Legal Counsel

Role Description:
**Key Job Responsibilities and Duties**:

- Assisting with and conducting legal analysis and helping orchestrate the support of various stakeholders in the comprehensive assessment of core payment products and of the relevant payment/ fintech aspects arising from travel products, ensuring compliance with laws, regulations and card scheme requirements (as applicable) and optimising for commercial outcomes whilst protecting the company from foreseeable risks and consequences
- Coordinating legal support across different specialisms and areas (including Consumer, Regulatory, including as needed under the Digital Markets Act and/or Digital Services Act and other tech regulation, Data Protection, Financial Crime and Compliance) as well as outside of legal (tax, treasury, product)
- Analysing precedents/case law and proposed existing laws and regulations that may impact the fintech products and their growth and facilitate the implementation of any regulatory requirements

**Qualifications & Skills**:

- Knowledge of and demonstrable experience of compliance with regulations, ideally, payments and fintech, although financial services, or privacy, or other rapidly evolving and developing regulatory (e.g. GenAI) contexts can assist
- Ability to empathise with the expectations of regulators, review output and communicate with fluidity and precision in preparation for or in dealings with regulators
- Native or fluent English speaking and writing skills
- Excellent communication skills (written and oral), attention to detail & organisational and project management skills and ability to meet deadlines, prioritising appropriately
- Confidence in your ability to provide assistance to the legal team and business units.
- Able to demonstrate commercial awareness and understanding of the business requirements
- Professional and collaborative approach
- An understanding of payments or other financial services regulatory regimes and of how Fintech firms and products are affected is required, including:

- Foundational legal and regulatory frameworks that cover international money transfer, e-commerce, and online platforms
- Contract relationships and risk and technology (from a regulatory perspective)
- Permanent establishment and associated structuring and/or tax risks
- Familiarity with the financial service products and the Fintech space:

- Digital Wallets such as WeChat, ApplePay, AmazonPay etc.
- Card schemes (Amex, VISA, MC) and other virtual credit card products (VCC) such as those provided by WEX and/or eNett (Optal)
- Experience identifying and liaising with local counsel around the globe, identifying suitable partners, commissioning work, challenging deliverables etc.
- Delivering all of the above directly and as part of a matrixed, cross-functional team
- Experience in working as an individual contributor in a ‘hands-on’ legal advisory support role, embedded in the business and working closely with the product and commercial teams - or close client contact with equivalent commercial exposure in private practice
- Experience in a role with global or regional scope - the lawyer in this role should equally have a global worldview - and be capable of sourcing, critiquing and managing input form a range of internal and external stakeholders to form a view even outside of his or her direct experience

**Further traits look for**:

- Curiosity, flexibility, and a creative, pragmatic approach to problem-solving.
- Confidence with collaboration.
- Ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
- Proactivity, resilience, and a drive to deliver results.
- Strong judgment with attention to both the big picture and key details.
- Courage to take a stance and make tough decisions.
- Team-oriented, self-aware, and a good listener.
- Agility in prioritizing and meeting deadlines.
- Forward-thinking, with a focus on emerging legal and policy issues.

**Why join the Legal & Public Affairs Team now?**

**Who we are?**

We are an award winning team of around 200 professionals from 36+ nationalities, with lawyers qualified in multiple jurisdictions and non-lawyers specializing in public policy, economics, compliance, and risk. We have been recognised and shortlisted individually and as a team by the Legal 500 GC Powerlist, Assoc. of Corp Counsel, Global Competition Review, The Lawyer GC of the Year (shortlisted), Compliance Week and the Financial Times. We encourage active participation in the industry, with board membership and representation at industry bodies at multiple levels, starting with our Chief Legal & Public Affairs Officer, who is currently ACC President for Europe. We also engage with stakeholders on policy issues impacting travel and tech innovation, including through our new public affairs blog, "A World Worth Experiencing."

**As a team, we believe in**:

- Supporting Booking's mission to make travel accessible, fostering openness and curiosity.
- Offering opportunities for team members to explore n