Director & Counsel - job 1 of 3

You Lead the Way. We’ve Got Your Back.

With the right backing, people and businesses have the power to progress in incredible ways. When you join Team Amex, you become part of a global and diverse community of colleagues with an unwavering commitment to back our customers, communities and each other. Here, you’ll learn and grow as we help you create a career journey that’s unique and meaningful to you with benefits, programs, and flexibility that support you personally and professionally.

At American Express, you’ll be recognized for your contributions, leadership, and impact—every colleague has the opportunity to share in the company’s success. Together, we’ll win as a team, striving to uphold our company values and powerful backing promise to provide the world’s best customer experience every day. And we’ll do it with the utmost integrity, and in an environment where everyone is seen, heard and feels like they belong.

Join Team Amex and let's lead the way together.

The General Counsel’s Organization (GCO) at American Express is seeking a Director & Counsel to lead our global support for two key verticals in the Global Merchant and Network Services business: (i) the  commercial credit risk management team that evaluates and mitigates financial exposure arising from our merchant and network  relationships and (ii) the GMNS Pricing organization, which is responsible for setting our Merchant and Network pricing.  This lawyer will fill a key role on the GMNS legal team and will be responsible for acting as a legal and strategic thought leader on exposure risk management and collateral documentation as well as various pricing initiatives and policies.  

The GMNS business is a core business of American Express and fundamental to the operation of the American Express global payments network. GMNS builds and maintains relationships with merchants that choose to accept the American Express Card and financial services companies who enable merchants to accept the Card, simultaneously delivering differentiated products and services and driving revenue growth for both merchants and American Express.  The GMNS business is responsible for signing merchants to accept the Card, processing Card transactions and providing marketing and other innovative programs and services to grow our merchant and Card acceptance relationships.

Where great legal minds influence national business strategy.

Our mission is to protect and strengthen American Express through legal expertise and strategic advice that helps our business partners manage risk, identify opportunities, and deliver on the company’s promise of exceptional products and services. Given the dynamic nature of the national and global payments industry and the valued partnership between our team and the business, we see it as imperative to attract and develop talented people by:

• Providing rich work experiences and opportunities for professional development
• Recognizing and rewarding those who drive and deliver results
• Respecting and valuing diversity, integrity, and personal accountability

Role & Responsibilities:

Help propel your team and its business partners to success. 

Here’s just some of what you’ll do in this role:

• Provide primary legal support to the GMNS risk team focused on evaluating and mitigating risk arising from GMS (merchant) and GNS (bank partnership) relationships throughout the partner lifecycle, including development of standard form templates, providing transactional support for large negotiations globally and leading risk-specific negotiations.   
• Advise Risk and front-line negotiation teams on structural and risk matters and partner-specific risk mitigants and financing structure.
• Review and negotiate credit and collateral documentation.
• Advise on cutting-edge risk management and collateral management issues, including resolution of unique counterparty risk events and serving as a key trusted advisor in related transaction dispute processes.
• Provide primary legal support to dynamic merchant pricing team; evaluate legal risks and considerations related to pricing policy and implementation.  
• Provide counseling and support to GMNS teams on strategic legal and policy matters, compliance and operational processes, with focus on competitive changes in marketplace and regulatory and litigation environment.
• Coordinate with GCO colleagues and outside counsel, Compliance, client teams and other stakeholders, to ensure the most effective support and relevant expertise is applied to particular matters.
• Participate in a small team of seasoned attorneys and legal managers, offering thought leadership for cross-subject matter practice group issues and projects.
• Work with outside counsel globally with relevant Risk and Pricing expertise to ensure relevant consistency of approaches.
• Effective, cost-conscious targeted engagements of outside counsel, with a disciplined approach to budget management.

Are you ready for the challenge?

Minimum qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree & J.D.
• Experience in commercial credit lending, structured finance, and collateralization in corporate banking
• Interest in and passion to learn about the payments industry
• Admitted to New York Bar or eligibility to do so
• 6+ years of relevant legal experience

Preferred qualifications:

• Extensive experience in corporate banking, including drafting and negotiation of primary loan and credit documentation, collateral documentation, guaranties and intercreditor arrangements
• Working knowledge of the UCC (including Article 9), receivables financing, and forms of credit protection (including letters of credit)
• Working knowledge of Chapter 11 of bankruptcy law
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Ability to generate creative and innovative solutions to novel issues
• Ability to communicate complex issues clearly and persuasively, in both written and oral format
• Excellent collaboration, interpersonal and teamwork skills
• Ability to drive consensus and exert influence in a cross- functional capacity
• Self-motivated, high level of personal energy and commitment
• Strong leadership skills, growth mindset and strong customer focus

Salary Range: $170,000.00 to $255,000.00 annually + bonus + equity (if applicable) + benefits

The above represents the expected salary range for this job requisition. Ultimately, in determining your pay, we’ll consider your location, experience, and other job-related factors.

We back our colleagues and their loved ones with benefits and programs that support their holistic well-being. That means we prioritize their physical, financial, and mental health through each stage of life. Benefits include:

• Competitive base salaries 
• Bonus incentives 
• 6% Company Match on retirement savings plan 
• Free financial coaching and financial well-being support 
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability benefits 
• Flexible working model with hybrid, onsite or virtual arrangements depending on role and business need 
• 20+ weeks paid parental leave for all parents, regardless of gender, offered for pregnancy, adoption or surrogacy 
• Free access to global on-site wellness centers staffed with nurses and doctors (depending on location) 
• Free and confidential counseling support through our Healthy Minds program 
• Career development and training opportunities

For a full list of Team Amex benefits, visit our Colleague Benefits Site.

American Express is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability status, age, or any other status protected by law. American Express will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with arrest or conviction records, in accordance with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including, but not limited to, the California Fair Chance Act, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. For positions covered by federal and/or state banking regulations, American Express will comply with such regulations as it relates to the consideration of applicants with criminal convictions.

We back our colleagues with the support they need to thrive, professionally and personally. That's why we have Amex Flex, our enterprise working model that provides greater flexibility to colleagues while ensuring we preserve the important aspects of our unique in-person culture. Depending on role and business needs, colleagues will either work onsite, in a hybrid model (combination of in-office and virtual days) or fully virtually.

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