Derivatives Counsel (ISDA Specialist)

What you'll do

This is legal AI work cut specifically for derivatives lawyers. You run simulated negotiations and redlining exercises on ISDA Master Agreements, then review how an AI model responds to derivatives contract scenarios and write the feedback that shows where it misjudged risk or misread the documentation.

The second half is building the measuring stick: objective evaluation frameworks and grading criteria so that model performance on derivatives documentation tasks is scored rigorously and the same way each time. You also work with product and research teams on the data, guidelines and practices behind an AI contract review product.

The ad describes it as a part-time role.

How this differs from the In-House Counsel (ISDAs) listing

micro1 already runs an In-House Counsel (ISDAs and Derivatives) listing on the same $90–130/hour band. That one asks for three years in-house on technology transactions, with ISDAs and derivatives sitting alongside MSAs and NDAs. This Derivatives Counsel ad drops the technology-transactions framing entirely: the three years must be in derivatives documentation itself, it names the ISDA provisions you are expected to know cold, and it adds LPAs to the paper you should have negotiated. It also has 50 openings rather than 100. If your practice is trading documentation rather than tech contracts, this is the closer fit.

Who fits

• At least three years of experience in derivatives documentation, with hands-on negotiation of ISDA Master Agreements, LPAs and other commercial agreements
• Deep familiarity with the key ISDA provisions: events of default, termination events, close-out netting and collateral terms
• Exceptional written and verbal communication, with meticulous attention to detail
• The analytical ability to turn legal expertise into feedback an AI team can act on
• Experience on cross-disciplinary teams in fast-paced environments

Prior exposure to AI, legal tech or training projects is preferred, not required. The ad names no bar admission, jurisdiction or firm tier, and the location is simply "Remote". Experience can come from a bank, a buy-side counterparty or private practice; the ad does not limit it to in-house roles.

What it pays

$90–130/hour as a target, paid per task. The ad says experts are paid per completed task that meets the project specifications, that the average handling time is about 3.5 hours per task, and that the effective hourly rate depends on how many tasks are completed and successfully signed off.

At that average, a signed-off task would be worth roughly $315–455. That is our arithmetic on the ad's two published figures, not a per-task fee micro1 states. Work that is not signed off is not paid, and no acceptance rate is published, so the first few tasks are where you learn your real rate.

Worth knowing

Good:

• A rare listing that asks for derivatives and ISDA expertise by name, rather than general commercial contracting
• 50 openings, flagged new and high demand
• The pay mechanism is spelled out, including the average task length
• Part-time and fully remote
• Writing grading frameworks is more lasting work than one-off review

Less good:

• Pay depends on sign-off; unaccepted tasks earn nothing
• A 3.5-hour average means early tasks will probably run longer at your own cost
• No weekly hours, start date or project length is stated
• Contractor engagement: no benefits, no notice period, your own tax to manage
• Derivatives lawyers bill well above this band in practice; the appeal is flexibility and the subject matter, not the rate

About this listing

Posted by micro1 on its own jobs portal on 1 October 2026. The $90–130/hour band, the 50 openings, the three-year derivatives documentation requirement and the task-based compensation terms are its published text. The per-task figure is our calculation. Payment schedule and eligibility terms are not published on the listing. See micro1.