Legal Counsel, Commercial

Location: New York Workplace: OnSite Company Description We’re http://checkout.comCheckout.com http://Checkout.com. You might not know our name, but companies like eBay, Spotify, Klarna, Uber, and Sony do, because we’re behind many of the digital experiences you use every day. We are where the world checks out, enabling over 10 billion transactions yearly for more than one billion global shoppers. Whether you want to book a holiday, order food, renew a subscription, or check out online, there’s a good chance our tech powers the payments behind the scenes. Our platform helps the most ambitious businesses deliver effortless digital experiences, at scale. If you want to do career-defining work, you’ve come to the right place. We move fast, think globally, and believe great teams are built by hiring exceptional people with conviction, curiosity, and the desire to make an impact. With 20 offices across six continents and London as our HQ, we’re shaping the future of fintech – and we’re just getting started. The Role 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. How you'll make an impact - 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. What we are looking for - 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. What we offer - A key, visible role within a high-performing legal team, with direct access to and partnership with senior business leadership. - The opportunity to work on sophisticated, high-value commercial matters in a business that is growing rapidly across domestic and international markets. - A collaborative and inclusive team culture that values commercial pragmatism, intellectual rigour, and mutual respect. - Competitive compensation, including base salary, and performance-based bonus. - Comprehensive benefits package. Additional Information Bring all of you to work We create the conditions for high performers to thrive, through real ownership, fewer blockers, and work that makes a difference from day one. Here, you’ll move fast, take on meaningful challenges, and be recognized for the impact you deliver. It’s a place where ambition gets met with opportunity, and where your growth is in your hands. We work as one team, and we back each other to succeed. So whatever your background or identity, if you’re ready to grow and make a difference, you’ll be right at home here. It’s important we set you up for success and make our process as accessible as possible. So let us know in your application, or tell your recruiter directly, if you need anything to make your experience or working environment more comfortable. Life at Checkout.com http://Checkout.com We understand that work is just one part of your life. Our hybrid working model offers flexibility, with three days per week in the office to support collaboration and connection. Curious about what it’s like to be part of our team? Visit our Careers Page https://www.checkout.com/careers to learn more about our culture, open roles, and what drives us. For a closer look at daily life at Checkout.com http://Checkout.com, follow us on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/checkout/life/ and Instagram https://www.instagram.com/checkout_com/