Legal Counsel (Germany)

Company Description

Visa is a world leader in payments and technology, with over 259 billion payments transactions flowing safely between consumers, merchants, financial institutions, and government entities in more than 200 countries and territories each year. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable, and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses, and economies to thrive while driven by a common purpose – to uplift everyone, everywhere by being the best way to pay and be paid.

Make an impact with a purpose-driven industry leader. Join us today and experience Life at Visa.

Job Description

Key Responsibilities

• Working in conjunction with the Legal Counsel based in Frankfurt, provide a wide range of legal support and assistance to Visa’s regional business in Germany relating to matters such roll out of new Products, Value Added Services, Commercial Money Movement Solutions, client agreements, licensing arrangements but also marketing campaigns, sourcing agreements, the development of template contracts, and other general commercial matters.

• Support the wider department with the drafting, review and negotiation of a wide range of commercial contracts and legal issues.

• Work closely with the legal teams that support clients, business innovation and digital product initiatives (such as mobile payments, value added services, data products), Commercial Money Movement Solutions, product development and licensing arrangements.

• Identify competition/anti-trust, data protection and other regulatory issues, and liaise when necessary with internal members of the Legal, Ethics & Compliance Department, and/or external counsel.

• Manage disputes, litigation and lawful authority requests, liaising when necessary with other members of the Legal, Ethics & Compliance Department, and/or external counsel.

• Identify the need for external legal advice and engage appropriate outside counsel on a range of legal issues.

• Work with cross-functional stakeholders across the globe to ensure contracts and advice accurately reflects business needs and policies as they develop.

• Assist with the management of day-to-day legal queries and business deals, taking the lead on relevant legal activities with supervision.

• Manage, develop and maintain relationships to facilitate the effective delivery of legal advice and assistance.

• Provide training, to identified business areas, on law, processes and policies.

• Collaboration with relevant Global Legal colleagues to ensure that Visa’s Europe region is aligned with Global strategy in relation to commercial matters.

• Proactively contribute to the Legal, Ethics & Compliance Department’s planning, cohesion, consistency in advice, and the general efficiency and effectiveness of the division as a whole.

What we’re after…

• Qualified lawyer in Germany with ideally 6 years + PQE. We will consider candidates who have qualified in other jurisdictions.

• Data Privacy, IT law, Consumer and Commercial law expertise is required.

• Demonstrable experience at a recognized law firm and in-house environment.

• Strong academics and training, including legal drafting and negotiating, and relationship management.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills along with a demonstrated ability to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders.

• Ability to work collaboratively in a team context as well as on own initiative to achieve shared goals in an inclusive and open manner

• Ability to prioritise and manage a varied and busy workload.

• Positive attitude, high level of integrity and intellectual curiosity.

• Demonstrates global mindset, and the ability to work well in a dynamic and deadline-oriented environment

• Intrinsically motivated and navigates challenges and failure with growth mindset

• Willingness to approach difficult or complex issues to identify resolutions.

• Fluent in German and English.

Desirable Skills:

• Previous experience of working within a technology and digital legal environment.

• Knowledge of fintech and payments industry (and applicable regulation).

• Previous experience of cross-border and multi-jurisdictional contracts.

• Additional European language.

This is a hybrid position. Hybrid employees can alternate time between both remote and office. Employees in hybrid roles are expected to work from the office 2-3 set days a week (determined by leadership/site), with a general guidepost of being in the office 50% or more of the time based on business needs.

Qualifications

What’s it all about?
This role sits within a fun, supportive and hard-working Regional Law Team, who manage commercial, corporate, technology, data protection and intellectual property legal matters.
This Team is part of a larger Legal, Ethics & Compliance Department in Visa’s Europe region (including, competition, regulatory, data privacy and corporate specialists), which has consistently had some of the highest engagement scores and prides itself on a creative, collaborative, can-do approach.
The Regional Law Team works at the cutting edge of new payment technologies, innovation and the fintech industry in an increasingly regulated environment, which brings unique and novel challenges in the commercial/technology law space.

Additional Information

Visa is an EEO Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status. Visa will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with EEOC guidelines and applicable local law.