Lawyer (Counsel) - Credit Cards

Job description

American Express is a global service company, providing customers with exceptional access to products and experiences that enrich lives and build business success.

Each day, we make it easier, safer and more rewarding for consumers and businesses to purchase the things they need and for merchants to sell their goods and services, enabling them to do and achieve more.

We're committed to becoming the world's most respected service brand and daily deliver extraordinary service to our customers, constantly reinventing our ways of working to ensure we offer rich rewards that redefine expectations for our clients and ourselves.

Counsel – Consumer Card, EMEA Overview American Express Company (NYSE: AXP), a Fortune 100 company, is a global payments, network and travel company founded in 1850 and headquartered in New York.

They provide customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. The Company's principal products and services are charge and credit payment card products and travel-related services offered to consumers and businesses around the world.

The Company's products and services are sold globally to diverse customer groups, including consumers, small businesses, middle-market companies, and large corporations.

These products and services are sold through various channels including direct mail, on-line applications, targeted direct and third-party sales forces, and direct response advertising. With a global workforce of more than 60,000 people, American Express is recognised as a great place to work. For additional information, visit www.americanexpress.com .

The Role This position is responsible for providing legal support for all of American Express' proprietary consumer card issuing business units in the UK, including business units responsible for providing or procuring benefits and services offered to consumer cardholders.

The position is based in our offices in London (Victoria) and reports to Senior Counsel in EMEA in the team which supports the business units mentioned above. Additionally, this position will be required to provide support on various Regional / EMEA projects or EMEA aspects of global projects.

The individual who assumes this position will be expected to participate actively in executive decision making as well as to guide and assist the other business leaders in achieving their business objectives in compliance with applicable laws.

This position will be supported by an Executive Assistant shared by other London-based lawyers in the same team. In addition, GCO EMEA resources are in place to assist in managing budgets, tracking litigation and managing company secretarial matters.

Responsibilities:

· Provision of legal support for all of American Express' proprietary consumer card issuing businesses in the UK directly, working as part of a team of in-house lawyers and through cost-effective reliance on outside counsel.

· Compliance of American Express' business activities with applicable laws and regulations,

· Identification and effective management of legal risks arising from these activities.

· Legal support for acquisitions, strategic alliances and other major transactions affecting any American Express consumer-oriented business in the UK. Activities include structuring transactions, drafting, negotiations and legal due diligence.

· Proactive role in making sure the UK American Express' proprietary consumer card issuing business management and management of other business lines supported through this position understands and complies with legal and regulatory requirements affecting businesses conducted through banking/financial/payment institution and other regulated subsidiaries as well as through the unregulated subsidiaries in the UK.

· The monitoring of relevant legislative developments at the domestic and international level (in particular EU Directives and Regulations) and proactive analysis of their impacts and thought leadership in advising on their application to the business in particular relating to consumer credit, consumer protection, payment services and data protection.

· Keeping UK country management, the Senior Counsel and Managing Counsel EMEA aware of all matters which represent a significant regulatory and/or financial exposure to American Express or a risk to the American Express brand.

· Assisting in management of all relationships with regulators of the relevant American Express businesses in the UK, including in the FCA.

· Working in partnership with the Compliance Department.

· The management of outside counsel and outside legal fees and, where used as an alternative to outside counsel, contractor lawyers and related expenses.

· Travel as required in order to best support the needs of the business and the demands of particular projects.

Offer of employment with American Express is conditioned upon the successful completion of a background verification check, subject to applicable laws and regulations.

Desired profile

Skills Required:

· Admitted to practice law with substantial, distinguished practice experience in the UK.

· Exposure to legal issues in European, civil code jurisdictions is a plus.

· Fluent in English and preferably (but not required) another European language.

· Working knowledge of applicable EU and UK law relating consumer credit and credit and charge card issuing and consumer protection and financial and payment services generally.

· Familiarity with banking and insurance laws, data protection law, anti-money laundering law, laws affecting travel services, competition law, agency and distribution law, corporate and commercial law and general contract law.

· Familiarity with extraterritorial U.S. laws affecting global financial services businesses (anti-money laundering, Foreign Corrupt Practices, antitrust, etc).

· Strong relationship and leadership skills with proven ability to adopt a commercial, business orientated approach, take charge and “get things done”.

· Ability to seamlessly work in a matrix structure and the willingness to add new subject areas and areas of responsibilities to portfolio.

· Excellent communication skills.

· Good team player and self-starter.

· Excellent technical and business skills including contract drafting and budget management.

· Strategic thinker with good business and market understanding and excellent analytical skills.

We place great importance on doing what is right, what is best and what is innovative. And we continue seeking people to champion these values and beliefs as we grow. The world's a big place, filled with big ideas and amazing people. And we want the best of them here at American Express. We're interested in where you came from, but we're even more excited about where you will go with American Express.

To complete your application please click on the links below. However, if you require any assistance with the completion of this process – or need any reasonable adjustments to be made – then please contact the Recruitment Team on ************@*******.** or +44 (0)116 2421776.