Legal Counsel, Payments & Fintech

Overview

This role involves Legal Counsel support with a strong background in payments and fintech. The position requires strategic legal guidance across payment processing, financial regulation, and digital innovation, while also supporting broader legal needs for a global commerce organization.

The ideal candidate can operate effectively in a fast-paced environment, manage multiple priorities and deadlines, anticipate legal issues, and collaborate closely with business and technology teams. Strong drafting, negotiation, and compliance advisory experience are essential.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate agreements with payment service providers, acquirers, card networks, payment facilitators, banks, and other financial partners, securing commercially favorable terms and protecting the organization’s interests.
• Advise on payment processing operations end-to-end, including onboarding new payment methods and providers, structuring global money flows and settlement, chargeback and refund frameworks, fund flows, and reserve/holdback arrangements.
• Advise on and support KYC/KYB, AML/CFT, sanctions screening, and customer due diligence requirements across markets, and help build practical onboarding and compliance processes with the business.
• Support legal and regulatory requirements for connecting to payment systems and expanding into new markets, including licensing analysis, entity structuring, and the incorporation and maintenance of legal entities where required.
• Consult business stakeholders on legal issues and implications of business decisions, initiatives, and payment strategies; provide clear legal advice, strategies, and practical solutions.
• Maintain current knowledge of laws and regulations governing payment services and digital innovation, including cryptocurrencies, blockchain, NFTs, and decentralized finance (DeFi).
• Identify, summarize, and analyze the impact of new and proposed rules and regulations on money movement, payment strategies, and current business initiatives.
• Draft, review, and negotiate contracts and other documentation for new business ideas, as well as licensing, vendor, and partnership agreements, ensuring alignment with legal standards and organizational goals.
• Work with business and technology teams to understand and achieve key business objectives and help develop compliant payment products and service offerings.
• Identify potential legal challenges early and propose practical solutions.
• Manage multiple priorities and meet tight deadlines; provide other legal services and advice as needed.

Requirements

• Licensed to practice law in the US, in good standing.
• At least 5 years of legal experience in fintech, banking, and/or payments, with demonstrated expertise in payments and familiarity with the applicable U.S. and international regulatory landscape (e.g., money transmission, BSA/AML, PSD2, MiCA, and card network rules).
• Proven ability to provide practical legal advice in a fast-paced business environment.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to collaborate with cross-functional teams, including product, technology, business operations, and management.
• Excellent drafting skills, including experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating complex commercial agreements (payment processing, financial services, technology, licensing, vendor, and partnership agreements).

Preferred Qualifications

• Candidates based in the Los Angeles area are preferred, but this is not mandatory.

Compensation & Benefits

• $150,000 - $160,000 a year
• 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision plans
• Unlimited Flexible Time Off
• Personalized career roadmap
• Training and educational opportunities for professional development

Location

Remote position open to candidates anywhere in the US, with the ability to travel to Los Angeles-area headquarters (Sherman Oaks, CA) approximately twice a year.