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

Job Description
Visa is seeking an experienced, practical and business-oriented lawyer to join the Legal team in Brazil as Counsel (Senior Manager). The role will provide broad legal support for Visa's Brazilian payment arrangements, with particular focus on participant risk and lifecycle matters, Credit Settlement Risk (CSR), complex commercial and regulatory contracts and matters, guarantees, financial-flow structures and crisis response.
The Counsel will operate at the intersection of legal, regulatory, risk and operational matters. The role will advise on the interpretation and implementation of Brazilian payment regulation and Visa Rules, support decisions involving issuers, acquirers, sub-acquirers and other participants, and help ensure that contractual, regulatory, enforcement and litigation positions remain consistent and defensible.
The Counsel will work closely with Legal colleagues and cross-functional partners, including CSR, Risk, Client Services, Rules, Compliance, Government Engagement, Finance and Treasury, as well as regional and global teams and outside counsel. The successful candidate will exercise sound judgment with limited supervision, identify material risks early and translate complex requirements into clear and executable solutions.

Essential Functions
·       Provide strategic legal support for Visa's Brazilian payment arrangements, including participant governance, risk mitigation initiatives and implementation of applicable regulatory requirements.
·       Advise on the full participant lifecycle, including onboarding, ongoing monitoring, remediation measures, enforcement actions, restriction or suspension processes, and participant termination matters.
·       Partner with Credit Settlement Risk (CSR), Risk, Client Services, Rules, Compliance and other stakeholders in the assessment and mitigation of settlement, liquidity, operational and participant-related risks.
·       Lead the negotiation, drafting and management of complex commercial, regulatory and risk-mitigation agreements, including guarantees, collateral arrangements, receivables structures and other participant support mechanisms.
·       Support the development, interpretation and implementation of Visa Rules, policies and participant communications, ensuring consistency among contractual, regulatory and operational positions.
·       Provide legal support in regulatory engagements, industry working groups and interactions with the Central Bank of Brazil and other relevant stakeholders.
·       Advise on participant distress situations, insolvency-related matters, operational disruptions, litigation and other high-impact events affecting the integrity of the payment ecosystem.
·       Coordinate outside counsel and provide practical, risk-based legal advice that supports business objectives while preserving Visa's regulatory and institutional position.
·       Develop legal frameworks, templates and guidance materials that promote consistency, defensibility and effective governance across participant-related matters.
·       Collaborate with regional and global Legal teams on legal, regulatory and strategic initiatives affecting Visa's payment arrangements.

Qualifications

Basic Qualifications
·    Law degree from an accredited Brazilian institution and active membership in good standing with the Brazilian Bar Association (OAB).
·    At least 10 years of relevant post-qualification legal experience in a law firm, financial institution, payment company, technology company or corporate legal department.
·    Substantial experience in financial services, payments, banking, fintech or another highly regulated environment.
·    Experience advising on regulatory and commercial matters and drafting and negotiating complex agreements in Portuguese and English.
·    Professional fluency in Portuguese and English, including the ability to advise and negotiate with senior stakeholders in both languages.
·    Demonstrated ability to manage multiple sophisticated priorities, work independently and deliver high-quality advice under time pressure.

Preferred Qualifications
·    Strong knowledge of the Brazilian legal and regulatory framework applicable to payment arrangements, payment institutions and financial-market infrastructures, including Central Bank regulation.
·    Experience with participant governance, risk remediation, enforcement, suspension or termination processes in a regulated ecosystem.
·    Experience with collateral packages, receivables, escrow or controlled accounts, settlement arrangements, insolvency scenarios and credit-risk mitigation structures.
·    Experience supporting regulatory inquiries, supervisory engagements, administrative proceedings or industry working groups.
·    Experience coordinating litigation or contentious matters connected with regulated products, payment flows or participant relationships.
·    Strong commercial and institutional judgment, with the ability to balance legal, regulatory, operational and business considerations without compromising core controls.
·    Ability to simplify complex issues, identify critical decision points and propose pragmatic paths forward while clearly documenting residual risk.
·    Excellent stakeholder-management, communication and negotiation skills, with confidence engaging directly with senior leaders, regulators, industry representatives and multidisciplinary teams.
·    Experience coordinating external counsel and critically reviewing complex legal opinions and work product.
·    Strong organizational discipline and commitment to accurate documentation, knowledge management and consistent legal positions.

Key Leadership Behaviors
·    Acts with integrity, accountability and sound judgment.
·    Takes ownership and drives matters to completion while preserving clear accountability across functions.
·    Challenges assumptions constructively and escalates material risks at the appropriate time.
·    Builds trusted relationships across Legal, Risk and business functions.
·    Communicates directly and clearly, adapting the level of detail to the audience.
·    Remains composed, curious and solutions-oriented in high-pressure or crisis situations.

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.