Legal Counsel - Merchant Checkout

The Company

PayPal has been revolutionizing commerce globally for more than 25 years. Creating innovative experiences that make moving money, selling, and shopping simple, personalized, and secure, PayPal empowers consumers and businesses in approximately 200 markets to join and thrive in the global economy. 

We operate a global, two-sided network at scale that connects hundreds of millions of merchants and consumers. We help merchants and consumers connect, transact, and complete payments, whether they are online or in person. PayPal is more than a connection to third-party payment networks. We provide proprietary payment solutions accepted by merchants that enable the completion of payments on our platform on behalf of our customers.

We offer our customers the flexibility to use their accounts to purchase and receive payments for goods and services, as well as the ability to transfer and withdraw funds. We enable consumers to exchange funds more safely with merchants using a variety of funding sources, which may include a bank account, a PayPal or Venmo account balance, PayPal and Venmo branded credit products, a credit card, a debit card, certain cryptocurrencies, or other stored value products such as gift cards, and eligible credit card rewards.  Our PayPal, Venmo, and Xoom products also make it safer and simpler for friends and family to transfer funds to each other. We offer merchants an end-to-end payments solution that provides authorization and settlement capabilities, as well as instant access to funds and payouts. We also help merchants connect with their customers, process exchanges and returns, and manage risk. We enable consumers to engage in cross-border shopping and merchants to extend their global reach while reducing the complexity and friction involved in enabling cross-border trade. 

Our beliefs are the foundation for how we conduct business every day.  We live each day guided by our core values of Inclusion, Innovation, Collaboration, and Wellness. Together, our values ensure that we work together as one global team with our customers at the center of everything we do – and they push us to ensure we take care of ourselves, each other, and our communities.

Job Summary:

PayPal is one of the leading global payments companies in the world. Initially conceived and designed for web payments, PayPal’s innovative products have since altered the shopping landscape for customers around the globe. PayPal’s product vision, combined with an increasingly complex and demanding legal and regulatory environment, will provide robust career opportunities for attorneys motivated and driven by creative clients and a fast paced, cutting-edge culture.

PayPal is seeking a high caliber, experienced and energetic attorney, with experience in payments, financial services regulation and technology to join our Product Legal team.

This attorney will work closely and partner with leaders in our merchant checkout products groups and regional legal and business partners globally. You’ll provide legal and regulatory guidance as the product team develops, implements and updates PayPal’s products and services in markets around the globe.

Job Description:

Essential Responsibilities:

• Provide specialized legal advice and support to enable business strategy while identifying and managing legal risk.
• Ensure awareness of and advise on compliance with relevant laws and regulations.
• Build strong partnerships with business counterparts across the enterprise to proactively identify potential legal risks and provide strategic legal guidance.
• Identify, analyze, and advise on potential legal risks, presenting mitigation options and recommendations to protect the company and enable business objectives.
• Escalate complex legal issues and significant risks to senior legal leadership where appropriate.
• Research and analyze new laws, regulations, and regulatory guidance affecting the company's global operations, assessing potential business impact and recommended actions.
• Manage assigned legal matters through resolution, coordinating with internal stakeholders and external counsel as needed.
• Maintain current knowledge of legal developments relevant to assigned business areas and communicate implications.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 5+ years relevant experience and a Juris doctorate degree OR Any equivalent combination of education and experience.

The successful candidate will have the specific qualifications and experience:

