PayPal
Sr Legal Counsel, Commercial - Partnerships
PayPal, San Jose, California, United States, 95199
Sr Legal Counsel, Commercial - Partnerships
PayPal has been revolutionizing commerce globally for more than 25 years. Creating innovative experiences that make moving money, selling, and shopping simple, personalized, and secure, PayPal empowers consumers and businesses in approximately 200 markets to join and thrive in the global economy.
We operate a global, two‑sided network at scale that connects hundreds of millions of merchants and consumers. We help merchants and consumers connect, transact, and complete payments, whether they are online or in person. PayPal is more than a connection to third‑party payment networks. We provide proprietary payment solutions accepted by merchants that enable the completion of payments on our platform on behalf of our customers.
We offer our customers the flexibility to use their accounts to purchase and receive payments for goods and services, as well as the ability to transfer and withdraw funds. We enable consumers to exchange funds more safely with merchants using a variety of funding sources, which may include a bank account, a PayPal or Venmo account balance, PayPal and Venmo branded credit products, a credit card, a debit card, certain cryptocurrencies, or other stored value products such as gift cards, and eligible credit card rewards. Our PayPal, Venmo, and Xoom products also make it safer and simpler for friends and family to transfer funds to each other. We offer merchants an end‑to‑end payments solution that provides authorization and settlement capabilities, as well as instant access to funds and payouts. We also help merchants connect with their customers, process exchanges and returns, and manage risk. We enable consumers to engage in cross‑border shopping and merchants to extend their global reach while reducing the complexity and friction involved in enabling cross‑border trade.
Our beliefs are the foundation for how we conduct business every day. We live each day guided by our core values of Inclusion, Innovation, Collaboration, and Wellness. Together, our values ensure that we work together as one global team with our customers at the center of everything we do – and they push us to ensure we take care of ourselves, each other, and our communities.
Job Description Summary:
We’re seeking a highly motivated and experienced transactional lawyer to be responsible for providing best‑in‑class commercial support for some of PayPal’s largest partner and merchant deals. You will be a key legal advisor to Sales, Product, and other cross‑functional teams. You will define deal strategy, analyze business goals and structure agreements, and close complex and high‑impact partnerships with leading platforms. You’ll move comfortably between strategy and execution, set goals, and deliver results.
Essential Responsibilities:
Lead complex projects of diverse scope, driving legal initiatives that support business growth and innovation.
Participate in complex problem resolution, providing expert legal advice on high‑stakes issues and disputes.
Provide expert legal advice and support, particularly in areas experiencing significant growth such as compliance, data privacy, and litigation support.
Ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations, advising on the implementation of new legal technologies and automation tools.
Manage legal risks and safeguard PayPal’s legal interests, developing comprehensive risk management frameworks.
Represent PayPal in litigation and other legal proceedings, leading case strategies and ensuring effective representation.
Expected Qualifications:
8+ years relevant experience and a Juris Doctorate degree OR any equivalent combination of education and experience.
Additional Responsibilities And Preferred Qualifications What you’ll do:
Lead complex commercial deals across PayPal’s products and services.
Provide timely, solution‑oriented advice to business partners on a wide variety of initiatives and issues, including payments, consumer protection, privacy and data protection, IP, and evolving AI/agent frameworks.
Create scalable solutions to drive velocity.
Structure transactions across licensing, data use and sharing, product integrations, go‑to‑market, and strategic partnerships.
Transform complex legal concepts into practical advice for senior business leaders.
Balance risk thoughtfully with business goals and priorities.
Collaborate with other stakeholders, including Sales, Product, Engineering, Risk, Compliance, Privacy, Finance, and Regional Legal to develop deal strategies and resolve issues quickly.
Build and maintain templates, playbooks, fallbacks, and training to accelerate negotiations.
Improve processes – streamline approvals, clarify roles, and enhance visibility to stakeholders.
Earn trust by being direct, transparent, and following through.
Model excellent judgment and communication; mentor teammates and exercise influence across functions.
Required What we’re looking for:
JD (or equivalent) and active membership in good standing in at least one U.S. state bar.
10+ years of legal practice, including 6+ years leading large commercial transactions for sales or similar functions (in‑house and/or law firm).
Hands‑on demonstrated experience supporting technology, fintech, or financial services companies.
Demonstrated success drafting and negotiating complex sales, marketing, licensing, and partner agreements.
Proven ability to issue‑spot, propose practical solutions, and drive decisions in a fast‑paced environment.
Excellent negotiation, writing, and interpersonal skills; ability to effectively communicate with senior leadership, cross‑functional stakeholders and external partners.
Strong organization and project management skills; comfortable juggling multiple, time‑sensitive matters.
Preferred
Payments industry knowledge (e.g., processors, acquirers, networks, wallets, checkout, risk controls, chargebacks, settlement).
Experience with agentic commerce or adjacent AI technologies (agents, orchestration/automation, model/API integrations).
Expertise on data rights/usage, privacy, and security terms in commercial agreements.
Product counseling for platform integrations and go‑to‑market arrangements, including co‑marketing and channel partnerships.
Global deal experience and familiarity with regulatory considerations affecting PayPal’s ecosystem, including money transmission compliance considerations and models.
You're excited by deal and regulatory complexity.
PayPal is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices.
Actual Compensation is based on various factors including but not limited to work location, and relevant skills and experience.
The U.S. national annual pay range for this role is $152,500 to $262,350.
PayPal does not charge candidates any fees for courses, applications, resume reviews, interviews, background checks, or onboarding. Any such request is a red flag and likely part of a scam.
