Legal Counsel, Commercial

Checkout.com•New York, NY

12d•Hybrid

About The Position

We are seeking a talented and commercially minded counsel to join our Commercial Legal team in New York. This is a high-impact role that offers broad exposure to the full range of commercial legal matters arising from our business, with a particular focus on drafting and negotiating complex agreements across a diverse set of counterparties and transaction types. The ideal candidate will bring a blend of private practice rigour and in-house commercial acumen. You will be someone who can navigate complex legal issues with confidence, partner effectively with business stakeholders, and deliver pragmatic, risk-calibrated advice in a fast-moving environment.

Requirements

JD from an accredited law school and admission to practice in New York (or eligibility to register as in-house counsel in New York).
A minimum of [three] years of legal experience, combining time in private practice (ideally at a top-tier or recognised specialist firm) and in-house counsel experience, preferably within the technology, fintech, or financial services sectors.
Demonstrated track record of drafting and negotiating complex commercial agreements independently and to a high standard.
Experience advising on commercial matters in a regulated industry is strongly preferred; familiarity with payments, card network rules, banking relationships, or financial services regulatory frameworks is a significant advantage.
Strong commercial instincts and the ability to balance legal risk with business objectives, providing advice that is both legally sound and practically useful.
Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to communicate clearly and persuasively with both legal and non-legal audiences.
A proactive, self-starting approach and the ability to manage a demanding and varied workload with competing priorities and drive projects from inception to execution as the primary legal point of contact.
Demonstrated experience using AI-enabled legal and productivity tools to improve the quality, efficiency, and consistency of legal work is an advantage, together with sound judgment on appropriate use, confidentiality, and legal risk.
Experience managing and partnering effectively with external counsel, including scoping instructions, supervising deliverables, and ensuring commercially practical, cost-effective advice aligned with business objectives.

Responsibilities

Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of commercial agreements, including payment processing agreements, platform agreements, partner and referral agreements, technology licensing agreements, data sharing and data processing agreements, and vendor contracts.
Provide day-to-day legal support to commercial, product, partnerships, and operations teams across all stages of the deal lifecycle, from initial term sheet to execution and beyond.
Identify and manage legal risk in a commercial context, providing clear and actionable guidance to business stakeholders.
Develop, maintain, and improve contract templates, playbooks, and standard form agreements to support the team's scalability and consistency.
Advise on regulatory and compliance considerations relevant to payments and financial services as they intersect with commercial arrangements.
Collaborate with colleagues across the legal function, including in regulatory, privacy, employment, and litigation matters as they arise in the context of commercial deals.
Support the development and implementation of legal processes and tooling to improve efficiency across the commercial legal function.