Director - Senior Counsel

About Us
Visa is a world leader in payments technology, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories, dedicated to uplifting everyone, everywhere by being the best way to pay and be paid.

At Visa, you'll have the opportunity to create impact at scale — tackling meaningful challenges, growing your skills and seeing your contributions impact lives around the world.

Join Visa and do work that matters – to you, to your community, and to the world. Progress starts with you.

Job Description

Team Summary:
The Visa Asia Pacific Legal team manages Visa's legal affairs in the Asia Pacific region. Our team provides advice and services to ensure business goals are successfully met and that Visa's brand and reputation are protected while minimizing legal liability and regulatory risk. Our vision entails each legal professional living the guiding principles to be a proactive partner who never loses sight of his/her responsibility to protect the company. 
 
What a Director, Senior Counsel does at Visa:
This position is for a seasoned business/commercial lawyer to join Visa's growing legal team that supports Visa's businesses responsible for the Japan market, for a broad range of legal issues including, in particular, corporate/commercial, technology, products, marketing, privacy and intellectual property. The position will be based in Tokyo, Japan and will report to a senior lawyer in the Visa Asia Pacific Legal team, based outside of Japan. 
 
We are looking for a strong commercial lawyer with excellent communication and analytical skills, who is self-motivated, able to work proactively and independently with minimal supervision, and has the skillset and leadership mindset to effectively interact with business units and other support functions at all levels across Visa to influence business directions and bring about positive outcomes. 
 
The applicant should ideally have experience in commercial business law and management, and have excellent legal drafting skills in English and Japanese. The applicant must have technical legal expertise with good commercial/legal risk judgement, and be able to juggle multiple priorities with tight deadlines in a fast paced and challenging, but inspiring and rewarding, environment. Prior payments experience is not required, although the candidate must be willing to learn Visa's business model and the payments industry. 
 
In this role, you are expected to:

• Provide counsel and advice to business and technology teams regarding deal structures and approaches to addressing issues Be a trusted strategic advisor to and an integral part of the business  team to help navigate complex legal and business issues in the ever-changing payments/fintech industry
• Work closely with different functional business teams to review and advise using exceptional risk-based judgement on commercial and contractual enhancements and/or new business initiatives, as well as day to day commercial related matters
• Draft, negotiate and drive to completion complex commercial, technology, and strategic partnership agreements that achieve business objectives
• Be an effective representative / stakeholder for the AP Legal team, liaise and cooperate with other members of the global and regional Visa legal teams
• As a member of the Japan, Korea and Mongolia Legal team, provide coordinated support for legal matters across the cluster.
• Work closely with different functional business teams to review and advise using exceptional risk-based judgement on commercial and contractual enhancements and/or new business initiatives, as well as day-to-day commercial related matters.
• Draft, negotiate and drive to completion complex commercial, technology, and strategic partnership agreements that achieve business objectives.
• Be an effective representative / stakeholder for the AP Legal team, liaise and cooperate with other members of the global and regional Visa legal teams.
• Advise on regulatory consultations and government engagements in relation to payment regulations and be an effective strategic advisor to the business and government engagement teams
• Have some work-related travel
• Perform such other responsibilities as may be assigned by the Chief Counsel for Asia Pacific.

Visa requires at least 3 days in office, expectations of these days will be confirmed by your Hiring Manager.

Visa requires at least 3 days in office, expectations of these days will be confirmed by your Hiring Manager.

Qualifications

What you will need:

We are looking for a strong leader who can bring a breadth of experience and knowledge to our business. As a candidate, you should have:

• 12 to 15 years+ of post-qualification legal experience; qualified to practice law in Japan or a common law jurisdiction• Solid corporate/commercial law experience in drafting and negotiating strategic and complex cross-border deals in a top-tier law firm or multinational company; hands-on experience in advising on legal issues in Japan as well as common law jurisdictions
• Strong academic background with good commercial sense and analytical skills
• Excellent command of written and spoken English and Japanese required; can work in Tokyo, Japan
• Ability to work independently and interface with executive level stakeholders with little or no supervision, but also be a good team player
• Practical and proactive problem-solving skills; strong business acumen and be confident, mature and calm under stress
• Demonstrated ability to manage and drive complex cross-border commercial and technology transactions, strong understanding of complex legal issues in multiple jurisdictions
• Excellent legal analytical skills with the ability to integrate legal advice and business knowledge, while providing balanced advice regarding risks and benefits
• Genuinely interested in technology and the payments industry
• Good attention to detail; strong EQ and resilience What will also help:
• Familiar with the Asia Pacific region
• International experience preferred, but a desire to expand knowledge of regional laws and legal systems can substitute
• Good knowledge of antitrust law, anti-bribery laws, privacy law and intellectual property law preferred.

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.