We offer benefits to help you thrive in every stage of life. For more information, visit
PayPal Benefits .
To learn more about our culture and community, visit
PayPal About .
PayPal provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. In addition, PayPal will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.
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We operate a global, two‑sided network at scale that connects hundreds of millions of merchants and consumers. We help merchants and consumers connect, transact, and complete payments, whether they are online or in person. PayPal is more than a connection to third‑party payment networks. We provide proprietary payment solutions accepted by merchants that enable the completion of payments on our platform on behalf of our customers.
We offer our customers the flexibility to use their accounts to purchase and receive payments for goods and services, as well as the ability to transfer and withdraw funds. We enable consumers to exchange funds more safely with merchants using a variety of funding sources, which may include a bank account, a PayPal or Venmo account balance, PayPal and Venmo branded credit products, a credit card, a debit card, certain cryptocurrencies, or other stored value products such as gift cards, and eligible credit card rewards. Our PayPal, Venmo, and Xoom products also make it safer and simpler for friends and family to transfer funds to each other. We offer merchants an end‑to‑end payments solution that provides authorization and settlement capabilities, as well as instant access to funds and payouts. We also help merchants connect with their customers, process exchanges and returns, and manage risk. We enable consumers to engage in cross‑border shopping and merchants to extend their global reach while reducing the complexity and friction involved in enabling cross‑border trade.
Our beliefs are the foundation for how we conduct business every day. We live each day guided by our core values of Inclusion, Innovation, Collaboration, and Wellness. Together, our values ensure that we work together as one global team with our customers at the center of everything we do – and they push us to ensure we take care of ourselves, each other, and our communities.
Job Description Summary:
We’re seeking a highly motivated and experienced transactional lawyer to be responsible for providing best‑in‑class commercial support for some of PayPal’s largest partner and merchant deals. You will be a key legal advisor to Sales, Product, and other cross‑functional teams. You will define deal strategy, analyze business goals and structure agreements, and close complex and high‑impact partnerships with leading platforms. You’ll move comfortably between strategy and execution, set goals, and deliver results.
Essential Responsibilities:
Lead complex projects of diverse scope, driving legal initiatives that support business growth and innovation.
Participate in complex problem resolution, providing expert legal advice on high‑stakes issues and disputes.
Provide expert legal advice and support, particularly in areas experiencing significant growth such as compliance, data privacy, and litigation support.
Ensure compliance with relevant laws and regulations, advising on the implementation of new legal technologies and automation tools.
Manage legal risks and safeguard PayPal’s legal interests, developing comprehensive risk management frameworks.
Represent PayPal in litigation and other legal proceedings, leading case strategies and ensuring effective representation.
Expected Qualifications:
8+ years relevant experience and a Juris Doctorate degree OR any equivalent combination of education and experience.
Additional Responsibilities And Preferred Qualifications What you’ll do:
Lead complex commercial deals across PayPal’s products and services.
Provide timely, solution‑oriented advice to business partners on a wide variety of initiatives and issues, including payments, consumer protection, privacy and data protection, IP, and evolving AI/agent frameworks.
Create scalable solutions to drive velocity.
Structure transactions across licensing, data use and sharing, product integrations, go‑to‑market, and strategic partnerships.
Transform complex legal concepts into practical advice for senior business leaders.
Balance risk thoughtfully with business goals and priorities.
Collaborate with other stakeholders, including Sales, Product, Engineering, Risk, Compliance, Privacy, Finance, and Regional Legal to develop deal strategies and resolve issues quickly.
Build and maintain templates, playbooks, fallbacks, and training to accelerate negotiations.
Improve processes – streamline approvals, clarify roles, and enhance visibility to stakeholders.
Earn trust by being direct, transparent, and following through.
Model excellent judgment and communication; mentor teammates and exercise influence across functions.
Required What we’re looking for:
JD (or equivalent) and active membership in good standing in at least one U.S. state bar.
10+ years of legal practice, including 6+ years leading large commercial transactions for sales or similar functions (in‑house and/or law firm).
Hands‑on demonstrated experience supporting technology, fintech, or financial services companies.
Demonstrated success drafting and negotiating complex sales, marketing, licensing, and partner agreements.
Proven ability to issue‑spot, propose practical solutions, and drive decisions in a fast‑paced environment.
Excellent negotiation, writing, and interpersonal skills; ability to effectively communicate with senior leadership, cross‑functional stakeholders and external partners.
Strong organization and project management skills; comfortable juggling multiple, time‑sensitive matters.
Preferred
Payments industry knowledge (e.g., processors, acquirers, networks, wallets, checkout, risk controls, chargebacks, settlement).
Experience with agentic commerce or adjacent AI technologies (agents, orchestration/automation, model/API integrations).
Expertise on data rights/usage, privacy, and security terms in commercial agreements.
Product counseling for platform integrations and go‑to‑market arrangements, including co‑marketing and channel partnerships.
Global deal experience and familiarity with regulatory considerations affecting PayPal’s ecosystem, including money transmission compliance considerations and models.
You're excited by deal and regulatory complexity.
PayPal is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices.
Actual Compensation is based on various factors including but not limited to work location, and relevant skills and experience.
The U.S. national annual pay range for this role is $152,500 to $262,350.
PayPal does not charge candidates any fees for courses, applications, resume reviews, interviews, background checks, or onboarding. Any such request is a red flag and likely part of a scam.
We offer benefits to help you thrive in every stage of life. For more information, visit
PayPal Benefits .
To learn more about our culture and community, visit
PayPal About .
PayPal provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. In addition, PayPal will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.
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