Senior Legal Counsel – AI, Broker Dealer & RIA

Cetera is seeking a Senior Legal Counsel to support the firm’s use of AI and emerging technology across our broker‑dealer and RIA businesses. This role is focused on contracts, vendor risk, data usage, privacy and regulatory alignment.

You will serve as a trusted legal partner as Cetera evaluates, contracts for, and deploys AI‑enabled tools used by advisors, supervision, operations, compliance, and corporate teams. Your role is to help the business move forward confidently while ensuring we meet our obligations as a FINRA‑regulated broker‑dealer and SEC‑registered investment adviser and data privacy laws.

This is a practical, business‑oriented role for a lawyer who understands how technology decisions intersect with supervision, fiduciary standards, privacy, and recordkeeping and who can translate that into clear guidance without slowing progress.

Responsibilities:

• Serve as primary legal counsel for AI‑enabled and technology vendor agreements supporting both the broker‑dealer and RIA businesses
• Draft, review, and negotiate commercial, SaaS, data, and technology contracts with a strong focus on: 
  • Client and advisor data protection
  • Data ownership and permitted use (including AI training considerations)
  • IP rights and use of AI‑generated outputs

  • Regulatory, supervision, and recordkeeping risk

     

• Advise the business on legal and regulatory considerations related to AI use in: 
  • Advisor tools and platforms
  • Supervision, surveillance, and monitoring
  • Client communications and content
  • Operations and support functions
• Partner closely with cross functional teams to assess AI tools prior to adoption
• Partner with the Cetera AI council to help establish and maintain clear, practical AI usage standards that align with BD and RIA regulatory requirements, data privacy  and Cetera’s risk appetite
• Translate evolving regulatory guidance into actionable advice for business leaders
• Support vendor diligence and assessments related to AI capabilities, data handling, outsourcing, and regulatory exposure
• Build repeatable legal processes that fit into existing procurement, risk review, and approval workflows

Qualifications:

• A strong commercial lawyer with a broker‑dealer and/or RIA mindset
• 5–10+ years of legal experience with working knowledge of AI, automation, and data use in financial services, ideally with data privacy experience.
• Deep experience negotiating commercial and technology agreements

• Understanding of BD and RIA regulatory expectations, including supervision, recordkeeping, privacy, and fiduciary considerations is preferred.  Prior experience at a BD, RIA or law firm regulatory practice a plus.

• Sound judgment and comfort operating in evolving regulatory areas
• Ability to communicate legal risk clearly to business and technology leaders
• Practical, collaborative, and solutions‑oriented

The base salary range for this role in El Segundo is $175,000-$190,000, plus a competitive performance-based bonus. Base salary depends on a wide array of factors, including but not limited to skill set, years and depth of experience, certifications, and location. Salary range may also differ significantly due to geography and cost of labor considerations.