Legal Counsel

Ant International; Greater London; On-site; GBP 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Ant Group operates a fast-growing EMEA hub in London and seeks a high-calibre Legal Counsel with regulatory and commercial experience. You will advise across payments regulations, product structuring, and cross-border contracts to support growth in the EMEA region, including expansion opportunities in the Middle East.

The role requires a UK/European qualified solicitor with 6+ years PQE in financial services or corporate law, strong communication, and project management skills, and a passion for

Qualifications

• UK/European qualified solicitor with at least 6 years PQE in financial services or commercial/corporate law.
• Experience in providing legal and regulatory advice and drafting/negotiating commercial agreements in financial services or corporate sectors; technology background preferred.
• Excellent interpersonal, organisational, and verbal and written communication skills; ability to explain complex issues.
• Strong ownership for supporting business’ commercial objectives and interest in fintech/payments industry developments.
• Strong project management skills in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Understand and translate directives, laws and regulations for payment networks and providers into business-friendly language.
• Interact with internal stakeholders across the globe in a multi-cultural environment.
• Provide clear, timely legal advice to cross-border stakeholders on products/features while ensuring regulatory compliance.
• Advise on product structure and draft/negotiate contracts with internal and external parties.
• Act as trusted adviser to management on regulatory matters across the EMEA region, including AML and data privacy.
• Identify productivity improvements and help deliver process changes.
• Act as a strategic business partner, researching new markets and advising on international expansion.

Skills

Regulatory compliance

Commercial law

Financial services

Cross-border advisory

Contract drafting

Communications

Education

Solicitor Qualification (UK/European)

Job description

We are a fast-growing payment and technology business in EMEA. As part of the bigger Ant Group headquartered in China, we represent one of the key international hubs for Ant Group’s international business in providing B2B and B2C payment and product solutions to global and local fintech players, banks, merchants, users and alike. Our key business lines in EMEA include partnering with strategic fintech players, merchant/card acquirers, financial institutions, strategic global merchants, SMEs in order to provide top-notch online and offline payment solutions.

The role:

We are seeking a high calibre Legal Counsel with regulatory and commercial background to join our fast growing and dynamic legal team. You will work closely with all areas of the business and take a collaborative approach to solving complex legal challenges. We are part of a worldwide fintech company in fast expansion, that values its employees and is committed to organic professional growth. We are seeking a skilled lawyer willing to be part of, and bring value to, our business and growth in the EMEA region, with a particular focus on the Middle East.

You will be expected to:

• Understand and translate into business-friendly language the directives, laws, and regulations that apply to payment networks, payment schemes, payment service providers and other participants in the payments industry.
• Work in a muti-cultural environment, being demanded to interact with internal stakeholders across the entire globe.
• Provide clear, timely and actionable legal advice to cross-border and cross-functional stakeholders on products and features being developed and launched by peer e-money/payment institutions to ensure we comply with relevant regulatory requirements whilst meeting our customers’ needs.
• Advise on product structure and draft/negotiate contracts with internal stakeholders and external counterparties.
• Act as a trusted adviser to management on key regulatory matters impacting the business across the EMEA region, including working closely with subject matter experts in compliance, AML, data privacy.
• Identify productivity improvements and help deliver process change.
• Act as a strategic business partner and help the business continue to expand internationally; researching and evaluating new territories and providing creative, proactive and results-oriented advice.

Skills, qualities and experience required

• Qualified solicitor (UK/European qualified) with at least 6 years PQE in financial services or commercial/corporate law in either a law firm or in-house legal position.
• Experience in providing legal and regulatory advice and drafting and negotiating commercial agreements in the financial services and/or corporate industry, with technology background preferred.
• Strong interpersonal, organisational, and verbal and written communication skills with the ability to explain complex issues.
• Strong sense of ownership for supporting business’ commercial objectives, and interest in actively following business and technological developments relating to the global payment and fintech industry.
• Strong project management skill, ability to prioritise and manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.