Sr Legal Counsel, Commercial - Partnerships

PayPal•San Jose, CA

77d•Hybrid

About The Position

We're seeking a highly motivated and experienced transactional lawyer to be responsible for providing best in class commercial support for some of PayPal's largest partner and merchant deals. You will be a key legal advisor to Sales, Product, and other crossâfunctional teams. You will define deal strategy, analyze business goals and structure agreements, and close complex and highâimpact partnerships with leading platforms. You'll move comfortably between strategy and execution, set goals, and deliver results.

Requirements

8+ years relevant experience and a Juris doctorate degree OR Any equivalent combination of education and experience.
JD (or equivalent) and active membership in good standing in at least one U.S. state bar.
10+ years of legal practice, including 6+ years leading large commercial transactions for sales or similar functions (inâhouse and/or law firm).
Handsâon demonstrated experience supporting technology, fintech, or financial services companies.
Demonstrated success drafting and negotiating complex sales, marketing, licensing, and partner agreements.
Proven ability to issueâspot, propose practical solutions, and drive decisions in a fastâpaced environment.
Excellent negotiation, writing, and interpersonal skills; ability to effectively communicate with senior leadership, crossâfunctional stakeholders and external partners.
Strong organization and project management skills; comfortable juggling multiple, timeâsensitive matters.

Nice To Haves

Payments industry knowledge (e.g., processors, acquirers, networks, wallets, checkout, risk controls, chargebacks, settlement).
Experience with agentic commerce or adjacent AI technologies (agents, orchestration/automation, model/API integrations).
Expertise on data rights/usage, privacy, and security terms in commercial agreements.
Product counseling for platform integrations and goâtoâmarket arrangements, including coâmarketing and channel partnerships.
Global deal experience and familiarity with regulatory considerations affecting PayPal's ecosystem, including money transmission compliance considerations and models.
You're excited by deal and regulatory complexity.

Responsibilities

Lead complex projects of diverse scope, driving legal initiatives that support business growth and innovation.
Participate in complex problem resolution, providing expert legal advice on high-stakes issues and disputes.
Provide expert legal advice and support, particularly in areas experiencing significant growth such as compliance, data privacy, and litigation support.
Ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations, advising on the implementation of new legal technologies and automation tools.
Manage legal risks and safeguard PayPal's legal interests, developing comprehensive risk management frameworks.
Represent PayPal in litigation and other legal proceedings, leading case strategies and ensuring effective representation.
Lead complex commercial deals across PayPal's products and services
Provide timely, solutionâoriented advice to business partners on a wide variety of initiatives and issues, including payments, consumer protection, privacy and data protection, IP, and evolving AI/agent frameworks.
Create scalable solutions to drive velocity
Structure transactions across licensing, data use and sharing, product integrations, goâtoâmarket, and strategic partnerships.
Transform complex legal concepts into practical advice for senior business leaders.
Balance risk thoughtfully with business goals and priorities.
Collaborate with other stakeholders, including Sales, Product, Engineering, Risk, Compliance, Privacy, Finance, and Regional Legal to develop deal strategies and resolve issues quickly.
Build and maintain templates, playbooks, fallbacks, and training to accelerate negotiations.
Improve processes - streamline approvals, clarify roles, and enhance visibility to stakeholders.
Earn trust by being direct, transparent, and following through.
Model excellent judgment and communication; mentor teammates and exercise influence across functions.