Regulatory Counsel, High-Risk

Overview

This role serves as a legal and regulatory partner to Product and Sales teams, supporting the build and launch of payment products in new and emerging markets. The position reports to the Head of Legal and works closely with Product, Sales, Partnerships, and Compliance to bring new products, features, and customer segments to market quickly—while ensuring alignment with applicable law, card network rules, and sponsor bank requirements.

A primary early focus is gaming and gambling, including iGaming, sports wagering, sweepstakes, and prediction markets, where the regulatory landscape is evolving quickly. Deep experience in gaming is valuable but not required; strong regulatory experience from payments, fintech, banking, or other highly regulated industries is also highly relevant.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary regulatory advisor to Product and Sales, providing fast, practical, well-documented guidance on product designs, new features, deal structures, and prospective customers.
• Lead legal and regulatory analysis for new sectors, business models, and structures (e.g., ISV, marketplace, and merchant-of-record models), including market and regulatory research and setting minimum requirements before launch.
• Own regulatory strategy for gaming and gambling, including state-by-state and provincial analysis for iGaming, sports wagering, sweepstakes, and prediction markets; vendor licensing and registration requirements; and jurisdiction-specific conditions for supporting merchants.
• Partner with Product from concept through launch to embed regulatory requirements into product design, user flows, disclosures, and terms, ensuring products ship compliant rather than being retrofitted.
• Support Sales and Partnerships on complex deals, including regulatory diligence on prospects, structuring guidance, and review of customer, partner, and vendor agreements with regulatory implications.
• Translate laws, card network rules, and sponsor bank requirements into clear, usable guidance, including position papers and FAQs for Product, Sales, Technology, and Operations.
• Monitor and interpret regulatory, legislative, and network rule developments in the U.S. and Canada (federal, state, and provincial) that affect products and target sectors, and proactively advise the business on impact.
• Support sponsor bank and card network relationships on product, program, and sector-related matters, including program approvals, due diligence requests, and regulatory questions.
• Work with Compliance on policy and procedure development, licensing applications and renewals, regulatory filings, and audit and regulatory exam readiness.
• Engage and manage outside counsel on specialized matters (e.g., state gaming regulators and licensing) and progressively bring that work in-house over time.
• Prepare clear, decision-ready legal and regulatory analysis for senior management, the board, sponsor banks, and partners.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor (or equivalent) and active bar admission in good standing in at least one U.S. state.
• 5+ years of legal experience with a substantial regulatory focus, gained at a law firm, in-house, or in government, in payments, fintech, banking, gaming, or a similarly regulated industry.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex, multi-jurisdictional regulatory frameworks and apply them to real products, customers, and business models.
• Experience advising product, sales, or business development teams directly, ideally on new product launches or new market entry.
• Working knowledge of U.S. payments and financial services regulation, including money transmission licensing, FinCEN and BSA/AML requirements, consumer protection, and privacy.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to turn ambiguity into clear plans, trade-offs, and decisions.
• Experience leading complex, cross-functional work with multiple dependencies and senior stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with gaming and gambling regulation, including state and tribal gaming authorities, vendor licensing, sweepstakes and promotional law, and prediction market or emerging-framework matters.
• Familiarity with Canadian frameworks (FINTRAC, RPAA, PIPEDA, Quebec Law 25) and provincial gaming regulation.
• Experience with card network rules (Visa, Mastercard, Interac, Discover) and sponsor bank program requirements.
• Knowledge of the fintech-bank partnership model and bank third-party risk expectations.
• Experience at a card network, processor, acquirer, sponsor bank, or financial services regulator.
• Experience with high-risk merchant verticals such as nutraceuticals, CBD, wellness, or digital products and services.

Compensation & Benefits

• Base Salary Range: $140,000 - $220,000/yr + Equity + Benefits
• Salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire (remote) salaries. Individual pay is determined by work location, job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

Location

• San Francisco or Remote

Equal Opportunity

This employer is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status, or any other protected class.