U.S. Bank’s Law Division is seeking an experienced attorney who is authorized to practice law in the United States and is in good standing with the appropriate U.S. state licensing authority, to join its in-house legal team supporting MPS, U.S. Bank’s global merchant acquiring business. This role will (1) support and advise MPS’s Airlines business and strategic airline partners and (2) lead and manage the legal team that supports MPS’s Revenue organization.

High-Profile Strategic Initiatives

This newly created position supports high-profile strategic initiatives and relationships across MPS’s business, with a primary focus on the Airlines segment and airline partner relationships. The attorney hired will report to MPS’s Chief Counsel and will be responsible for leading a team of attorneys who support the Revenue organization (three direct reports), as well as partnering closely with Sales, Product, Pricing, Technology, Finance, and Risk to enable growth while appropriately managing legal and compliance risk. The successful candidate will thrive on the opportunity to solve interesting problems and will have experience negotiating complex, high-stakes commercial agreements in a fast-paced environment.

A Global Business

MPS is a global business, and while this role is primarily U.S. focused, the attorney will also be responsible for supporting critical initiatives in Canada and Europe, with the assistance of local counsel and our internal European and Canadian experts.  While the successful candidate does not need to be qualified to practice outside the U.S., interest in international practice, familiarity with cross-border work, and comfort working with intercultural teams are highly desirable.

Growth Opportunities

This position offers the opportunity to take the lead legal role in high-visibility projects within MPS and U.S. Bank and to build strong relationships with key business decision-makers.  The role will position the attorney well for increased responsibility and advancement within U.S. Bank’s Law Division.  The successful candidate will be a highly motivated individual who is just as interested in the business of payments as in the law of payments, and who seeks a long-term career in this field. 

Job Duties

• Serve as primary legal advisor to MPS’s Airlines business, providing practical, business-oriented counsel to sales and business leaders.
• Lead and manage the legal team supporting the Revenue organization (three direct reports), including hiring/staffing, coaching and development, performance management, and workload prioritization.
• Negotiate and oversee sophisticated commercial agreements, including airline partner arrangements and other strategic revenue-generating relationships, and provide guidance on non-standard terms and risk mitigations.
• Build and maintain scalable legal support for the Revenue organization, including intake and triage processes, templates and playbooks, training for commercial teams, and clear escalation paths for high-risk issues.

Minimum Qualifications and Skills

• J.D.
• Bar admittance in the U.S. state where candidate is located
• 7 to 10 recent years of experience practicing law in a large corporate in-house legal department or at a law firm that serves major corporate clients, with extensive experience drafting and negotiating complex commercial agreements.
• Experience advising revenue-generating organizations (e.g., sales, partnerships, pricing, product) and translating legal requirements into practical, deal-enabling advice.
• Experience with the payment processing, fintech, and/or banking industries, including merchant acquiring and commercial card/network concepts.

Preferred Qualifications and Skills

• Experience supporting airlines, travel, or other large merchants, including complex partner and channel relationships.
• Familiarity with card network rules and applicable regulatory requirements (e.g., payments, money transmission, consumer protection concepts) and the ability to apply them in contracting, product launches, and go-to-market execution.
• Experience negotiating multijurisdictional commercial agreements and partnering with international stakeholders and/or local counsel.
• Strong leadership abilities and comfort managing and developing a team of attorneys, including setting priorities, providing clear feedback, and driving accountability.
• Track record of building an inclusive, supportive team culture and partnering effectively with commercial stakeholders to enable revenue growth while managing risk.