Lead Banking & Payments Counsel - Confidential Search
What We Are Looking For
We are seeking an Associate General Counsel, Banking, Payments & Embedded Finance. This senior leadership position requires a seasoned attorney with extensive in‑house experience at a bank, fintech company, card network, or payments company.
The ideal candidate will bring deep subject‑matter expertise across embedded finance, BaaS programs, commercial and retail payments (ACH, RTP/FedNow, wires, card network processing), open banking/open finance, and the PayFac ecosystem.
This role requires the ability to operate autonomously, serve as a trusted product and commercial counsel, and work directly with clients and partners - presenting complex legal and regulatory issues with clarity. A key component is guiding partners and internal teams through the full lifecycle of new product development.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead clients and internal stakeholders through the full product development lifecycle: ideation, regulatory review, documentation, launch, and post‑launch.
- Serve in client‑facing and partner‑facing roles, presenting legal, regulatory, and product subject matter with confidence.
- Negotiate complex partner agreements, sponsor bank relationships, payments contracts, and vendor agreements across multi‑party, high‑stakes transactions.
- Independently draft, structure, and create partner agreements, product terms, client documentation, and guidance aligned with regulatory frameworks and internal policies.
- Work cross‑functionally with risk, compliance, operations, product, engineering, and business development to provide holistic legal support.
- Advise on BaaS program structuring, third‑party risk management, partner oversight, and regulatory compliance.
- Build scalable legal infrastructure, including contract playbooks, templates, negotiation frameworks, and legal enablement tools.
- Manage outside counsel, ensuring quality work product and budget alignment.
- Mentor and develop legal team members.
- Provide solutions-oriented legal support aligned with business strategy, product growth, and operational objectives.
- Lead negotiation of complex commercial agreements with fintech partners, BaaS program participants, and institutional clients.
- Provide clear, actionable legal guidance to clients, partners, senior executives, and cross-functional teams.
Required Qualifications
- Juris Doctor (JD) and active membership in a U.S. state bar in good standing.
- MBA or other advanced business degree preferred.
- 15+ years of legal experience in financial services and/or payments technology.
- In-house experience at a bank, fintech, card network, or payments company required (law firm‑only backgrounds will not be considered).
- 7+ years of experience across multiple payment systems (ACH, cards, wires, real‑time payments), card network rules, or BaaS program support.
- Deep expertise in consumer financial services regulation (Reg E, EFTA, FCRA, FinCEN MSB, State MTLs, CFPB, UDAAP, Dodd‑Frank).
- Familiarity with PayFac models (ISV, ISO, merchant acquiring).
- Strong understanding of third‑party risk management frameworks, sponsor bank oversight, and AML/KYC/BSA requirements.
- Knowledge of data privacy laws (GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, GLBA) and information security standards (PCI‑DSS, SOC 2, ISO 27001).
- Demonstrated experience guiding products from ideation through regulatory review and go‑to‑market.
- Extensive cross‑functional collaboration experience.
- Strong drafting skills with the ability to create complex, bespoke agreements under tight timelines.
- Deep negotiation experience, including partner, sponsor bank, and cross‑border agreements.
- Track record of improving contract efficiency (playbooks, templates, workflows).
- Experience with open banking/open finance, fraud prevention, identity verification, and authentication technologies (e.g., 3DS).
- Experience with blockchain, decentralized finance, and digital assets.
FAQs
Congratulations, we understand that taking the time to apply is a big step. When you apply, your details go directly to the consultant who is sourcing talent. Due to demand, we may not get back to all applicants that have applied. However, we always keep your CV and details on file so when we see similar roles or see skillsets that drive growth in organisations, we will always reach out to discuss opportunities.
Yes. Even if this role isn’t a perfect match, applying allows us to understand your expertise and ambitions, ensuring you're on our radar for the right opportunity when it arises.
We also work in several ways, firstly we advertise our roles available on our site, however, often due to confidentiality we may not post all. We also work with clients who are more focused on skills and understanding what is required to future-proof their business.
That's why we recommend registering your cv so you can be considered for roles that have yet to be created.
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