Senior Counsel

Mastercard is looking for an experienced lawyer to serve as a key commercial attorney supporting the integration of BVNK and the commercialization of deals involving next-generation digital asset, stablecoin and cross-border payments solutions.

As Senior Counsel, you will be a member of the Law Department supporting Blockchain & Digital Assets team under Mastercard’s Core Payments business. You will handle contract drafting, negotiations and commercialization and support legal matters for the business on a day-to-day basis, identifying and analyzing relevant issues and helping the business effectively navigate legal and regulatory risks and implement appropriate controls, policies and processes.

Responsibilities:

• Manage legal support for the go to market and commercialization of Mastercard’s global digital assets products and services, reporting into the Senior Managing Counsel for Digital Assets.
• Manage tactical and strategic legal support related to products and solutions to advance Mastercard’s corporate objectives, including Mastercard’s stablecoin, digital assets, and blockchain strategy.
• Develop strong relationships with product development and business and sales clients.
• Collaborate with product, technology, regulatory, sales, franchise, marketing, communications and others to successfully commercialize products and solutions that differentiate Mastercard and meet our customers’ and cardholders’ rapidly changing needs.
• Structure, draft, and negotiate a wide range of contracts (including complex digital assets technology agreements, customer and vendor agreements) as well as other commercial agreements.
• Partner with subject matter experts in regulatory, privacy, product, intellectual property and other stakeholder teams to ensure product constructs and commercial agreements are consistent with corporate strategy, internal policies and procedures and applicable laws and regulations.
• Advise management teams on the identification and analysis of complex legal issues and commercial risks.
• Be an advocate for the business by providing solutions-oriented advice, being proactive, and looking for creative and practical ways to move the business objective forward.
• Identify needed process improvements and efficiencies; own and execute solutions to support Mastercard’s transformation strategy and streamline processes to increase ease of doing business.
• Take responsibility for special projects while continuing to handle a steady stream of day-to-day matters.
• Instruct and manage external counsel within agreed policy and budget.

Requirements:

• A qualified lawyer with a solid academic and training background, licensed to practice in the UK.
• Strong commercial experience in digital assets, financial services, emerging technology, stablecoin and other digital currencies, and the use of public and private blockchains.
• Good working knowledge of the regulatory landscape and legal issues relating to digital assets.
• Excellent organizational, time management, client communication, and multi-tasking skills.
• Experience across a range of commercial and technology contracts and the ability to analyze and identify the core legal issues, skilled at explaining technical problems succinctly and clearly.
• A working knowledge of data privacy and intellectual property issues and how they relate to emerging technology such as digital assets.
• A fast learner who can gain rapid familiarity with complex products, services and legal frameworks and maintain knowledge of those changing products, services and legal frameworks.
• Agile and flexible while working under pressure and with tight deadlines.
• Strong drafting, writing, oral communication and negotiating skills, able to communicate your vision and roadmap effectively to a wide variety of stakeholders.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills with proven experience in relationship building and partnering.
• Strong business acumen.
• Language: Fluent English.