Commercial Counsel, Payments and Banking

Block • San Francisco, CA

12d

About The Position

Block is one company built from many blocks, all united by the same purpose of economic empowerment. The blocks that form our foundational teams — People, Finance, Counsel, Hardware, Information Security, Platform Infrastructure Engineering, and more — provide support and guidance at the corporate level. They work across business groups and around the globe, spanning time zones and disciplines to develop inclusive People policies, forecast finances, give legal counsel, safeguard systems, nurture new initiatives, and more. Every challenge creates possibilities, and we need different perspectives to see them all. Bring yours to Block. The Role As the payments and banking commercial counsel, you will help provide commercial legal support to our Afterpay, Cash App, Square, and Tidal teams. You will review, draft, and negotiate complex agreements with different payments and banking partners including, payment networks, financial institutions, payment aggregators, and digital wallet partners. Additionally, you will collaborate with team members and cross-functional partners to ensure compliance with our commercial and regulatory obligations. We are specifically seeking someone with transactional experience in issuing, acquiring, or with payment networks.This is an individual contributor role and will report to the Head of Payments and Banking Commercial Counsel.

Requirements

• A J.D. with an active membership in at least one state bar.
• 8+ years of experience, with a focus on commercial transactions in payments, banking, or financial services.
• In-house experience at a Fintech or financial services company.
• Prior experience working with payment networks, issuers, acquirers, or payment facilitators.
• Knowledge of financial services and payments compliance requirements, including issuing, acquiring, networks, partnerships, data security, and privacy within the payments industry.
• Experience drafting and negotiating complex contracts.
• Demonstrated background in communication and coordination of complex issues and projects with diverse levels of management and cross-functional partners.
• A passion for the payments industry.
• Team-oriented and collaborative approach, leaving ego at the door.

Responsibilities

• Draft and negotiate complex payments, banking, and other commercial agreements.
• Provide concise legal advice with a focus on a principled risk approach.
• Resolve issues that arise in existing commercial relationships.
• Partner and collaborate with cross-functional partners to assess legal risks, develop strategies to mitigate risks while supporting business growth and new ideas, and ensure compliance with our commercial obligations.
• Stay abreast of regulatory developments and industry trends affecting payments and banking, and advise relevant stakeholders on compliance requirements and best practices.
• Use AI in daily work to streamline processes and create efficiencies.
• Help maintain commercial payments templates, playbooks, and processes.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree