Senior Counsel - Regulatory Law

What's it all about?

This role sits within Visa’s dynamic UK & Europe Regulatory Law Team, which provides legal advice and support to Visa’s business and Legal teams (both in and globally) on all issues relating to relevant regulation and regulatory change/developments across the Europe region. A particular focus will be the provision of expert advisory support to Visa’s Commercial & Money Movement Solutions (CMS) division. CMS is dedicated to delivering innovative payment technologies that facilitate both domestic and cross‑border money movement, operating through a network of licensed entities, including within the UK and Europe.

The Regulatory Law Team forms part of a larger Europe Legal, Ethics & Compliance Division (including, corporate and commercial, competition, and UK and EU regulatory specialists) which prides itself on a creative, proactive and can-do approach. This team works at the cutting edge of new developments in an increasingly regulated sector, which brings unique and novel challenges in steering the organisation through a complex regulatory environment.

The role reports to the Vice President of Regulatory Law and is based in London.

What we expect of you, day to day.

• Serve as a trusted adviser to business, legal and compliance stakeholders, helping to identify and manage regulatory risks while enabling commercial growth.
• Provide strategic and day‑to‑day legal advice on all aspects of the Payment Services Regulations (PSRs), Electronic Money Regulations (EMRs), AML regulations and other applicable FCA rules and guidance.
• Support business and regulatory compliance teams navigate core regulatory compliance areas such as regulatory licensing, AML/CTF, safeguarding, outsourcing, consumer duty and operational resilience.
• Build expertise in emerging virtual asset and stablecoin regulatory frameworks.
• Interpret and advise on FCA expectations, and regulatory developments from the FCA, PRA, HM Treasury, the Bank of England, EBA, and the EU.
• Advise regulated entity boards and management teams on governance expectations, and help develop proportionate governance structures.
• Support product innovation and launches within CMS, ensuring regulatory compliance while facilitating commercial objectives.
• Provide thought leadership on new regulatory issues and developments.
• Work very closely with Visa’s Legal, Government Engagement and Public Affairs teams.
• Identify new regulatory issues and challenges to Visa’s business in Europe and proactively advise on these issues.
• Identify the need for external legal advice and engage appropriate outside counsel on a range of legal and regulatory issues across Visa’s UK and European region. Strong management of outside counsel, including budgets will be required.
• Work with other Visa departments across the globe to identify issues affecting Visa globally and to ensure consistency of advice.
• Manage, develop and maintain relationships with other Visa lawyers and business teams to facilitate the effective delivery of legal advice and assistance.
• Proactively contribute to the planning, cohesion, consistency in advice, and the general efficiency and effectiveness of the legal & compliance teams in Europe.

This is a hybrid position. Expectation of days in the office will be confirmed by your Hiring Manager.

Qualifications:

• Qualified regulatory lawyer with strong UK regulatory experience in payment services regulation (ideally UK, Australia or New Zealand) and financial services regulatory compliance requirements.
• 8 - 12 years of relevant experience.
• A good understanding of the European regulatory environment and familiarity with UK and EU legislation. We are looking for a qualified lawyer with substantial post-qualification experience and will consider mid/senior level experience provided the right qualities are demonstrated. We will consider candidates who have qualified in any Common Law or European jurisdictions.
• Experience advising on payment services, electronic money, and FCA regulatory frameworks relevant to Payment Institutions (PIs) and Electronic Money Institutions (EMIs), regulatory governance, operational controls, and risk management.
• Demonstrable expertise at a recognized law firm and/or in-house in a regulated organization on topics such as:
• Anti-money laundering, counter terrorist financing and sanctions
• Safeguarding requirements for customer funds
• Outsourcing rules (including material outsourcing arrangements)
• Authorization and variation-of-permission processes
• Conduct and prudential expectations for PIs and EMIs
• Ability to translate complex regulations into practical, actionable advice for commercial teams.
• Previous experience of cross-border and multi-jurisdictional regulatory issues.
• Strong academics and training, including legal drafting, negotiation, and relationship management.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills along with a demonstrated ability to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment as well as on own initiative.
• Ability to prioritize and manage a varied and busy workload.
• Positive attitude, high level of integrity and intellectual curiosity.
• Fluent in English.

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.