Benjamin Alden

Benjamin Alden is a Lecturer of Law at Columbia Law School and currently serves as Chief Legal Officer of Betterment, an automated investing service managing over $20 billion in assets. He provides legal, compliance, and business counsel to Betterment and oversees its legal, compliance, risk, and infosec teams. His professional experience includes roles at law firms Sullivan & Cromwell and Spears & Imes, as well as a clerkship with Judge Colleen McMahon of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. He holds a J.D. from Stanford Law School and a B.A. from Cornell University (Phi Beta Kappa).

• Education:
• J.D., Stanford Law School
• B.A., Cornell University (Phi Beta Kappa)

His research and professional focus centers on corporate law, financial regulation, and compliance in technology-driven financial services. Alden’s career bridges legal academia and practice, emphasizing real-world applications of legal frameworks in fintech and asset management.

No scientific awards or grants are explicitly mentioned in the text. His advisory work is primarily professional rather than academic. He leads Betterment’s legal and compliance teams, reflecting his role as an industry practitioner and part-time academic.

Alden is affiliated with Columbia Law School’s faculty, contributing to legal education while maintaining a prominent role in the financial sector.