plus.
Why This Role Is Distinctive
This role combines the reach of a global financial institution with the opportunity to provide high-level legal advice across a sophisticated Investment Services business. You will partner with business and control leaders on complex legal, regulatory, commercial, and client matters, providing practical guidance that supports business objectives while appropriately managing risk.
For an experienced attorney seeking broader business exposure, sophisticated client relationships, and the opportunity to advise a core State Street business, this role offers a compelling next step.
Salary Range:
$120,000 - $202,500 Annual
The range quoted above applies to the role in the primary location specified. If the candidate would ultimately work outside of the primary location above, the applicable range could differ.
Employees are eligible to participate in State Street’s comprehensive benefits program, which includes: our retirement savings plan (401K) with company match; insurance coverage including basic life, medical, dental, vision, long-term disability, and other optional additional coverages; paid-time off including vacation, sick leave, short term disability, and family care responsibilities; access to our Employee Assistance Program; incentive compensation including eligibility for annual performance-based awards (excluding certain sales roles subject to sales incentive plans); and, eligibility for certain tax advantaged savings plans.
About State Street
Across the globe, institutional investors rely on us to help them manage risk, respond to challenges, and drive performance and profitability. We keep our clients at the heart of everything we do, and smart, engaged employees are essential to our continued success.
We are committed to fostering an environment where every employee feels valued and empowered to reach their full potential. As an essential partner in our shared success, you’ll benefit from inclusive development opportunities, flexible work-life support, paid volunteer days, and vibrant employee networks that keep you connected to what matters most. Join us in shaping the future.
As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we consider all qualified applicants for all positions without regard to race, creed, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, age, disability, genetic information, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, citizenship, marital status, domestic partnership or civil union status, familial status, military and veteran status, and other characteristics protected by applicable law.
Job Application Disclosure:
It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.
See all Vice President of Legal Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Vice President of Legal roles.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Vice President of Legal Jobs
Verify your bar admission transfers across states
Many VP of Legal roles require active admission in the state where the company is headquartered. Confirm reciprocity rules or waiver pathways before you apply, since an unlicensed attorney can't legally serve in this capacity regardless of visa status.
Document your foreign law degree equivalency early
If your law degree is from outside the U.S., get a credential evaluation from a NACES-accredited agency before interviews. USCIS requires the employer to establish that your foreign degree is equivalent to a U.S. J.D. for specialty occupation purposes.
Target companies with in-house legal departments over law firms
Corporate employers, not law firms, are the realistic H-1B sponsors for VP of Legal roles. Focus on publicly traded companies, large private firms, and regulated industries like fintech or healthcare, where in-house legal leadership is a standing headcount position.
Search verified sponsoring employers on Migrate Mate
Filter VP of Legal opportunities by employers with confirmed LCA filing history on Migrate Mate. This tells you which companies have actually sponsored legal leadership roles, so you're not cold-applying to employers who have never filed for this position type.
Expect the LCA prevailing wage to reflect senior management levels
VP of Legal positions typically map to Level III or IV wage tiers. Use the OFLC Wage Search to look up prevailing wages for legal occupations in your target metro before negotiations, so you know the floor DOL certifies before the employer files.
Confirm the employer can file before your OPT or status expires
H-1B petitions for VP-level roles often require additional USCIS documentation, including organizational charts and evidence of supervisory authority. Build at least 60 days of runway between your offer date and your current work authorization end date to absorb any RFE delays.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a Vice President of Legal role qualify as a specialty occupation for H-1B purposes?
Yes. VP of Legal positions qualify as specialty occupations because they require at minimum a J.D. or equivalent advanced law degree in a directly related field. USCIS will expect the employer to demonstrate that the theoretical and practical application of legal expertise is a standard requirement for the role, not just a preferred credential.
Do I need to pass the U.S. bar exam to get sponsored for a VP of Legal position?
In most cases, yes. Active bar admission in the relevant state is typically a hard job requirement, not just a preference, for in-house VP of Legal roles. Without it, the company faces liability for unauthorized practice of law. Some employers in multistate or federal regulatory contexts may accept admission in any U.S. jurisdiction combined with a commitment to waive into the primary state.
Can a foreign-trained lawyer get H-1B sponsorship for a VP of Legal role?
Yes, but it requires extra documentation. USCIS requires the employer to establish that your foreign law degree is equivalent to a U.S. J.D., usually through a credential evaluation from a NACES-accredited organization. You'll also still need to satisfy state bar requirements, since most states require a U.S. law degree or LL.M. to sit for the bar exam.
Which types of employers sponsor H-1B visas for VP of Legal roles?
Corporate in-house legal departments are the primary sponsors for this title. Publicly traded companies, private equity-backed firms, healthcare systems, financial institutions, and tech companies with large compliance footprints are the most active filers. Migrate Mate shows you which specific employers have LCA filing history for legal leadership roles, so you can focus your search on verified sponsors.
How does the H-1B annual lottery affect VP of Legal candidates?
VP of Legal candidates are subject to the same H-1B annual cap and lottery as other specialty occupation workers unless the sponsoring employer is cap-exempt, such as a nonprofit research institution or university. If you hold an advanced U.S. law degree like an LL.M., you're entered into both the regular cap pool and the 20,000-slot advanced degree exemption pool, which improves selection odds. The H-1B selection rules have changed recently, so check USCIS for current lottery mechanics.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Vice President of Legal jobs?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.