Description:
Job Summary:The Corporate Counsel will provide legal support for a rapidly growing fintech company focused on software and payment processing solutions. This role will serve as a trusted advisor to business stakeholders, supporting commercial transactions, product development, privacy initiatives, and payments-related operations. The Corporate Counsel will work closely with sales, product, engineering, information security, and compliance leadership to identify legal risks, facilitate business objectives, and ensure compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
The ideal candidate will have 3 to 5 years of experience handling commercial and technology transactions, including drafting and negotiating software licensing, vendor, customer, and payment processing agreements. The candidate should possess strong business judgment, be comfortable working independently in a fast-paced environment, and have the ability to provide practical, solutions-oriented advice that balances legal risk with business needs.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Draft, review, negotiate, and manage a wide variety of commercial agreements, including software licensing, payment processing, partnership, vendor, reseller, and customer agreements.
- Advise business teams on contractual risk, including indemnification, limitation of liability, warranties, intellectual property rights, data security, and privacy obligations.
- Support payment processing operations and provide legal guidance related to card network rules, merchant acquiring, payment facilitator programs, PCI DSS compliance, and related regulatory requirements.
- Partner with product, engineering, and security teams to identify legal and regulatory considerations associated with new products, services, and technology initiatives.
- Assist with privacy and data protection compliance efforts, including matters related to CCPA/CPRA, state privacy laws, GDPR, and other applicable data protection frameworks.
- Develop and maintain contract templates, playbooks, and legal processes to increase efficiency and consistency across the organization.
- Provide day-to-day legal advice to internal stakeholders on commercial, operational, and strategic matters.
- Support corporate governance, acquisition integration efforts, vendor management initiatives, regulatory examinations, and other special projects as needed.
- Monitor legal and regulatory developments affecting the software, fintech, and payments industries and advise the business regarding potential impacts.
Skills & Competencies:
- Negotiation of customer, vendor, and partner agreements
- Management of complex contractual relationships
- Development and maintenance of contract templates and playbooks
- Understanding of card network rules (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express)
- Familiarity with PCI DSS requirements
- Knowledge of payment facilitator (PayFac) and merchant acquiring models
- Understanding of AML/KYC and financial services compliance considerations
- Strong attention to detail and accuracy
- CIPP certification is preferred; however, equivalent practical experience supporting privacy compliance initiatives will also be considered.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school.
- Active license and good standing with at least one U.S. state bar.
- 3-5 years of legal experience, including experience at a law firm and/or in-house legal department.
- Demonstrated experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating commercial agreements.
- Experience advising on payments, software, technology, or commercial transactions.
- Knowledge of contract law and commercial risk allocation, including indemnification, limitation of liability, warranties, intellectual property, and data security provisions.
- Experience working directly with business stakeholders and providing practical, business-oriented legal advice.
- Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Ability to independently manage multiple projects and priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and negotiation skills.