• 5 or more years of experience practicing either in-house (or in an equivalent setting) or at a reputable law firm, with at least 5 of those years focused on product or regulatory counseling in the Finance or FinTech space.
• Ability to collaborate with international colleagues in product, sales, and legal to evaluate products in international markets and drive decision-making at a global legal level.
• Ability to provide timely, concise and business-focused legal advice on US federal and state money transmission and banking regulations; non-US payments licensing regimes; consumer protection laws; data privacy laws; and new rules, enforcement actions and other guidance coming out of regulatory agencies (e.g. CFPB and the FTC in the US).
• Working knowledge of payment card network and NACHA rules.
• Experience advising on financial legal issues in support of international product launches.
• Ability to provide legal and regulatory guidance on the design and modification of products, proactively identify associated risks and recommend mitigation strategies, review product user experiences to ensure legal compliance and proper disclosures, and help document guidance for consumption by members of both the legal and product teams.
• Familiarity with, and strong interest in, PayPal, creating novel commerce experiences for international audiences, cross-border payments, mobile and alternative payments, emerging payments technology (including agentic commerce) and the payments industry.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment and to tolerate change and ambiguity.
• Ability and drive to take ownership of projects and tasks which, in many cases, will be matters of first impression.
• Comfortable with gray areas and interpreting and applying the law in unsettled contexts.
• Confident self-starter with strong interpersonal and organizational skills and a demonstrated ability to effectively and proactively provide sound legal advice, exercise good business judgment, work well with other attorneys, senior management and cross functional stakeholders, and implement policies and processes.
• Openness to adapting his/her practice in response to the changing landscape of the industry.
• Facilitate a team-based approach to subject matter management and knowledge sharing, and comfort with a flexible, agile environment that emphasizes collaboration and team performance over management hierarchy or personal gain. The successful candidate will enthusiastically partner with PayPal legal colleagues across our global organization.
• Creative thinker with strong problem-solving skills and the ability to stay calm under challenging circumstances.
• Juris Doctorate or equivalent degree.  Admitted to and in good standing with a state bar.
• Exceptional writing skills, with attention to detail and ability to generate creative original drafted documents.
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills and ability to work both in teams and independently.
• Ability to handle multiple assignments simultaneously, with effective resolution of conflicting priorities.

Subsidiary:

PayPal

Travel Percent:

0

-

The base pay for this role will depend on where you work and the relevant experience and expertise you bring. The expected range of pay for this role by location is:

Primary Location | Pay Range:

San Jose, California: ($143,500.00 - $212,850.00 Annually)

Additional Location(s) | Pay Range:

Chicago, Illinois: ($130,500.00 - $193,600.00 Annually)
Austin, Texas: ($130,500.00 - $193,600.00 Annually)
New York City, New York: ($143,500.00 - $212,850.00 Annually)
Scottsdale, Arizona: ($123,500.00 - $183,700.00 Annually)
Omaha, Nebraska: ($123,500.00 - $183,700.00 Annually)

Additional compensation for this role may include an annual performance bonus, equity, or other incentive compensation, as applicable.

PayPal does not charge candidates any fees for courses, applications, resume reviews, interviews, background checks, or onboarding. When making an application directly, we will never ask you to share passwords, one-time passcodes (OTP), or verification codes.  Any such request is a red flag and likely part of a scam. All communication regarding your application will come from official PayPal email domains. If you suspect fraudulent activity, please report it immediately.  To learn more about how to identify and avoid recruitment fraud please visit https://careers.pypl.com/contact-us. 

For the majority of employees, PayPal's balanced hybrid work model offers 3 days in the office for effective in-person collaboration and 2 days at your choice of either the PayPal office or your home workspace, ensuring that you equally have the benefits and conveniences of both locations.

Our Benefits:

At PayPal, we’re committed to building an equitable and inclusive global economy. And we can’t do this without our most important asset-you. That’s why we offer comprehensive, choice-based programs, to support all aspects of personal wellbeing—physical, emotional, and financial—delivering meaningful value where it matters most. We strive to create a flexible, balanced work culture with a holistic approach to benefits, including generous paid time off, healthcare coverage for you and your family, and resources to create financial security and support your mental health.

Who We Are:

Click Here to learn more about our culture and community.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion 

PayPal provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.  In addition, PayPal will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.  If you are unable to submit an application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at [email protected].

Belonging at PayPal: 

Our employees are central to advancing our mission, and we strive to create an environment where everyone can do their best work with a sense of purpose and belonging. Belonging at PayPal means creating a workplace with a sense of acceptance and security where all employees feel included and valued. We are proud to have a diverse workforce reflective of the merchants, consumers, and communities that we serve, and we continue to take tangible actions to cultivate inclusivity and belonging at PayPal.

Any general requests for consideration of your skills, please Join our Talent Community.

We know the confidence gap and imposter syndrome can get in the way of meeting spectacular candidates. Please don’t hesitate to apply.

Notice to Applicants and Employees who reside within New York City. Click here to view the notice.