Counsel

Overview

Visa is a world leader in payments technology, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories, dedicated to uplifting everyone, everywhere by being the best way to pay and be paid.

At Visa, you’ll have the opportunity to create impact at scale — tackling meaningful challenges, growing your skills and seeing your contributions impact lives around the world.

Join Visa and do work that matters – to you, to your community, and to the world. Progress starts with you.

Job Description

We are looking for an experienced Commercial Lawyer to fulfil a 12‑month maternity cover within our Europe Commercial Legal team.

This role supports a diverse and high‑impact portfolio across Client Services, Risk and Marketing e.g. Visa Rules governance, Visa membership agreements, credit and settlement risk, risk‑as‑a‑service offerings, and marketing and sponsorship activities.

The role requires a lawyer who can operate confidently in a fast‑paced, highly regulated payments environment, provide pragmatic, commercially‑focused advice, and partner closely with senior business stakeholders to enable innovation while managing legal, regulatory and reputational risk.

Key Responsibilities

Visa Rules & Membership Agreements

• Review and approve Visa Rule waivers and rule changes with support from the relevant teams.
• Triage complex requests, liaising with specialist legal colleagues as required, and delivering clear, timely advice to meet accelerated business timelines.
• Provide legal support in relation to Visa membership matters, including advising on membership agreements and onboarding and licensing‑related queries.

Risk‑as‑a‑Service (RaaS)

• Act as legal adviser for Visa’s risk‑as‑a‑service offerings in Europe, supporting both established and emerging products.
• Draft, review and negotiate complex client and pilot agreements for risk‑as‑a‑service products, including bespoke commercial and data‑driven services.
• Collaborate with our EU regulatory and data privacy teams as necessary.

Credit Settlement Risk & Collateral

• Provide legal support to the Credit Settlement Risk (CSR) team, including advice on financial collateral structures and risk mitigation tools.
• Review and negotiate Standby Letters of Credit, Parent Company Guarantees and other collateral‑related documentation.
• Support urgent, time‑sensitive CSR matters and incident‑related reviews, applying a pragmatic, risk‑based approach.

Marketing, Sponsorship & Commercial Support

• Provide senior‑level legal support to marketing, sponsorship and co‑marketing initiatives, particularly during peak periods or team absences.
• Draft, review and negotiate a wide range of commercial agreements, including marketing services agreements, sponsorship agreements, athlete/talent agreements, and promotional contracts.
• Review and approve marketing and promotional content, including digital campaigns, event materials and innovative marketing concepts.
• Advise on IP, liability, consumer protection and regulatory considerations relevant to marketing activity.

Cross‑Functional Business Partnering

• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Liaise with other members of the Legal, Ethics and Compliance Team (in Europe and Globally) and external counsel as necessary.
• Partner with other Visa departments including Risk, Client Services, Marketing, Procurement, and Product teams to support strategic initiatives and ensure legal advice is aligned with business needs.

AI, Technology And Innovation

• Use AI‑enabled legal tools to support efficient and effective delivery of legal services, including contract review and issue identification, in line with internal policies.
• Apply appropriate professional judgment and oversight when using AI tools, and collaborate with Legal colleagues to ensure their responsible and effective use.

Why Join Us?

Be part of a team that values diversity, creativity, and a can‑do attitude. You’ll have the opportunity to work on cutting‑edge initiatives, shape the future of payments, and make a real impact in a supportive and inclusive environment.

This is a hybrid position, with the expectation being 3 days in our London, Paddington office.

Qualifications

Essential

• Qualified solicitor in England & Wales (other common law jurisdictions considered).
• Significant post‑qualification experience (typically 6+ PQE) gained in a top‑tier law firm and/or complex in‑house environment.
• Strong experience drafting, negotiating and advising on commercial contracts and risk‑based issues, ideally within financial services, payments, technology or another regulated industry.
• Experience working directly with senior business stakeholders.
• Ability to manage a varied and busy workload, prioritise effectively, and work both independently and as part of a team.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong drafting, negotiation and stakeholder‑management skills.
• Positive attitude, high level of integrity, and intellectual curiosity.

Desirable

• Experience supporting risk, payments and a Marketing function.
• Knowledge of the payments industry or financial services environment.
• Experience with cross-border and multi‑jurisdictional contracts.
• Comfort operating in a fast‑moving, matrixed global organisation.
• Additional European language.

Personal Attributes

• Commercially minded, pragmatic and solutions‑focused, with the ability to balance legal risk and business objectives.
• Confident operating autonomously while exercising sound judgment and knowing when to escalate.
• Calm under pressure, highly organised and detail‑oriented, with strong professional integrity and credibility.
• Collaborative, proactive and flexible, with the ability to build strong relationships and influence stakeholders at all levels, and a growth mindset with willingness to tackle complex or novel issues across subject areas as business needs require.

EEO Statement

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.

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