Associate Counsel / Legal Manager

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

This position provides legal support to the Global Merchant Services (GMS) business, a core unit of American Express and fundamental to the operation of the American Express network. GMS builds and maintains relationships with merchants that choose to accept the American Express Card by signing merchants to accept the Card, processing Card transactions and providing marketing, sponsorship, and other innovative programs and services. The position will support the GMS regional client group, which manages key merchant relationships, including online/e-commerce and government merchants, throughout the United States. The position will collaborate within GMS in negotiating merchant agreements with these entities and supporting operational issues, especially payment processing issues (e.g., merchant dispute resolution, fraud/data security, chargebacks), arising from those relationships. The position will report to a Vice President & Senior Counsel in the Global Network & Merchant Services practice group of the General Counsel’s Organization (“GCO”) of American Express.

* Provide primary legal support to business groups managing key regional merchant relationships, including online/e-commerce and government merchants, throughout the United States, working with a highly skilled and experienced team of lawyers and legal managers * Strategically collaborate across all levels within GMS in negotiating merchant and sponsorship agreements in support of these relationships to ensure all legal issues are identified, evaluated, and managed across the organization * Partner with the client management organization in designing and implementing unique business solutions that are intended to enhance the value of the American Express Card. This support includes all aspects of these commercial agreements, including Card acceptance, marketing and sponsorship deals, and related business relationships and issues * Provide counseling and support to GMS business teams on strategic legal and policy matters, business negotiations, marketing issues and programs, and regulatory, litigation, compliance and operational processes, and legal risks, with focus on changing marketplace and regulatory and litigation environment * Coordinate with and support others in the GCO, Compliance, Operational Excellence, and the business nationwide, to ensure the most effective support and relevant expertise is applied to particular matters * Support the identification and implementation of process improvements to streamline operational and marketing processes within the GMS small merchant organization * Participate in a small team of seasoned attorneys and legal managers, offering thought leadership for cross-subject matter practice group issues and projects

* 2+ years of relevant legal experience * Experience and knowledge in drafting, reviewing and negotiating commercial contracts * Experience in dealing with business-level implications of merchant processing and developing and marketing financial products and services is a plus * Experience in leading and facilitating change * Ability to understand and integrate details of business operational and systems environment in applying legal and policy requirements * Ability to gain credibility, manage expectations, and develop strong working relationships with GCO colleagues and business clients * Convey clear advice to clients and provide pro-active, creative, and business oriented solutions; and manage ambiguity well * Ability to communicate and relate at all levels of the organization and with external constituencies and to drive consensus and exert influence in a cross-functional capacity * Ability to handle multiple tasks and resolve novel issues with a resourceful, “can-do” attitude, take on new responsibilities, and prioritize tasks and manage multiple competing projects in a dynamic, deadline-intensive environment * High energy, team-oriented, self-starter, with excellent written, interpersonal, teamwork, and communication skills * Strong work ethic, personal accountability, and customer focus * JD with admission in good standing with New York Bar (or eligibility to do so) preferred. The title of “Associate Counsel” is available for candidates fulfilling this preference.